People often ask me which places in Abruzzo are overrated, and my honest answer is none…most of my region is still to be discovered, and most of it is underrated. My non-Italian friends come back from trips here shocked at how beautiful it is, and how unknown. These four places are quieter than the towns on my main destinations page, and each one repays the detour.
Four quieter places
- Caramanico Terme, an old spa village at the edge of the Orfento valley in the Maiella. I have to be honest with you: the historic thermal baths are closed at the moment, but the valley walks alone are worth the trip.
- Campotosto Lake, the largest lake in Abruzzo, sitting at over 1,300 metres inside the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga national park.
- Pacentro, a medieval village below the three surviving towers of the Caldora castle. The singer Madonna’s grandparents emigrated from here.
- Pietracamela, a small stone village at about 1,000 metres under the Corno Piccolo, and the base for Prati di Tivo and the high Gran Sasso.
If you’d rather begin with the better-known towns, my destinations page lists the fourteen I’d start with.