Gargano in September 9 Vieste

Vieste is best approached from the south, from its nearly three kilometre long beautiful and sandy Castello or Scialara beach. 

The Town sits on a cliffy headland which slopes up from the far end towards the sea with the San Francesco church. Just a little more landward you can identify the pale historical centre with two belltowers just sticking up above the square buildings. As the cliffs get higher, in the direction of land, there's a glimpse of the castle with the towering Pizzomunno below.

Yet also Peschici was beautiful from afar. After Rodi, Vico and Peschici we are a little cautious in our adjectives as we walk along the beach to have a first look at the town.

This time there are no disappointments, Vieste is very nice indeed. It isn't a white town, the colours of the natural rock appearing on the sides of houses and most of the rest of both the actual oldest historical nucleus of narrow winding streets with the church

as well as the rest of the oldish centre with its crisscross of slabs and steps, lots of steps as well as roads one can actually drive along, is pale cream, a warm magnolia colour which seems to have absorbed the sunrise light and reflects back warmth, not blinding light.

We explore Vieste over a few hours divided into 2 mornings and two afternoons.

The historical centre, unlike Peschici, is open to the sea, 

a balcony walk with spectacular views surrounds most of it 

and the centre itself is clean, quiet, yes some shops, bars and restaurants but not obsessively so. There's a tiny old harbour along the east side towards San Francesco and then the other side we find the Shell Museum. Entry is free and it's well worth a look, it's also housed in an interesting old building.

There's a pleasant square with palm trees and then the modern port where boat trips are available to visit the coast and the Tremiti Islands.

Vieste has a low-key relaxed feel to it, yes, it provides for tourists but the centre is clearly still inhabited by locals too and it has its own business to see to.

Parking restrictions in the centre, even outside the ZTL area are quite limiting since most parking spaces are blue and parkometers are working from 15/6 to 15/10. Parking costs 1€ per hour or 7€ per day and when walking around at busy times during the morning the traffic wardens' whistle which serves to waken the guilty conscience of those parked illegitimately, one way or another, before actually writing a fine, is constant.

The fruit and vegetable market also offers touristy products and there are two or three vans selling fish in the square, but in the end we followed the advice of our host and bought our fish at Pescheria Troiano and were always satisfied with price and quality.

Vieste also offers an archaeological museum and the castle which is a Military building but can be visited free through the tourist office. We managed neither but I suspect we will return, we liked Vieste very much indeed....