The beaches stretch to the horizon in Pescara, Abruzzo's largest city and one of the most popular Adriatic seaside resorts. The top things to do in Pescara include basking and bathing. Visitors should take breaks for the area’s food and wine on a culinary tour or cooking class in the city or vineyard-covered surrounding hills. This coastal city is a strategic base for exploring the Trabocchi Coast or inland to the town of Chieti and the towering peaks of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park.
Though Pescara is home to one of the largest marinas on Italy’s Adriatic coast, the city is primarily a beach destination and can be eerily quiet in winter. Head here in the late spring or early fall to enjoy the endless sandy beaches before the temperatures and crowds hit their peak. June and September are ideal for relaxed beach time and great meals, while July and August bring sold-out beach clubs and restaurant tables.
Pescara is one of the main travel hubs along Italy’s central Adriatic coast, with an airport, train station, and highway connecting the city to major destinations in Italy and the rest of Europe. The easiest way to get around downtown and to the nearby beaches is on foot or by bike, as parking is scarce in summer. Local TUA buses also run along the beach and into downtown.
Seafood lovers flock to this modern resort town to feast on fresh fish and seafood plucked from the Adriatic. The seafront is lined by restaurants serving coastal cucina Abruzzese, including specialties like brodetto pescarese (fish soup), marinated calamari and squid, anchovies, and pasta alla chitarra (long fresh pasta) tossed with clams, mussels, and other shellfish. The crisp white wines produced on the surrounding hills are a perfect pairing to Pescara’s seafood-forward cuisine; sip Trebbiano d’Abruzzo with your fish feast.
