Hike from Pennapiedimonte - Vallone delle Tre Grotte

  

  

Top left: View of Monte Blockhaus from Vallone delle Tre Grotte.
Top center: Late afternoon light on the Vallone delle Tre Grotte.
Top right: View from the Vallone delle Tre Grotte looking west toward the Adriatic.

Bottom left: Trail in Vallone delle Tre Grotte with trees.

Bottom center: The Vallone delle Tre Grotte trail has several tunnels.

Bottom right: Sculpture on the trail called "I percorsi dello stupore - pastori dello maiella".

During our four-day trip to Abruzzo, we stayed in Vasto with the idea that this would mostly be a trip about the sea: the Costa dei Trabocchi, swimming, coastal walks, and good seafood. Instead, we kept getting drawn toward the mountains.

This hike from Pennapiedimonte along the Vallone delle Tre Grotte was one of those unexpected detours and ended up being one of our favorite outings of the trip. It was Day 2, our first "montagna" day, described more generally in our post Mare | Montagna | Mare | Montagna - 4 Days in Abruzzo.

We started the day in Guardiagrele, a town sitting at the edge of the Majella. We walked around town, taking in the views from the Giardino della Villa Comunale and stopping at the monuments to local poet Modesto Della Porta. And, this being Guardiagrele, there were the sweet pastries called le sise delle monache to try as well. The photos and food notes from the original Abruzzo post confirm all three stops.

From Guardiagrele, we continued to Pennapiedimonte. What was supposed to be some exploration of the area turned into a hike into the Vallone delle Tre Grotte toward Cascata Macarone della Pila.

Stats:

• Length: 13.1 km
• Duration: 2 hours 51 minutes (walking, no stopping)
• Elevation gain: 379 m
• Start/end: Pennapiedimonte

The hike starts and ends in Pennapiedimonte and heads into the dramatic Vallone delle Tre Grotte. There was no particular destination other than to explore the vallone. Many hikers have the Cascata Macarone della Pila as their destination. But we never saw the waterfall because it was the wrong season and at the time, we weren't looking for it. We arrived at a barred entrance to a narrow canyon where water is collected and stopped.

It wasn't a hike we'd arrived in Abruzzo planning to do, which was part of its appeal. On this trip, a morning could begin in a town hanging above the Adriatic and end with us walking farther than intended into a mountain valley. And that's pretty much exactly what happened.



  

Left: Cliffs of Vallone delle Tre Grotte.

Center: Looking west into the Vallone delle Tre Grotte.

Right: Vallone delle Tre Grotte trail with tunnel.

  

Left: Pennapiedimonte hike tracks.

Center: Sculpture on the trail called "I [ercorsi dello stupore - pastori dello maiella".

Right: Signs at the start of the trail.

  

Left: Looking into the Vallone delle Tre Grotte from Pennapiedimonte.

Center: Vallone delle Tre Grotte as seen from Pennapiedimonte.

Right: View of Monte Blockhaus in afternoon sun.