The beach of Punta Penna stretches along the north side of the promontory of the same name, in Vasto, in the southern part of the Costa dei Trabocchi. It is a young beach: it formed in the twentieth century, after the pier of the port of Vasto was built, against the cliffs, and has developed a dune system linked to that of nearby Punta Aderci. Today it lies entirely within the Punta Aderci nature reserve and is known for its wild setting.
What to see
The beach is mostly sand; the exception is the northern part, close to Punta Aderci, known as the Libertini beach, which is pebbly. The dunes are the habitat of many species, among them the Kentish plover, the yellow-legged gull, the purple heron, the sparrowhawk, the marsh harrier and the skylark, and they host flowers and plants of the Mediterranean environment. Behind runs a line of cliffs, beyond which the port's industrial area begins.
On the north pier of the port, facing the beach, there are three trabocchi, the traditional fishing platforms: Trimalcione, Molo di Vasto and Puntamare. On the promontory stand the lighthouse, the sixteenth-century coastal tower and the church of Santa Maria di Pennaluce.
Visiting
Near the beach there is reported to be an information point for the reserve, with canoe and mountain-bike hire; services, access and rules should be checked on the reserve's website.
Our editors' tip
The place has a longer history than the beach. The inlet was already a natural harbour for an Italic settlement serving ancient Histonium, which some have proposed identifying with Buca, a Frentanian town never located; in the Middle Ages a fortress and the small settlement of Pennaluce grew up here. The naval port was established in 1907.
