Rome
Fly to Rome spend a few days exploring this most amazing city then on to Casa Foelas by car ( 2 1/2 drive ) or visit whilst staying at Casa Foelas can be done in a day from the house.
Our tips for a great stay
Casa Foelas owners Jane and Richard are from the Wirral in the North West of England, and bought the house in 2014.
For the last few years they have been upgrading the property and at the same time successfully renting it out over the last few summers. They have had some excellent reviews on Booking .com and VRBO as well as ABnB .
They fell in love with Italy and especially the region of Abruzzo several years ago.
“It is our second home and we return as often as we can. We often hired villas when our children were younger and we have tried to incorporate all the things that make holidaying with little ones and not so little ones as easy as possible.
“There are travel costs, high chairs, baby baths and even a potty. There are toys for all ages and lots of outside toys for the beach and pool.There is WiFi throughout and available poolside as well – essential for social media .
We are retired now , our children are grown up now, and they both have stressful jobs now, so they love arriving at Casa Foelas and immediately feel the pressures of every day life melt away .
“Casa Foelas is our home in Italy and has been lovingly furnished with thought and attention to detail. Every care has been taken to make a holiday at Casa Foelas memorable and the perfect place to spend quality time with family or friends or just as a couple – away from the normal stresses of everyday life in a beautiful tranquil setting with your own private pool”
Here are some ideas of things to do during your stay…
Where to visit when staying at Casa Foelas – some suggestions
Visit Casoli. Casoli is a charming medieval town (the nearest place to the house and about 15 minutes by car) with an old castle and lots to explore. There’s a market on Friday and free parking in the town. Gran Caffe del Borgo is a good place to sit and people watch in the summer over a cold beer or a glass of chilled Prosecco. Casoli has a medieval church and a castle – The Old Ducal Palace.
Cantina Sangro is just a 20 minutes’ drive away and sells good wines at 1€ a litre. You can even take your own 5 litre bottles to fill, just like the locals do. Try their bottled wines and their dry fizzy wine. In fact, almost every town has its own cantina – perfect for the wine connoisseur.
We like Perano. There’s a good local market on a Tuesday selling cheese and Italian cooked meats and hams. The village has a water fountain that dispenses both still and fizzy mineral water for just 5 cents a litre. Nearby is the Spinelli cantina and a good bar called “The Green Shark” which sells English beers and does great steaks. Visit before 8pm and they serve very good nibbles with each round of drinks.
Visit Selva di Altino – Just 10 minutes by car, here there are various shops including a butcher, bakery and a pharmacy. There’s also a handful of bars and a very good ice cream parlour called Solaria. There’s also a supermarket that specialises in food for people with specific dietary requirements.
Drive to Lanciano (20 minutes by car). Very Italian town with great restaurants. We love the old town and the area around the piazza and cathedral. On Saturdays, they have a market with vintage clothes, antique lace and linen. Lanciano also has the famous Miracle of Lanciano which dates back to the 8th Century. This very old Italian city has a beautiful old square with a basilica not a cathedral.
Check out the views in Guardiagrele. This is a beautiful walled town with amazing views over the valley. It has a market on a Sunday morning so, after shopping, why not try one of the famous cakes with a rather risqué name! Visit website
Roccascalegna is a must see – it is a small town but has the most amazing medieval castle which has been beautifully restored.
A couple of hours drive away but well worth visiting are Bisenti, Navelli and Scanno lake and village.
Head for the coast. Casa Foelas is very close to the beautiful Trabocchi coast. The nearest beach is 20 minutes away by car and is called Fossacesia. Check out its small bars and restaurants – we particularly like Trabocco 3.
If you keep going along the coast San Vito Chietino is 25 minutes north. This small sandy beach is very popular with Italians and there are great fish restaurants here and an excellent ice-cream parlour.
Take in Vasto – a lovely old town on cliffs with a beautiful bay and a sandy beach. There is good shopping here and a market on a Saturday. Vasto is where the water park is – about 45 minutes drive from the house – and where children will have a great time. Visit website
Take a trip to Ortona – this is where the Allies came ashore during WW2. It is a cliff top town full of history. Most of the centre was destroyed in 1943. The memorial in the centre always has fresh flowers on it.
Torino di Sangro is 25 minutes south and has delightful smaller coves. It also has a nudist beach. Casalbordino is half an hour away and is a lovely sandy beach with shallow waters that are clean and safe for children. Walk along the promenade. Le Morge beach is the same distance and is excellent for swimming.
Visit Scanno Lake and village. (Lago di Scanno) Scanno is the most photographed village in Italy. The lake is heart shaped. Here there are pedalo rides, rowing and canoeists and of course you can swim in the magical sparkling waters. Good restaurants in this tranquil romantic setting including Trattoria sul Lago.
See Navelli – it’s famous for its Saffron fields that bloom in October.
Visit the Abruzzo National Archaeological Museum and see the Capestrano Warrior; Abruzzo’s oldest relic. Visit website
Visit the medieval abbey San Giovanni in Venere CHIETI.
See Bisenti – this was the home of Pontius Pilate.
Take a trip to Isole Tremiti, drive to San Salvo a short drive away and catch a ferry to the pearls of the Adriatic Sea. Visit website
Where to eat near Casa Foelas there are so many !!!
There are so many wonderful places to eat out in this part of Italy. Below we give you a flavour of some of our favourites. Local restaurants serve the best in local produce and the area has an abundance of outstanding local dishes and wine.
Along the coast, the restaurants serve the best fresh caught fish and molluscs at very reasonable prices. The ice cream shops are amazing and very tempting.
The nearest bar and restaurant to the house is just a 2 minute drive . Th ere are two local restaurants all good value, one serves traditional Arrosticini it is called Pecora Matta .The other is called Taverna Del Ternetto.
Our favourite pizza and grill restaurant is Il Diavoletto – Altino
Michelin star restaurant Villa Maiella is just 30 minutes away!
Dal Ghiottone – Piane d’Archi is a great place for pizza and pasta
La Torretta – on the lake at Casoli is fabulous for steak and pasta
In Lanciano Town – Il Choristo near the church of San Francessco with the Eucharist miracle. Good sized portions at good prices especially at lunch time.
In Casoli, Agnello d’oro, meaning the Golden Lamb is family run with traditional fare – basically you get whatever the chef is making that day and the food is superb. For younger ones, try Il Sogno in town where you can enjoy a Guinness while the children tuck into delicious burgers.
You will be spolit for choice !
Prices are very reasonable locally
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What to do at Casa Foelas
- At the house there is a file full of information and maps of the local area.There are up-to-date leaflets from the Abruzzo Tourist Board plus a notice board full of recommendations from previous guests.The house folder is updated each year so information is current and applicable to your stay.
- Recommendations from guests who stayed in 2025 are available with new ideas and new places to visit and explore , plus wonderful places to eat .
- Visit Lakes at Bomba and Casoli –
- Go to the many beaches – the nearest is only 20 minutes away
- Explore hill top towns and Roman ruins
- Explore the Majella National Park join a hiking or a walking group, enjoy fantastic scenery so dramatic and wild.
- Enjoy a round of golf at the well respected Miglianico Golf Country Club about 40 mins away by car
- Try local wines at the many cantina’s in the area.
- Visit the “Miracle of Lanciano”
- Visit Fara San Martino – beautiful waterfalls and the home to the famous De Cecco pasta factory.
For Children
- Children will love the great water park at Aqualand del Vasto – about 45 minutes away.
- Zoo d’ Abruzzo – Rocca San Giovanni
- Indianapark – Majella National Park with high ropes through the trees.
Further afield
Use Casa Foelas to explore some more of what Italy has to offer…
Naples
Explore Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum from Casa Foelas. Either fly into Naples and spend some time there then on to the house about 2 1/2 drive or visit as a day trip. Excellent B&B in Pompeii we can recommend for you.
Milan
Fly to Milan for the day from Pescara – flights with Ryanair sometimes as low as €18 per person. A full day with an early start but well worth it.
Verona
Visit Verona – catch the train from the station at Fossacesia to Verona (about 5 hours travelling time) then enjoy the experience of the opera in the amphitheatre there.
Get in touch now
Looking to make a booking or find out more? Contact us today and we’ll get right back to you.