Peschici

Peschici, an evocative fishing village which is part of the Gargano National Park, is a popular destination for tourists on holiday in the Gargano.

The origins of the city date back to the year 1000, after the gift that the emperor Otto I gave the troops of Slavic mercenary soldiers, or the field of San Vito del Gargano, where today there are Peschici and Vico del Gargano.

Peschici is still a popular destination for tourists on holiday in the Gargano, as it still has the influence of its Moorish origin, with caves carved into the rock and ancient white houses with domed roofs. Its historic center is guarded within medieval walls, now partly destroyed and partly incorporated by dwellings, still visible along the staircase to the right of the church of Sant’Elia.

The access to the ancient area of the village is characterised by the presence of an arch and a sighting tower of the Angevin-Aragonese period, which the inhabitants call “Porta del Ponte”, because it originally had purely defensive-military purposes and, like for other medieval villages, it was opened at sunrise and closed at sunset, leaving out the unwary inhabitants who had not returned in time.

In Peschici it is worth to visit: the Castle, built in 970 A.C., located on the highest rocky spur, towards the sea; the Church of Sant’Elia Profeta, built with large blocks of marble stones from the quarries in the area; the Church of the Purgatory, which is in Piazza del Popolo; the Abbey of Calena, at the foot of the town.

The authentic village is surrounded by numerous beaches and the Bay of Manaccora is one of the most beautiful .It is located on the extreme tip of the coast with a splendid beach of fine sand. The Baia di Peschici instead is known for its white sand, framed by large rocks, which make the beach quiet and ideal for children.

In Peschici boat excursions are organized from the port to visit the sea caves of the coast and ferry trips to the Tremiti Islands, about 10 miles from the Gargano coast.

Along the coast from Peschici to Vieste, in addition to the ancient watch towers, you can admire the famous trabucchi, or ancient fishing machines of the Gargano, Abruzzo and Molise coasts, made with poles driven into the rocks and ropes that hold a large net lowered into water, called “trabocchetto”, with which the fish is caught.