Abruzzo - Sport

• General Info
• Places of Interest
• Art and Culture
• Cuisine
• Nature and Parks
• Sport
• Events and Festivals
• About the City

Sport in Abruzzo

The rich landscape of the Abruzzo region opens the door to an almost unlimited number of sporting activities Be it hiking, horse riding, climbing, mountain biking, ski-hiking, cross-country skiing, swimming, diving, sailing or paragliding, you will find an incredibly wide range of sporting activities in the Abruzzo region. You will find excellent facilities in the Pescara province, along with leisure activities. There is also a modern yacht harbour in Pescara, which organizes events such as sailing competitions during the summer months. There are several beach resorts with good facilities along the 15 km stretch of coast between Montesilvano, Pescara and Francavilla. Pescara is also a well-known venue for national and international beach volleyball tournaments.

Windsurfing

Wind Surfing in AbruzzoRoughly a hundred of the one hundred and thirty three kilometres of the Abruzzo coast are sandy beaches. These golden shores are the ideal starting point for enthusiastic windsurfers, who need only push their boards into the sea, balance themselves and enjoy the enticing Adriatic water. The inland lakes are also popular windsurfing locations, Barrea, Scanno, Bomba and Casoli.

Sailing

Sailing in Abruzzo The same wind that drives the windsurfing fans is also superb for people who prefer the more traditional sailing. Those who tow their boat with them can head out to sea from just about anywhere. Others, who have to (or prefer to) rely on a harbour, can make use of the amenities in Pescara (the largest), Martinsicuro, Giulianova, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Ortona, Vasto or Fossecesia.

Canoeing

Canoeing in AbruzzoThere are numerous possibilities for canoeing. Canoe lovers who favour the sea have an entire coast at their disposal, with the sheltered stretches near the rocky coasts of Ortona, Punta del Cavalluccio and Punta Aderci being superb. For those who prefer freshwater, there are several lakes: Scanno, Barrea, Casoli and Campotosto. The Tirino, Pescara, Aterno and Sangro rivers are the best for canoeing.marinate.

Aerial Sports

Paraglide in Abruzzo If an Architect has been asked to create the perfect landscape for kite flying then the result would surely have come close to that offered by the Abruzzo region. Situated between two seas is a chain of mountains with peaks at 2-3000 m, wide valleys and accessible by a large number of routes. The stunning landscapes are a delightful backdrop for small aircraft or glider flights. The airports in L’Aquila and Pescara (which have aero clubs) can be used and the region is also flush with airstrips. For the brave pilots of paragliders and hang-gliders, there are a variety of places to take-off and land, with the most popular ones being at the foot of the Gran Sasso and Sirente-Velino. The Villa Santa Maria (L’Aquila) centre is a good place to call for longer flights between the Gran Sasso and Maiella.scrippelle.

Cycling

Cycling in Abruzzo The changing altitudes and views, along with limited traffic when compared to other regions, make Abruzzo an ideal setting for people who love cycling. There is a wide choice: the rolling hills are ideal for relaxed pedalling; the steep routes of the Campo Imperatore and Maielletta are gruelling (yet rewarding), in a similar way to the passes in the Dolomites.

Mountain biking

Mountain Biking in Abruzzo Dirt roads, cart tracks and trails across the heights and hills in Abruzzo offer mountain-bike lovers some charming itineraries. In the summer, the most impressive paths are the ones in the mountains, Especially in the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Sirente-Velino and the Campo Imperatore plateau. In spring, autumn and winter the hilly landscapes are the best bet for good outings.

Horse riding

Horse riding in AbruzzoHorses have been the inhabitants of the plateaux and woods in Abruzzo for thousands of years. Horse lovers can choose from many riding centres that teach the basics of horse riding and other centres that organise excursions and treks lasting from a few hours to a few days (common on Mts Carseolani and Simbruini, at the Campo Inperatore border and on the Rocche plateau). Horse-riding is often done in combination with farmhouse holidays.

Mountaineering

Mountaineering in Abruzzo For over a century, the limestone walls of the Gran Sasso have been a venue for mountaineering. Nowadays, this sport is still popular, especially on the rocks of the Corno Piccolo, Corno Grande, the Intermesoli peak and Mt Camicia. Summer tracks, which generally attract locals, can be found on the Sirente, Serra di Celano and the heights of the Majella. In winter, the highest mountains are all enticing locations to be tackled using pickaxes and crampons. In the valleys of Monti della Laga, glittering, frozen waterfalls are hidden. Mountain guides and the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) organise courses and practice outings.

Rock Climbing

Rock Climbing in AbruzzoThe rocky cliffs of Abruzzo offer climbers many opportunities to practice a sport (not to be confused with free-climbing) which is becoming increasingly popular with both younger and older people. The most interesting and popular walls are those at Roccamorice, Pennapiedimonte, Pietrasecca, Petrella Liri, Pizzoferrato, Pietracamela, San Vito and Monticchio.

Excursions

Parco Nazionale della Majella The diverse landscape and numerous protected areas make Abruzzo a wonderful place for excursions. Environmental schools, eco-tourism co-operatives and mountain guides organise activities for everyone – truly everyone, since the green areas in Abruzzo are now working on disabled access. Some are already accessible to everyone, such as, inside the Parco Nazionale della Majella, the Riserva Naturale di Lama Bianca, which has a marked tour, and the visitors centre of the Riserva Naturale Valle dell’Orfento, museum and wildlife area, as well as some paths of the Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.

Golf

golf in Abruzzo Golfers will also find a number of courses in the region. Thanks to the excellent conditions offered by the climate, play is possible all year round regardless of your handicap.

Skiing

Skiing in Abruzzo “A fantastic downhill run, very fast, which is much better than Cortina’s Nuvolau” in 1923 Aldo Bonacossa, a ski mountaineer from Como, used such words to describe the Corno Grande slope (2912m). He was the first to visit, on skis, the roof of the entire Apennine range. This slope still remains the domain of ski-mountaineers, but winter sports are now popular all over Abruzzo. The rich and diverse range of ski resorts and pistes is ideal for keen sportsmen, beginners and families. “White” Abruzzo does, however, offer much more than just basic skiing, with snowboarding, snowrafting, tobogganing and dog-sledding being but a few of the other options. Over one thousand tracks, including groomed rings and marked routes, can be explored by cross-country ski lovers. For ski-mountaineering enthusiasts there are the highest Apennine peaks, starting with Corno Grande, the peak which so moved, nearly eighty year ago, the first winter visitor from the north of Italy.

17 ski resorts are in this beautiful region of Abruzzo, the most important of these are:

Roccaraso

The whole ski area, with a 6-seat cableway with automatic coupling, 8 chair lifts and 12 ski lifts, has 60 km of pistes of varying difficulty, from the training ground to national and international competition runs. Some pistes are connected to those of nearby Rivisonodoli-Mounte Pratello (48 km) where the “Alto Sangro Skipass” can be used.

Camp Imperatore

Near Corno Grande (2912m), the highest peak of the Gran Sasso and of the Apennine range, Camp Imperatore is at the heart of the highest ski area in Abruzzo, with ski lifts going as high as 2233m on Mt Scindarella. The Camp Imperatore plateau is ideal for cross-country skiing. The Gran Sasso gullies are great for off-piste and ski-mountaineering, such as the Tre Valloni slope from the hotel to the cable car station.

Campo Felice

The Campo Felice ski resort, slightly south of L’Aquila at the foot of the Velino Massif with lifts ranging between 1400 and 2064 m, include 4 chair lifts and 11 ski lifts to cater for 15 downhill runs covering 40 km, in addition to 5 short training pistes used by the ski school. Cross-country skiers can enjoy the tracks on the Campo Felice plateau and other routes.

Ovindoli

Ovindoli is one of the most popular ski resorts in Abruzzo. The lifts go up from 1450 m to 2200m, including 4 chair lifts and 4 ski lifts. They cater for about twenty downhill pistes for a total of about 30 km. The resort has a special 10 km area with artificial snow and a stadium for cross-country skiing with rings of 3 and 5 km at an altitude of 1900m.

Campo di Giove

At the foot of the western slope of the Majella Massif, the lifts of Campo di Giove go up to 2350 m on the Tavola Rotonda, which is the highest point in Abruzzo reachable by mechanical means. The lifts are being redone except for one ski lift in the lower part of the area. Six hotels are available at the resort, which can be reached from Sulmona via Cansano (19 km). There is a railway station in Camp di Giove direct to Sulmona.

Other ski resorts are: Rivisondoli, Scanno, Pescocostanzo, Passo San Leonardo, Passo Lanciano.

Country ski routes are: Bosco di Sant’Antonio (north of Pescocostanzo), Campo Imperatore, and Opi.

© 2012 Properties Around Italy