The Beach & Nature Reserve of Punta Aderci, Vasto

THE BEACH & NATURE RESERVE OF PUNTA ADERCI 

AND A RATHER NICE LITTLE EATING SPOT

Punta Aderci Nature Reserve

Sometimes, somehow, things just don’t go to plan.  But you end up having the best day ever.

It’s August, it’s hot.  Afternoons are for siesta or escaping the heat, both of which we’ve mastered to a fine degree.  This afternoon, however, we felt like exploring.  Take the snorkels, drive a little further south down the coast, find a rocky cove and just, well, snorkel and snooze.

But instead we ended up an hour later, late afternoon, at Punta Aderci, Vasto’s beach side nature reserve, stunningly beautiful, but no snorkeling.  Who cares?  Not us.  A glorious time we had.  We just swam and snoozed, walked and explored.  

With 285 hectares of protected dunes, beaches, cliff tops, flora and fauna, Punta Aderci is the perfect chill out zone.  No sun beds to hire, nor parasols; just bring or make your own from the abundance of beautifully and naturally crafted driftwood dotted along the shore.  

Wonderful driftwood for the creative

If you fancy being slightly more active than we did, try volley ball, or walk or cycle the gentle 6km  walkway that follows the shoreline and hill tops. 

Samphire

Be warned though, it is a nature reserve with flowers not to be picked.  Torment indeed for a forager, with the cliff sides dripping with samphire, tantalisingly within reach!

As the sun was going down, we finally dragged ourselves off the beach, had a wander along the top, before taking a slow pootle home and finding a lovely little restaurant for fish to eat and sea views to die for.

The Punta Aderci trabocchi coastline at its most beautiful

Directions

Where:  Punta Aderci, Vasto (CH), Abruzzo

Distance from Kokopelli:  Approx 75km / 1 hour drivetime

From Kokopelli, follow the directions to Tomato Beach (see info folder): ie go through Roccamontepiano (forking left at the junction in the middle of the village), take the first right about 1km outside the village heading towards Fara Filiorum Petri.  At the T junction just before Fara, turn right, then almost immediately left, following the signs to Francavilla.

Stay on this road (SS263) following the signs to Francavilla all the way, until you pick up the A14 Autostrada signs.  Take the A14 in the direction of Bari.  After about 50km, take the exit Casalbordino-Vasto North and follow the signs to Punta Aderci.

Eating:  Ristorante Caldora, Vallevò

Directions:  from Punta Aderci, pick up the SS16 Adriatica road heading back towards Pescara.  After about 25km you’ll come across a row of a few restaurants.  Ristorante Caldora is signed from the road but down a little side street off to your right.  The restaurant terrace overlooks the sea and the trabocchi giving spectacular views along the coastline.  

The terrace of the Ristorante Caldora

www.kokopellicamping.co.uk