Holidays in Vieste is something pretty natural for the inhabitatans of Gargano, but not only. This town with just over 13,000 inhabitants was visited by 2 million people last summer. Vieste itself is very picturesque, but that is not the only reason for its fame.
Below I’ve collected 6 reasons why spending holidays in Vieste is a good idea.
Reason no. 1 – holidays in Vieste = beaches.
The beaches are long and sandy, which in my opinion is how beaches should be. In addition, it’s usually windy there, so even at 40 degrees you don’t feel the heat.
The beaches have a paid and a public part. Lido is a paid beach, where you can rent a sunbed and an umbrella. Usually, private/paid beaches are also organized enough to offer parking, bars, where you can eat and drink something; some paid beaches also have campsites.
Spiaggia is a free part of the beach, where you can spread out with your own sunbed/towel and umbrella. Remember to plant your umbrella firmly in the sand, because in a strong wind it can fly away into the blue distance.
The coast with Vieste beaches stretches for several kilometers, so even with a large number of beachgoers you don’t feel crowded. In my opinion, this is another advantage, as I don’t particularly like crowded places. The Adriatic is shallow and you have to walk a dozen or so meters into the water to dive in. That’s why the beaches in Vieste are fantastic for families; children can splash in the water without any problems, without causing their parents palpitations. And of course, the kids will be happy digging in the yellow sand, building all kinds of structures during tgheir holidays in Vieste.
Due to the constant winds, holidays in Vieste is also a cool option for water sports enthusiasts. You can practice (and learn) windsurfing, kiteboarding, etc. there.
Reason No. 2 – views
The winding road to Vieste stretching along the coast leads through the mountainous Gargano, so we can admire great landscapes. Near Vieste, there are 2 popular and picturesque places for photographers, especially when you see them for the first time. Or rather, three, if you count the recently renovated tower, from which there is a beautiful view of the arch and the sea. You’ll start your holidays in Vieste with open mouth:)
The first of them is the limestone arch of San Felice, naturally formed by water and wind.
The second ‘photographic’ object is a 25-meter white monolith, called Pizzomuno. It is located on the beach just before entering Vieste and is the symbol of the city.
There is a love legend associated with the monolith. The heroes of the love story are a girl named Cristalda and a boy called Pizzomuno. As always in love stories, the girl is incredibly beautiful, and the boy is handsome, tall and strong. These two love each other very much. Pizzomuno goes out to sea every day and works hard to catch fish. His admirers live in the sea – sirens. In every legend, sirens are famous for seducing fishermen/sailors and for their rather nasty character. The sirens in Vieste were no different from other sirens, so they wanted Pizzomuno for themselves. However, the boy is a tough guy who is resistant to their advances; faithful to his beloved Cristalda, he does not let himself be seduced. The humiliated and jealous underwater girls are tired of their unsuccessful advances, so they decide to get rid of their rival. When Cristalda stands on the shore of the sea, they pull her into the water and drown her. They hope that Pizzomuno, suffering from pain and despair, will throw himself into their arms. Nothing of the sort happens, Pizomuno turns into a rock, and the sirens have to find a new object to stalk. According to the legend, the lovers meet every 100 years to spend one night together. On the way to Vieste you can see a trabucco (trabucchi plural).
Reason No. 3 – holidays in Vieste = spending time in a lovely town.
There are many cafes, bars, restaurants and a few monuments to see, such as the castle. Unfortunately, only from the outside, because it is used by the Italian Navy and cannot be visited. The old Porta ad Al, which was the main entrance to the city, is right next to the castle. In the center of Vieste you can visit the 11th century Cathedral of St. Maria Assunta.
In my opinion, the Museo Malacologico is worth a visit, it has a stunning collection of shells and other marine specimens. I spent over 2 hours there, even though the museum is small. I was amazed by the unusual shapes, sizes and colors of the shells. The only jarring thing about the museum is the shop selling dead starfish, sea horses and dried fish. I understand that the museum is trying to make money, but selling dead sea creatures as souvenirs doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. Apart from this one strange thing in my opinion, this tiny museum has gathered a really great exhibition. For lovers of the sea and oceans, the opportunity to see such unusual exhibits will be a treat. Actually, you don’t have to love the sea to feast your eyes on the unique colors and shapes of the shells displayed there.
Since the museum doesn’t have a website; or rather, there is something there, you can check the opening hours on Google.
Reason No. 4 – The Old Town
Beautifully situated on a white rock overlooking the sea, the old town of Vieste dates back to the Middle Ages. That is why this part of the city with its irregular, narrow streets and terraced houses with small balconies connected by small arches is absolutely charming.
It is nice to walk through the old town, sit on a bench in the main square, have a coffee, visit one of the restaurants and soak up the summer atmosphere of the city.
Reason No. 5 – The caves
Boat trips along the coast are a popular tourist attraction when you spend your holidays in Vieste. The Gargano coast seen from the sea is remarkable for its caves, which were created by the intensive work of water and wind. There are about 20 of them, discovered in 1954 by two fishermen. For a long time, no one was particularly interested in the caves and only with the influx of tourists spending they holidays in Vieste did they become one of the main attractions of Vieste. In the city center you will find tourist offices offering trips along the coast.
During low tide you can reach small, still charming caves located near the beaches. You can also reach a small island on Gatarella beach. From the shore you can see a rock that supposedly looks like a cat (does it look like that? not really to my liking) and an islet. During low tide the water drops enough that you can reach it by diving down to about your shoulders (I’m 166 cm tall). Busy exploring the islet inside, I missed the fact that the tide had started and I swam back to the beach. It is the same with viewing caves, which I mentioned a bit above. There are several on Gatarella beach (I reached 2 of them) accessible by wading in the sea when the water is low. But I’d rather not go there without a kayak/boat for the rest.
Reason no. 6 – holidays in Vieste = also Foresta Umbra
One of my favorite places in Gargano. It is a forest with shamelessly tall, lush green trees in spring and summer. In autumn and winter the forest is colourful: some trees are still green, winter plants are blooming, families of strange mushrooms show their colours and shapes. You can also hide there from the summer heat. Umbra means ‘shady’ and because of the dense vegetation it is the right name for this forest. Foresta Umbra is perfect for a short or long walk, cycling, jogging or just a picnic by the lake. On summer Sundays it can be crowded there, because I am not the only one who likes this place. Foresta Umbra is home to wild animals, so with a bit of luck you can see wild cats, foxes, badgers and dormice there. You can also feed deer there. A#
Vieste is definitely my number 1 for beaches in Gargano, but not only for that reason. I simply like this lively town in the summer; manby thigs to do and see make holidays in Vieste cool . Out of season Vieste is rather sleepy, but most summer towns have this problem. So when we went there one time in May, everything was closed. We wandered around the city hoping to find something open where we could have lunch. Finally we found the only restaurant open – Molo54 in the port. Hungry, we devoured a tasty lunch finished with a fancy dessert.
Would you spend your holidays in Vieste? let me know in comments.
