Beaches
Best Beaches in Abruzzo: The Complete Guide
All 20 of Abruzzo's beaches in one place, from the wild dunes of Punta Aderci and the historic trabocchi of the Costa dei Trabocchi to the resort sands of the Riviera delle Palme.
Abruzzo's coastline runs for roughly 130km along the central Adriatic, from the sandy resort towns of the Riviera delle Palme in the north, through Pescara at its midpoint, down to the shingle coves and historic trabocchi of the Costa dei Trabocchi in the south. It's less internationally known than Puglia or the Amalfi Coast, but it covers a genuinely wide range of beach types in a relatively compact stretch of coast.
This guide brings together all 20 beaches covered so far, organised north to south, from Martinsicuro at the Marche border to San Salvo Marina at the edge of Molise.
Martinsicuro: The Northernmost Beach in Abruzzo
Right at the Tronto river border with Marche, Martinsicuro offers fine sand and a gentle seabed, with the medieval Torre di Carlo V near the seafront.
- Best for: a beach stop that doubles as a jumping-off point into Marche.
- Good to know: San Benedetto del Tronto is an easy day trip just across the river.
Alba Adriatica: The Silver Beach
Nicknamed the "Silver Beach" for its pale, shimmering sand, Alba Adriatica keeps a slightly lower profile than its bigger-name neighbours to the south.
- Best for: a well-equipped family beach without the busiest crowds.
- Good to know: the seafront cycle path connects easily to Tortoreto.
Tortoreto Lido: Beach Below a Medieval Hilltop Town
Tortoreto pairs a wide, family-friendly sandy beach with the medieval old town of Tortoreto Alto rising above it.
- Best for: pairing a family beach day with an evening trip to the hilltop.
- Good to know: the wide sand and gentle seabed suit young children well.
Giulianova: The Golden Beach
Giulianova's beach turns golden at sunset and carries both Blue Flag and Green Flag family-beach recognition, below the Renaissance old town of Giulianova Alta.
- Best for: families wanting a certified, child-friendly beach.
- Good to know: the old town is a short trip up from the Lido.
Roseto degli Abruzzi: The Lido delle Rose
Named for the rose gardens along its seafront, Roseto has held Blue Flag status since 1999 and is one of the most consistently popular family beaches on this coast.
- Best for: a long-established, well-run beach with a very gentle seabed.
- Good to know: several concessions have dedicated children's play areas.
Pineto: A Blue Flag Beach Beside a Pine Forest
Pineto pairs Blue Flag sand with the shaded Riserva Naturale Pineta di Pineto directly behind it, greener than most of its neighbours.
- Best for: combining a beach day with shaded walks or cycling.
- Good to know: it sits conveniently between Silvi and Roseto degli Abruzzi.
Silvi Marina: The Pearl of the Adriatic
Seven kilometres of fine sand run beneath the clifftop medieval village of Silvi Alta, giving this resort more historical depth than most.
- Best for: a long resort beach paired with a genuinely old hilltop village.
- Good to know: it's the closest of the Teramo beaches to Pescara.
Montesilvano: Abruzzo's Densest Resort Beach
Immediately north of Pescara, Montesilvano's seafront is close to wall-to-wall hotels and beach concessions, one of the most package-holiday-oriented stretches in the region.
- Best for: maximum convenience - accommodation, food and beach within walking distance.
- Good to know: the cycle path connects directly to central Pescara.
Pineta Dannunziana: A Shaded Beach Inside Pescara
At the southern end of Pescara's own seafront, this beach sits beside a 53-hectare protected pine forest reserve, calmer and shadier than the central city coast.
- Best for: a quieter beach option without leaving Pescara.
- Good to know: it's walkable from Pescara Centrale along the promenade.
Francavilla al Mare: Abruzzo's Oldest Seaside Resort
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A resort since the 19th century, Francavilla al Mare pairs roughly eight kilometres of fine sand with one of the liveliest palm-lined promenades on the coast.
- Best for: a beach day with more historical and cultural texture.
- Good to know: it's a short train or drive south of Pescara.
Lido Riccio: The Widest Sand on the Trabocchi Coast
Just north of Ortona, Lido Riccio breaks from the shingle-and-cliff pattern further south with a proper wide sandy beach and a gentle seabed.
- Best for: families wanting a full-service sandy beach day.
- Good to know: Ortona station is a short taxi or bike ride away.
Marina di San Vito: A Beach Beside a Working Harbour
San Vito Chietino's main beach sits next to a small fishing harbour, giving it a more working-coast feel and some of the freshest seafood on this list.
- Best for: pairing a beach day with fresh, locally caught fish.
- Good to know: it's a fine sandy beach, distinct from the pebble cove of Spiaggia del Turchino nearby.
Spiaggia del Turchino: A White-Pebble Cove
Tucked beneath the cliffs that inspired part of D'Annunzio's Il Trionfo della Morte, this small cove of fine white pebbles marks the start of the Costa dei Trabocchi.
- Best for: a quieter, more intimate swim than the open sandy beaches nearby.
- Good to know: it's compact, so it fills up fast in July and August.
Rocca San Giovanni Marina: Beach Among the Trabocchi
This stretch has the highest concentration of well-preserved trabocchi, several now converted into summer seafood restaurants perched over the water.
- Best for: dinner on a trabocco platform paired with a beach day.
- Good to know: book trabocco restaurants well ahead in summer.
Punta della Ginestra: Fossacesia's Shingle Bay
Below the 12th-century Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere, this mix of fine shingle and sand has a working-coast feel with trabocco restaurants nearby.
- Best for: combining a swim with some history at the nearby abbey.
- Good to know: Fossacesia-Torino di Sangro station is an easy walk from the seafront.
Torino di Sangro Marina: Quiet at the River Mouth
Where the Sangro river meets the sea, this shingle-and-sand beach is one of the least crowded stops on the whole Costa dei Trabocchi.
- Best for: a calm swim away from the busier trabocco-restaurant crowds nearby.
- Good to know: facilities are limited, so bring your own supplies.
Casalbordino Lido: Dunes and Pines
North of Vasto, this sandy beach backed by low dunes and pine trees stays noticeably quieter than the bigger resort towns nearby.
- Best for: a low-key beach day with some natural shade.
- Good to know: pair it with the Basilica della Madonna dei Miracoli inland.
Vasto Marina: A Full-Service Beach Below the Old Town
Directly below Vasto's historic hilltop centre, this sandy resort beach has the full range of summer infrastructure - lifeguards, extensive rental, beachfront restaurants.
- Best for: a straightforward, well-equipped beach day close to the old town.
- Good to know: it's reachable by train via Vasto-San Salvo station.
Punta Aderci: Abruzzo's Wildest Nature Reserve
A 285-hectare protected reserve strings together several undeveloped beaches - sandy, pebbly and dune-backed - reached only on foot from a handful of car parks.
- Best for: a coastal walk through dunes and scrub punctuated by wild swimming stops.
- Good to know: there are no facilities inside the reserve, so bring everything you need.
San Salvo Marina: Abruzzo's Quiet Southern Edge
At the very southern tip of the Abruzzo coast, just before the Molise border, San Salvo Marina shares Vasto Marina's sand with a smaller-scale, more local feel.
- Best for: a calmer alternative to Vasto Marina on the same stretch of coast.
- Good to know: it's a useful stop if you're also exploring the Molise coast around Termoli.
Choosing a Beach in Abruzzo
For a straightforward resort beach holiday, the Riviera delle Palme towns from Martinsicuro to Silvi Marina offer the most facilities and the gentlest seabeds. Pescara and Montesilvano add a city base with easy transport links. Further south, the Costa dei Trabocchi trades some convenience for history and atmosphere, with wooden fishing platforms, shingle coves and abbey views. And if you want a genuinely wild stretch of coast, Punta Aderci's nature reserve near Vasto is unmatched anywhere else in the region.
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