Abruzzo 2026 Tour
6 - 13 June
Luigina, our Pugliese guide, once again offered us a varied trekking and cultural programme. The theme was: Discover Abruzzo through Hermitages and Villages. Abruzzo, we later discovered is an amazing province of South Italy with 3 national parks as well as regional parks. So, mountains, forests, rivers, waterfalls and lovely villages with strong traditions.
Our late-night flight on June 6 to Pescara and the 45-minute bus trip to our first hotel, Hotel Santacroce meeting in the region of Sulmona began the adventure! An early start next morning to drive to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, considered “one of the most beautiful villages in Italy was the start of a long trek along a beautiful trail to Rocca Calascio. We took a break and those must-have photos at the Lady Hawke Castle, often used as a film location.
We made our way down to the village of Santo Stefano for lunch at a shepherd’s restaurant to sample the local cheeses and meats. Abruzzo is famous for its sheep and the famous transhumance, moving sheep from one province to another in the past and nowadays moving them up and down the mountains to fresher seasonal pastures.
On to Castel Monte, the “star-shaped town, known for its witches! Our guide related the history of the witches and how to deal with them. By chance, the Italian Red Cross were reenacting ways to keep people safe and deal with any accidents or incidents. All I can say is that Carmen Chircop, with knife in hand, (and the rest of us) had a good laugh!
Monday, June 8 offered varied events. We began with a drive to Bominaco to explore the castle and Church of Santa Maria Assunta with our Italian-Australian guide, Chiara. She showed us the magnificent frescoes in the Oratory of San Pelligrino.
The Truffle Hunting event was a highlight of the trip when we got to meet Alessandro and his dogs, Lagotto Romagnolo breed, who are experts in finding truffles. Bibi showed how she could find truffles easily. Lunch there was a feast with dishes with saffron and truffles, local cheeses and meats and liquors by Alessandro’s family. Memorable!
The Stiffe Caves was a revelation for anyone who has been in caves, usually dry and silent. Here a river, loud and fast-flowing, offered a different experience. We put on our helmets and ventured deep into the cave!
The beautiful sunny weather continued next day for our trip to Scanno, where we began our trek to the Hermitage of Sant’Egidio via the Sentiero del Cuore (Heart trail) to Lake Scanno with its distinctive heart shape! We followed the river, along a woodland path and took a break to admire the turquoise heart-shaped lake below us!
Lunch was at La Baita where we had ordered the famous arrostocini, bbq lamb skewers, and other delicious dishes. On to Scanno to stop to buy the famous Pan dell” Orso and have a rest under the trees. A look around Scanno and a visit to see the famous “bear Lady”, the driver’s wife who rescues bears and other wildlife. And a relaxing sit under the famous tennis ball tree!
We continued our trek through the Gorges of Sagittarius, the spectacular nature reserve run by the WWF, following the sound of the Sagittarius River. We viewed the beautiful man-made lake created by the dam for electric generation near the village of Villalago. Our walk took us to the lake of St Domonic in Villalago and the small hermitage of Saint Dominic the Abbot, who chose these lake shores for his contemplation. Some of us climbed the old stone steps to view the cave where St Dominic lived.
Our evening at the Santacroce Hotel was a lively one that evening. We danced and danced and made new friends with the Italian group who shared the dance floor!
Our Wednesday morning was spent in the town of Sulmona with our guide Caramella who took us first to the famous Confetti Pelini sweet factory. These confetti arranged in flower bouquets and creatively packaged are internationally famous, so we bought a selection! We walked through the ancient streets to the open market to buy fresh cherries and asparagus, in Marlene’s case! Then on to buy ice cream before a visit to the cathedral and the beautiful crypt.
Lunch that day was at the winery where we saw the vineyards and the cellars of the Margiotta family. Lunch was a wine tasting of the white, rose and the famous red Montepulciano D’Abruzzo to complement the huge platters of local cheeses and meats.
Fully satisfied, we headed to the Tirino River, the cleanest in Italy, for our afternoon canoe trip. With a guide and 2 people per canoe, we gently paddled our way along this quiet river with plants, trees, birds and wildlife being pointed out. The silent drift back was bliss! The favourite event so far for many of us!
We continued on our bus to Caramanico and to Hotel Arimannia with views to the distant mountains.
We set off on foot from the hotel on Thursday morning to trek through the Orfento nature Reserve. Along steep rocky paths through the forest, the Orfento. This is one of the greenest and most pristine river valleys in the Maiella National Park with waterfalls along its course. From the valley floor with its towering cliffs, we retraced our steps as our path was blocked to find an alternative path to Caramanico Therme, where we had time to find lunch and explore the narrow streets.
After breakfast and check out, we drove to the San Spirito Hermitage for a tour of the splendid Celestine Abbey built into the cliff side. Up and down endless steps, with views over the valley to the high mountains, gave a sense of the hard life of such hermits. We visited the Oratorio della Maddalena, part of the abbey.
We continued our trek through the woodland and fields of the Santo Spirito valley in the Maiella National Park, an area of mysticism and unique beauty. Along the path, Luigina found a snake, lovely and not at all dangerous!
The long trek led us down a steep path to the valley floor of the gorge and to the Hermitage of San Bartolomeo. The long slow trek up steep steps and a never-ending (it seemed!) path to Roccamorice and Osteria Del Belvedere for a much-needed lunch and a cold beer! On to our third hotel in Vasto, the Hotel dei 7 situated in the centre of the town.
Dinner that evening was at a fish restaurant to sample a traditional fish dinner.
Saturday, our last day, had a revised programme as the sea was too rough to have the planned boat trip with lunch. Instead, we drove towards Vallevo along the Trabocchi Coast to one of the trabocchi now a restaurant. The owner explained the history of such traditional fishing structures, the problems nowadays of maintaining them, and how the fishing industry is declining.
We continued our long walk along the sea front towards Marina di San Vito for a rest and a drink. And on to Ortona to visit the castle. We drove to Pescara to have some time to explore the city before we headed to the airport for our 8 pm flight, on time. And back to Malta after a week of making new friends and discovering the beauty of Abruzzo.
Maura Marlow
Trip coordinator