The beach of Punta Penna

It is difficult to remain insensitive to the charm of Punta Penna beach located north of Vasto and adjacent to the Punta Aderci Nature Reserve. The beach stretches for kilometres, a long expanse of free and wild sand, bordered behind by splendid dunes, sloping gently down to a sea of a transparency and reflections of rare beauty where bathing is pure pleasure, for adults and children alike.

The habitat is perfectly preserved and interesting naturalistic reasons add to the beauty of the place. Indeed, here live in large numbers terrestrial and marine species that can hardly be spotted elsewhere, even rare species.

Dolphins and sea turtles swim in the clear waters of the sea, while on the dunes you will be lucky enough to see the Kentish plover, herring gull, little gull, lark, purple heron, grey heron, egret, red-backed shrike, little lion, sparrow hawk, marsh harrier, honey buzzard and hen harrier.

Another special feature of the area is the Punta Penna lighthouse, which at 70 metres is second in height only to the 76-metre Lantern of Genoa. Built in 1906 to a design by Olindo Tarcione, it was seriously damaged during the last war and then rebuilt in 1948. Still manned today, it has a two-storey building at its base where the families of the two managers are housed. A long spiral staircase of 307 steps leads up to the top, from where there is a magnificent view: the gaze sweeps from Ortona to the Gargano, embracing kilometres of coastline and the immense blue mirror of the sea.

Next to the lighthouse stands a small 15th-century church dedicated to Santa Maria di Penna luce and rebuilt in 1887. On the second Sunday in May, a festival is celebrated here with a long procession of fishing boats and boats.