Abruzzo's coast is defined by the trabocchi — ancient wooden fishing platforms on stilts extending from the rocks into the Adriatic. Some are now restaurants (eat fish pulled from the sea 30 minutes earlier). The beaches between them: sandy, Blue Flag, overlooked.
The entire stretch. Drive the SS16 (or the new bike path). Stop at every cove. Eat at Trabocco Punta Turchino or Trabocco Pesce Palombo (book 2+ weeks ahead).
A nature reserve. Headland + wild beach below. The most dramatic point on the Abruzzo coast. Free.
Sandy, Blue Flag, lifeguards. The old town of Vasto on the cliff above (Palazzo d'Avalos, Rossetti view).
The town above (WWII Canadian cemetery — the Battle of Ortona, 1943). The beach below: sandy, calm, Blue Flag.
Two-level town: medieval hilltop + beach below. Sandy, family-friendly, good value.