Being the wife of an Italian certainly has its perks, with travel to Italy being one of them!
Over the years, we’ve spent lots of time visiting family in and around Rome, and throughout the country. This summer, our trip took us to the Adriatic coast. The area between Giulianova and Pescara holds a special place in my husband’s heart, as he spent summers at the family beach house in Montesilvano. We have since spent time in several neighboring towns, including Pescara, Grottamare, and most recently, Pineto.
Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these coastal towns as they all boast friendly locals, great food, warm seas, and endless beaches. So, if those are things you’re looking for on your next family vacation, you’re in the right place! 😀
Here is a little guide detailing our most recent trip to one of our favorite summer vacation spots – Pineto. If you’re looking for a pre-planned vacation, with insider tips to where the locals go, here it is!
Where to stay:
On our last trip, we stayed just outside of Pineto, which is right between Giulianova and Pescara. This also puts you nearly in the middle of Italy’s Adriatic shoreline.
This was a great spot because:
- Location! We were centrally located, with the beach, bars (coffee shops), and a restaurant nearby, the cute town of Pineto just minutes to the North, and a string of cute seaside towns to explore.
- We had the best beach house!
We stayed in Villa Angelica, which you can find here on Airbnb. It is a gated, 3-story villa, in a quiet neighborhood. The home is surrounded by tropical plants, various forms of cacti, and cherry, lemon, and apricot trees (with fruit ready to enjoy by late spring).
This home is set up perfectly for a family, or several families. Nine of us stayed here for 10 days, and everyone had plenty of room.
<—(View from our balcony!)
There are 2 kitchens, 2 living areas, separated bedrooms (3 upstairs, 2 downstairs plus a pull-out sofa), and plenty of bathrooms for rinsing off after a day at the beach (5 total). Also of importance for a trip to Italy in the summer, it has air conditioning!
It is situated perfectly so you can enjoy your morning cappuccino on the south patio, your afternoon aperitivo on the shaded upper deck, and watch the sun set over the hills from the cozy west-facing balcony.
Plus, the home is a quick 5-minute walk from the beach so it couldn’t be more convenient.
My only tip if you choose to stay here (or probably anywhere lol) is to bring mosquito spray and/or citronella candles. The home is appointed with everything you’ll need for a comfortable stay, but we found we needed much more of these things to comfortably enjoy the outdoor spaces. However, you can easily grab them at a nearby grocery store (Conad or EuroSpin), or home store (Aqua & Sappone).
Another bonus of staying at Villa Angelica is the owners are also the owners of the nearest beach club, La Nelide. This means you get family-like welcome, and a discount on umbrellas and beach lounges! Francesco, his brother Gianluca, and their mother are so kind and welcoming, and will make sure you’re well taken care of.
Getting here:
The best way to get here is to fly into Rome Fiumicino (FCO). The Pescara (PSR) airport is closer, but offers substantially less flight options and prices are much higher.
If you grab a rental car, it only takes about 2.5 hours to drive coast to coast. If you’re not sure about driving with the crazy Italian drivers (I can say that, because I’m married to one lol), there are trains that leave straight from the airport too, and the trip to the Adriatic coast will take about 4.5 hours.
If you’re planning on spending time in the center of Rome before or after your time on the coast, I’d recommend skipping the car and using public transportation when in the city.
Not only is traffic crazy and parking challenging, you’re restricted from driving in most of the center between 8am-6pm. Only residents living in the center are allowed to drive there until after-hours, and if you mistakenly head down the wrong street, you could find hefty fines in your mailbox a few months after your vacation.
I learned all about this the hard way when my now-husband lent me his car while I was in Rome for school. My friends and I zipped all around town, going to our favorite places in the center, without realizing there were restrictions. I only found out about the restrictions when his father got all the fines in the mail . . . 😬
So, while staying in Rome, you can easily take the train from Fiumicino airport right into Termini, the main train station in Rome. From there, you can take a taxi or a bus. Taxi would for sure be easiest following a long flight and with luggage in tow!
Once you’re settled in, the hotel staff or Airbnb owner should be able to tell you the best ways to get around from your location.
When you’re ready to leave Rome and head to Pineto, you can pick up a car at any number of rental locations in the city – you do not have to go all the way back out to the airport!
If you choose to rent a car, here are a few important things:
- Book your rental in advance. Cars go quickly during the high season (late spring to early fall), and you don’t want to get stuck paying astronomical prices, so look at least a several months out. Based on where you’re staying in the city, you can find rental locations nearby for when you’re ready to pick up your car.
- Pay attention to the company when booking. It may be tempting to take the lowest price offer with an unknown rental agency, and chances are, it would work out fine. However, when we have taken this route, we’ve sometimes faced challenges. For example, on our last trip, our car seemed to have a battery issue and wouldn’t start. The company was smaller, and didn’t have any other available vehicles to swap us with, so waiting for a mechanic to inspect and repair was the only option. Certainly not ideal when you have a fun vacation to get to! We have had good luck renting with American companies, as well as Sixt, and Europcar.
- Bring an international drivers permit. The rental agency may not require one for you to rent, but they will likely charge you a significant amount more for required ‘insurance’ if you don’t have one. International drivers permits are easy to get before your trip. Just go to your local DMV or AAA, show them your valid US driver’s license, pay them about $40, and voila – you’re now an international driver!
- You’ll definitely want to have access to Google Maps, so make sure to check with your wireless provider about an international plan before heading overseas.
- While it seems many driving rules are ‘optional’ according to Italians, speed can still get you in trouble. The speed limit on the interstate is generally 130km/hr (about 80 mph), and if you see a notice for Autovelox, that means there are cameras controlling your speed – so again, mailbox fines if you’re not careful!
- The interstate in Italy is a toll road, so have coins and cash with you for your road trip. Between Rome and Pineto, you’ll spend about €20 in tolls as of time of writing, over the course of a couple different stops. There aren’t always people manning the stations, so having close change is good!
Where to eat:
Well, since you’re in Italy, nearly everything you eat will be the best thing you’ve ever eaten! 😆
When Italians dine out, they typically order appetizers (antipasti), a first course (un primo, typically pasta or risotto), and a second course (un secondo, typically meat or a vegetarian entrée) with side dish (un contorno, usually a vegetable). Following that, they may get dessert (un dolce), an espresso (un café, ask for it ‘macchiato’ if you’d like a splash of milk), and/or a sipping liquer (un digestivo) to help you digest. The most common ‘digestivi’ are Amaro, Grappa, Montenegro, and Limoncello. They each have a very distinct flavor, and although I’m not a big drinker, I can speak to their digestive effectiveness. ☝️
Here are a few of our favorite restaurants near Pineto:
The bar at La Nelide, just a few minute walk from the villa, always had lots of delicious treats and snacks.
We would often stop there before hitting the sand to grab a cappuccino and cornetto, and later in the day to grab a frozen treat.
Their restaurant was excellent as well, and I’m told by the seafood lovers in the family, that it was some of the best. In fact, they go out each morning to fish, and what they catch is what’s on the menu for that day so it couldn’t be fresher! They also have amazing pasta and other options for those not wanting seafood.
Il Dolcetto in Pineto is an incredible pastry shop (pasticceria). If you need a special-occasion cake, an assortment of delicious, bite-sized deserts, or just a yummy treat, it is the perfect spot. We had them make our daughter’s birthday cake, and couldn’t help but grab a few other treats each time we went in!
L’angolo dei Sappori in Pineto also had fantastic food, and enough different options to please everyone. They had the largest menu we have seen, and their pizza menu is outstanding! Good luck deciding which one you want!! They also had many tables so waiting wasn’t an issue (great if you’re traveling with kids!)
Columbo’s was another favorite for the seafood lovers. It is on the main street in Giulianova, about a 15 minute drive from Pineto. The portions are large, so we suggest ordering just and appetizers and first courses, and deciding afterwards if you’d like more. By the time we were done with our first courses, we were so glad we hadn’t ordered second courses because there was not room for one more bite! For the non-seafood eaters, they also have excellent pasta, meat dishes, and wood-fired pizza.
One of our favorite spots for gelato (Italian ice cream) was Bar Mary di Coppa Vita in Pineto. It is right on the main street, just a block or so from where you will pick up your villa keys if you stay at Villa Angelica. We suggest trying one of their ‘coppas,’ the Italian version of an ice cream sundae. Your ice cream can be topped with fruit, liquer, espresso, fresh whipped cream, or any other variety of combos you’re sure to enjoy!
You’ll also find several grocery stores within a few minutes drive. Euro-Spin has great prices and options, with the one in Pineto being closest to the house. Euro-Spin is most like a traditional American grocery store, meaning they sell basic household toiletries, bakery items, fresh frutis and vegetables, and meat all in one location. If you find yourself needing a larger selection of home products, like laundry soap, bug spray, cosmetics, etc, Aqua e Sapone is a nearby superstore.
What to do:
Our #1 activiity of course was going to the beach! We truly enjoyed the laid-back Italian lifestyle, and lived as the locals:
First things first, cappuccino and cornetti (croissants) on the patio at our villa!
Then, we’d head off to the beach, where we would spend the morning enjoying the surf and the sand. (Sometimes enjoying a second cappuccino at the bar ☕ ). While we of course love both Italian coasts, the Adriatic coast allows for a much gentler entry to the sea, and calmer waters. The depth increases so gradually that you can walk quite far out before you can’t touch the sand. And at low tide, it’s even farther! As a mother of children who’ve grown up in Montana, where we have NO oceans, it provides peace of mind for me, and a little more independence for the kids. 😊 The Tyrrhenian coast is equally beautiful and enjoyable, but the sea gets deep quickly and the waves are significantly larger and stronger.
Around mid-day, we’d head home for lunch and a siesta. During this hottest part of the day, we would read, watch a movie, take a nap, or those with unlimited energy would wrestle around (the under-15 crowd lol). Note, many Italian businesses still close for several hours during the afternoon for the siesta. Most museums and restaurants stay open for ‘ore continuati,’ or ‘hours non-stop,’ but make sure to check if where you want to go in the early afternoon will be open.
Later in the afternoon, we would either go back to the beach or enjoy some other activity. A favorite was renting bicycles and riding along the Lungomare (the walking/biking path that hugs the shoreline). It extends for miles in both directions, so you can explore for hours on bike, stopping for a dip in the sea or a cold limonata (lemon soda) along the way! We rented from a small shop in Pineto called ‘Pineto Noleggio Bici,’ and for just €6/person, we had bikes for everyone (ages 8-63) for half a day. They even have 2 and 4-seaters in case you have someone who isn’t up for pedaling the whole way.
Another fun, and free, activity we enjoyed was exploring the Castello Aragonese. It is a Renisance castle from the 14th century, located right on the sea in Ortona. Ortona is just south of Pescara, so about a 45 minute drive from Pineto. Make a fun day by packing a picnic and heading out to explore little points along the way! You can even take a staircase from the castle down to the waterfront and enjoy swimming and amazing views up to the castle. After your castle visit and stop at the sea to cool off, you can spend the afternoon exploring the cute historic center of Ortona, enjoying a granita or gelato along the way.
Overall, if you’re looking for a vacation with the perfect balance of culture, history, relaxation, and sunshine, you cannot go wrong spending time on Italy’s Adratic Coast!
Buon viaggio!