The Goat Track to Happiness (aka, The Wrong Turn near Santo Stefano)

I arrived in Abruzzo with a rental car the size of a shoebox and a map I promptly lost in a greasy paper bag—best decision I made all week, honestly. This region of Italy, wedged between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea, feels less like a tourist destination and more like a fiercely loved, slightly chaotic secret. Forget the manicured vineyards and selfie crowds of the north; here, it’s all rugged stone, silent peaks, and food so honest it’ll make you question every other Italian meal you’ve ever had.

My first proper disaster/adventure? Trying to navigate to Santo Stefano di Sessanio, one of those ridiculously photogenic mountain villages. The GPS, bless its heart, took me down a literal goat track. I nearly kissed the tiny Fiat goodbye. But then, as I crested a rise, there it was: Rocca Calascio. Not my planned stop, but whoa. That ancient, solitary watchtower fortress, sitting there at nearly 1,500 meters, felt like a silent, stone sentinel overlooking the whole Gran Sasso plateau.

I spent an hour just wandering the ruins, feeling the wind try to rip my hoodie off. It’s an absolute must-do, a splurge of time if not money (it’s free to wander!), and it’ll make you feel properly small. Tip: Go early. I hit it mid-morning and the light was just starting to get that glowin’ bright, high-mountain intensity. The quiet up there? Unbeatable.

Arrosticini, Budget Wine, and a Lesson in Local Meats

Let’s talk food. Before Abruzzo, I thought Italian food was pasta, pizza, and maybe some fancy cheese. Nah, man. Abruzzo is about the cucina povera—the poor man’s cooking—but it’s richer in flavor than anything else.

My main obsession became Arrosticini. These are lamb or mutton skewers, grilled over a special brazier, and they are addictive. They’re traditionally sheep meat, tender, and intensely savory, a legacy of the region’s long pastoral history. You buy them by the dozen. I stopped at a roadside spot outside Pianella, a town famous for this stuff—maybe Margherita 1 Arrosticini—where I got 20 skewers and a glass of local Montepulciano d’Abruzzo for under €15. That was my lunch for the day! Best €15 I’ve ever spent. Seriously, that Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a dark red that’s dry and low in acid, is a perfect match. Don’t call it ‘Montepulciano wine’ without the d’Abruzzo, though; the wine snob at the enoteca in Pescara corrected me very gently. It’s not the Tuscan version.

Then there’s Pallotte cacio e ova. Imagine a meatball, but made of stale bread, eggs, and Pecorino cheese, simmered in a simple tomato sauce. Pure comfort. It’s a kitchen sink meal, the kind of thing an Italian grandma—a Mamma—invents to use up leftovers, and it’s divine. I had a plate at a simple trattoria in Abbateggio (a tiny stone village high up in the Majella National Park, a place where time genuinely seems to have stopped, per a local I chatted with). The cost? Maybe €8 for a massive, hearty plate. Budget win, 100%.

Caught this blurry shot of the sheer quantity of arrosticini I ordered—my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach, but zero regrets.

The Wild Blue Yonder of the Trabocchi Coast

After feeling properly stuffed and mountain-worn, it was time for a sea change. I drove east to the coast, specifically the Trabocchi Coast near Rocca San Giovanni. These trabocchi are these bizarre, beautiful, ancient wooden fishing platforms built out over the water, looking like spindly, prehistoric cranes.

A proper splurge? Dining on one of them. I booked a table at Trabocco Punta Cavalluccio (or one like it, they’re everywhere). It’s not cheap—expect to pay €50–€80 per person for a fixed-price seafood menu—but you’re literally sitting over the Adriatic, eating the freshest brodetto (fish stew) and fritto misto (fried seafood assortment). The fish was so fresh I swear it was still flipping. Pricey, yeah, but the experience? Unforgettable. If you can’t splurge, just hike or cycle along the converted railway path that runs alongside the coast. You’ll get killer views of the trabocchi for free. It’s a perfect spot for an afternoon stroll.

Chitarra Pasta, a Pottery Town, and a Minor Meltdown

I drove inland again, trying to hit some of the lesser-known spots. Castelli, near Gran Sasso, is famous for its ceramics. The ceilings inside the Church of San Donato are completely covered in majolica tiles—stunning! It felt like stumbling into a secret Sistine Chapel of pottery. It’s a tiny village, but every corner is an artisan shop. I accidentally broke a tiny, brightly painted plate while trying to get a closer look at a jug (darn clumsy me). The artisan just laughed and waved me off, saying, “Succede!” (“It happens!”).

Later, in Teramo, I finally found the proper Spaghetti alla Chitarra. This is the region’s signature pasta, made using a wooden tool with thin strings, like a guitar (hence the name). It’s traditionally served with tiny meatballs called pallottinein a tomato ragu. This dish, chittarine alla Teramana, is a revelation. I grabbed a quick lunch for about €12 at a simple, bustling place downtown. It’s thick, it holds the sauce perfectly, and it’s just damn good. A local blogger (per this old post I found on an Abruzzo food blog) called it “the taste of Abruzzo itself,” and I totally get it.

Practical & Quirky Takeaways

Getting Around: You need a car. Public transport exists but is clunky and slow, especially if you want to hit the mountain villages and the coast. I found a decent rate for my little Fiat on travelgui.com, which was essential for the mountain climbs.

The Ultimate Budget Hack: Don’t eat in the cities. Stick to the small, one-room trattorie in the tiny towns like Pescocostanzo or Guardiagrele (the one with the Sise delle Monache pastry—look it up, it’s a hoot!). A full, amazing lunch there is often €10–€15. Look for the handwritten menus and the older folks eating there. That’s the sign.

The Obscure Spot That Slapped: Penne. Seriously. Known as the “city of bricks,” this small, medieval town has a quiet elegance and a gorgeous old archway, the San Francesco gates. I wandered into a quiet courtyard and found the most peaceful, sun-drenched cafe for an espresso. No tourists, just me and a few locals sipping coffee and debating the local soccer team.

Splurge Worth Every Euro: The Tirino River Kayak excursion. It’s about €29 per adult (verified via a recent GetYourGuide listing I saw for a 1.5-hour tour). The water is incredibly clear, almost Caribbean-blue, because it comes straight from the Gran Sasso springs. It’s a completely different kind of Italian beauty than the ruins or the food—a total reset.

Abruzzo is a beautiful mess. It’s mountains, sea, and an ancient history woven through its food and its stone villages. You might get lost, you might mispronounce every single Italian word, and you will definitely eat too much lamb. But man, you’ll feel it, right down to your bones. This place is real. Go before everyone else figures it out.

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By Tom Mx, a wanderer with 10+ years diving into Italy’s hidden corners, sharing stories from real visits and verified sources.