I'd love some personal experiences of staying in Vieste or Peschici and specific recommendations of artisan shops, restaurants, hikes, the feel of each town.
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new york
1444 posts
We stayed in Vieste; I think this was during the second week of September.
We followed an unusual itinerary, beginning with a flight to Naples where we rented a car and moved on to Vietri for one night.
We then followed an itinerary that included stays in Maratea, Tursi, Matera, northern Puglia near Cerignola, and then on to Vieste.
Vieste accommodations are either IN the town or strung along the Long Beach stretching north from the town. We stayed in IL CASTELLINO RELAIS in a room with a large terrace. Hotels on that strip are across the street from the beach and our hotel gave us passes for chairs and umbrellas at a nearby lido where sea was calm and warm enough to swim. hotel had free parking. At night we either drove and parked in the lot below the town or, on one memorable night, had a spectacular dinner in a masseria restaurant with a farm in the hills above Vieste.
The town gleams with white marble streets and whitewashed buildings. Very few English speaking tourists when we were there. It IS quite tourist-oriented, with lots of shops selling foods aimed toward tourists and al thee usual detritus you would imagine. BUT there is also vibrant local life in the piazza just outside the entrance to the historic core.....passegiata, families with kids running about, gelaterie---- and some excellent restaurants scattered among the more tourist-oriented fast-food-ish places.
There is another beach, just below the town where you could swim if you stayed in a rental or small hotel IN the town.
We only drove past Peschici; there are a lot of camp grounds and budget eateries along the road between the two...
I'm happy to offer any more tips if I am able...
From Vieste, we drove on to Termoli, one of our two destinations in Molise.....