BLOG I DAY 25 I  ITALY'S FOUR SEAS: A cycle tour along the Italian peninsula

October 08, 2023  Vieste, Puglia - Termoli, Molise -  Vasto  (Upper Town), Abruzzo  I  161 Km

This morning I left the hotel very early and had breakfast in a nearby bar and as always croissants and cappuccino, there was only me at the bar and I was surrounded by so much peace.

The first stretch - After breakfast I followed the provincial road SP52 "Pechici - Vieste" which runs along the Gargano Natural Park and from some point on the road I stopped at a beach outside of Vieste to observe the early morning sun reflecting on the sea where I had taken some photographs. Leaving the beach and the backdrop of the white houses in the distance, I continued to cycle along the coast which meandered between curves and ups and downs and on the coast I admired the trabocci, ancient fishing machines that people used to place them to fish from the ground. I had seen three of them, one of them I had taken a photo. Then you leave the coastal side at times with ups and downs and the climbs become more tortuous 200 m at sea level and then pedaling downhill until you reach the town of Peschici in the province of Foggia in the Apulia regio. In this lovely town I cyled here and there to discover the city.

Peschici is a historic fishing village and located on a rocky promontory and its very charming white buildings are perched on the cliff above the turquoise sea waters. The historic center is characterized by narrow stone alleys, they are a real labyrinth of corners to discover where there are houses, restaurants and a church. There are also many beaches awarded the Blue Flag, which recognizes the beaches for their cleanliness and the excellent services offered to customers. Puglia has many wonderful places but you shouldn't miss these and especially in the off-season period which offers you to visit it in a more relaxed way and it is easier to take photographs and capture memories that often landmarks swamped by other tourists without annoying and without tons of other tourists in the background and thus take good photos!


The second stretch - Having left the town of Peschici, I continued on the same road with ups and downs along the coast with always fascinating and evocative views and I had also seen a coastal tower perched on a green promontory overlooking the clear, turquoise colored sea and a magnificent blue sky  reaching the small seaside town of Rodi Gargano and then passing the first lake of Varano is  famous for the production of oyster.

The third stretch - Then I continued pedaling and came across the sign (Welcome to Torre Mileto" there was a beautiful seaside resort with a deserted beach and a wavy sea with very few swimmers and a few umbrellas on the beach.

The fifth stretch - After a few photographic shots at the beach I left the coastal road passing near Lake Lesina (it is a brackish lake basin) and I left the provincial road 41 pedaling adventurously on a country dirt road through agricultural land and it was not past no vehicle and even an agricultural vehicle and zero agricultural workers in the fields, it was only me pedaling on that stretch of windy route that I knew would be the right direction because I was going north.

Lake Lèsina and Lake Varano are the two largest lakes in southern Italy and they lie on the northern side of Gargano Gargano National Park in Puglia in the province of Foggia.


The sixth stretch - Then I arrived on a nameless and deserted road passing through the outer part of the town of Lesina and after a few kilometers I encountered a fairly wide and also deserted bridge located in the middle of agricultural land and the A14 motorway passed underneath. It was truly a strange and windy place and the road from that point was asphalted where you could see the large wind turbines scattered in the surrounding land so that I found myself on the Adriatica state road 16 in the Molise region passing through the town of Campomarino and then arriving at the Castello Svevo of Termoli on the coast of the Molise region in the province of Campobasso,.

The sixth stretch - Castello Svevo is a Centuries-old and was built entirely in limestone and is located on the entrance to the old village of Termoli and overlooks the sea. The fortification is an extraordinary structure even if seen only from the outside where there were benches and people sitting chatting and others walking. It was very nice to see local people mixing with a few other tourists outside enjoying the evening under the blue sky and with a good temperature and not too hot!

Termoli is located along the Adriatic coast not far from the Abruzzo region and is known for its beautiful beaches. In the port of Termoli there are ferries to visit the Tremiti islands and Croatia. A place that I had visited in the past both on a cycling trip and on other summer holidays with my family and for me it is a place that I would never tire of visiting, a destination between its islands and the mainland.

The seventh stretch - After leaving Termoli I continued pedaling along the Molise coast on the Adriatica state road 16 passing by the Trigno river. It is also forms the border between the regions Molise and Abruzzo and flows into the Adriatic Sea near Vasto Marina located in the municipality of the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region. I didn't see this place simply because I wanted to see Vasto - The Upper Town and the Historic Center overlooking the gulf of Vasto, a different view even if I had to cycle on an uphill road late in the evening which took me to the height of 144 meters at sea level.

The eight stretch - After the steep climb I arrived at the accommodation I had booked an hour before because I didn't know that there had been accommodation available for the night and I certainly didn't want to cycle uphill and then turn back and find myself in the dark looking for a accommodation elsewhere.

The last leg  - After I settled into the B&B including my bicycle which I could bring inside, a new place was the daughter's house who had renovated but then never lived there and had furnished with good taste! The walls of the rooms were arched with bricks, a modern bathroom, a gallery, a small room and everything was organised. The owner of the B&B had another place where there were more rooms and they also served breakfast there but I would have left early and therefore I wouldn't have been able to have breakfast and the owner had kindly brought me a chocolate croussant telling me that it was all there kitchen fridge for breakfast. What a kind woman but a little disappointed that I wouldn't have enjoyed her breakfast!

After a shower I went to discover the historic center of Vasto, it is a village perched on a hill and surrounded by walls characterized by ancient buildings that date back to the Roman era. It was wonderful to wander through small paved alleys where there is a large terrace, a balcony with a panoramic view of the Gulf of Vasto  on the Costa dei Trabocchi.

For dinner, which was already late in the evening, I found a very nice place that did quick dishes like burgers and since I hadn't eaten it since I left for this trip, I ordered a veggie burger with chips and a coke. After that I returned to my room and had done my evening routine and obviously looked at the map on Goggle and imagined where I would arrive tomorrow but I would certainly have cycled on the Costa dei Trabocchi in Abruzzo.



coming soon