10 Weeks Let Us See The Adriatic coast of Italy
Fall was a great time to head away for a brief gateway stop in London before spending 10 weeks heading down the Adriatic coast of Italy. We revisited favourite spots and discovered the Adriatic coast regions (Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo and Puglia). It was a long enough trip that we could move slowly, picking hub towns to settle in for day trip adventures. We saw far more than we could ever anticipated and added many towns to our list for return visits.
So Much To See And Do
When asked, it is hard to answer “what was the best part?” But we can share some of the highlights?
- Discovering there was a Little Venice in London
- And of course a real trip to Venice – for the historical Regatta parade
- Catching two shows in the ancient Arena in Verona
- We learned more about the food and wine of Italy – a Lugana winery tour, a food production tour in the Parma region and a southern Italian day of cooking classes
- Amazing discoveries of art – the mosaics of Ravenna, the ceilings of the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua and the porticos of Bologna
- Finding lots to do in the beach towns of the Adriatic coast of Italy even when the beaches were deserted – Igea Marina and Pescara
- Visiting high in the mountains in Abruzzo – Sulmona, Civitella Del Tronto, Rocca Calascio
Puglia In The South
- Leaving Italy for the day in San Marino
- Iconic sights of the Adriatic coast of Italy – the Trulli houses and the white towns on the hills
- Visiting towns that were contending for the European Capital of Culture for 2019 – the baroque beauty of Lecce and the Sassi of Matera
- Seeing first hand the power of nature – earthquake recovery in L’Aquila and the ruins of Pompeii in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius
We Finished With The Amalfi Coast And Rome
- Taking a day off from touring in Rome with a spa indulgence, knowing we will definitely be back!
We Enjoyed Our Travels In Italy
10 weeks travelling the Adriatic coast of Italy just continued to whet our appetite for more!
Have you done the Adriatic coast of Italy? Where should we go next in our exploration of Italy?
Copyright Notice: All material on this travel blog site is the sole property of RetiredAndTravelling. This includes blog posts, pages, design and all photos (whether watermarked or not). Any use of materials from this site without express written consent will be considered copyright infringement.
What an incredible trip – I have to say I'm more than a little envious!
It was great to visit a less discovered part of Italy along the Adriatic coast. We were surprised at how much there was to see. Had a couple of great hotel concierges who would help with our daily "to see" list 🙂
What an amazing 10 weeks it must have been! The photos looks great, thanks so much for sharing ? Italy is one place I’d love to spend more time in, just so much to see and do.
Russell, It was great to be off the tourist path. So many great little towns along the Adriatic side of Italy. Puglia was a great find and we will definitely go back. Sorrento is one of our favourite spots to stay on the Amalfi Coast – so it was great to have an extended stay. There is so much more to still see and do in Italy! Linda
I have been to the coastal regions of of north-east Italy a few times like Venice, Lido di Spina, Rimini, San Marino, Ferrara etc but I am exploring some more on my three week family vacation when I drive to Ancona area from London, UK. I dont think I will get to those beautiful white houses in Puglia this time but I think that will be on my next trip to Italy with the family in 2021 (we love Italy and we go at least once a year to relax, eat, drink and check out the beautiful culture, buildings and landscapes, I am even learning the language now!). 😀
Danik, This is one of the reasons I would love to live in Europe. So easy to head off to another country to explore. I would love to visit Italy at least once a year. Great that you are learning the language. We wish we were more disciplined about that. So many great spots to enjoy in Italy. Linda
Wow your 10 weeks journey around Adriatic coast of Italy is really an epic journey with so many historic and natural places. Historical Regatta parade looks awesome and I would love to witness this parade in Venice next year. Puglia in south too looks amazing. I loved rolling green hills, stunning beaches and historic red roof towns here.
Yukti, We did love our 10 weeks in Italy. So many great undiscovered spots along the Adriatic coast. Linda
What incredible photos! This sounds like an amazing journey.
We found so many great new spots on this trip! Linda
You are so blessed that you were able to spend 10 weeks doing this. My dad really wants to explore the heel of Italy. Is this here?
Jamie, Yes Puglia is in the boot of Italy. A great area to explore. Linda
10 weeks in Italy looks like an amazing (and unaffordable ?) experience to me! Pictures are so beautiful, I can imagine Italian atmosphere. Did you drive? Or travelled by regular transportation?
Gabriela, We were so glad we took this long trip and discovered many places that people often miss. For most of the early part of the trip, we used the train. Day trips we took local buses too. We picked up a car in Pescara for day trips to the mountains and then to travel down through Puglia and finally into Sorrento. We dropped the car there and went back to buses, trains and ferries. A great mix that gave us flexibility and freedom to explore. Linda
I am so envious of your 10 weeks. It sounds like a dream to me. All the places you visited have long been on my list. Verona for the love, Parma for the cheese, Puglia for the white cities, Pompeii for the history! All of it.
Renee, We loved the wide variety of experiences we got on this trip through Italy. And would gladly go back to …. everywhere. Linda
What a fabulous trip you had. I would love to see Little Venice in London but wandering through Italy looks so beautiful.
Kerry, We were sure glad we had the time to wander for 10 weeks along the Adriatic Coast in Italy. So many great new discoveries. And many spots to re=visit. Linda
That is a wonderful doable itinerary along the Adriatic coast of Italy. I have to some of these places and am in love with the art in the monuments there. The pictures of Puglia and San Marino are stunning urging me to get there. Pompeii was a touching experience!
Indrani, I am glad this has added some spots in Italy to your travel wish list. We loved all the new spots we found as we travelled along the Adriatic coast. A trip we would love to repeat. Linda
I haven’t been to many of these places. But I have seen the Regatta in venice. What fond memories that brought back. I would love to visit the Amalfi coast one day as well.
Alice, I hope you do get bay to Italy one day. One of our favourite spots. Linda
Rome is like London – I always discover some new neighborhood or museum or hideaway restaurant when I visit. Your post brought back so many memories!
It is great to go back to a city like Rome and know you don’t need to see just the iconic sites. Great to discover new gems each time and make them iconic for you.