Vieste

Italy

Vieste, on a fingerlike promontory at the Gargano's eastern tip, has grown from a fishing village to a sprawling little resort town with some crowded beaches. Boats leave from the modest harbor to explore the coves and grottoes of the coastline and the offshore Tremiti Islands.

The Gargano gets more beachy and less historical past Vieste as you circle back along the northern shore, but most people turn back here. Rather than backtrack along the southern coastal road, diverge inland to drive the SS528 over the hump of Monte Gargano itself, cutting through the gorgeous and thickly wooded Forest Umbra, a "forest of shadows" whose beech, oak, and pine are part of the Gargano National Park. Halfway through is an info center (operated by Ecogargano, tel. +39-0884-565-444 or 0884-565-579) with a small fauna museum and enclosure protecting native wild deer.

The sights (and beaches) of Vieste

Other than soaking in the sun on the sandy beaches at either end of town (the southerly one dominated by an otherworldly white pinnacle of rock a few feet offshore), Vieste's charm lies in wandering the steep streets of the medieval center. Here you'll find an 11th-century Cathedral, and, a short distance away in Via Duomo, the chianca or pietra amara (bitter stone), which marks the site where the Turkish pirate Dragut decapitated almost all 5,000 Vieste inhabitants in 1554 while sacking the town. At the tip of Vieste's promontory is a castle-like former monastery whose ruined edges you can skirt to see a trabucco (a fishing deck of complex wood-and-rope riggings cantilevered over the waters) and some fine sweeping views of the Tremiti Islands.

The Vieste coast is punctuated by a series of coves and sea grottoes, and several companies lining Piazza Kennedy near the docks will take you on a 3.5-hour boat tour of them at 8:30am or 2:30pm. They'll even throw in a quick tour around the Tremiti for a bit more.

Hotels in Vieste

Hotel Seggio – Vieste’s 17th-century town hall, tucked halfway up the hill of the old quarter, is now home to the 28-room Hotel Seggio. Although rooms vary greatly, most have functional furnishings, and sadly sagging cots. Some are low ceilinged and poorly lit, but almost all accommodations are fairly large, and about half have water views. The choice room, no. 104, has windows on two sides, a high wooden ceiling, and a terrace overlooking both the sea and the postcard-size square below. The stone-walled restaurant has a medieval flair and Pugliese menu, there's a sofa-filled bar area for piano music after dinner some nights, and set into the cliffs below is a tiny pool and cement pier over the shallow, sandy waters.
Via Vieste 7/Piazza Seggio, Vieste del Gargano (FG); tel. +39-0884-708-123; www.hotelseggio.it;Closed Nov–Easter.
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Hotel Punta San Francesco – Right on Vieste's picturesque finger of land jutting out into the sea, the 14-room, family-run Punta was converted from a century-old olive press building in 1994. It has a beach house feel, with light wood furnishings set against bright white walls, tile floors, and high ceilings. A trio of rooms are lofted to sleep four. Beds are comfy enough, and the baths are small but modern. From many rooms you can glimpse a bit of water between and over the buildings across the street. Starting in 1999, pension won't be required.
Via S. Francesco 2, Vieste del Gargano (FG); tel. +39-0884-701-422, www.hotelpuntasanfrancesco.it
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Where to eat in Vieste

Ristorante Al Dragone – Descending into this restaurant set into a low cavern carved from the living rock is indeed like walking into the dragon's lair—a dragon partial to candlelit, gold-clothed tables and contemporary metal sculptures. The wyrm would also have to be something of a gourmand, as his kitchen turns out excellent spaghetti ricci di mare, strasch'net al Dragone (noodles in a sauce of fresh tomatoes and mussels), and the house specialty troccoli basilico zucchine e caciocavallo (homemade pasta tossed with grilled zucchini slices and covered with shredded basil and hard sheep's cheese). For a seafood secondo, try the pescatrice con capperi e cipolla (delicate, local, boneless fish in an onion/lemon sauce with capers). Otherwise, the spiedino (assorted meats grilled shish kebab-style with potatoes) isn't bad.
Via Duomo 8; tel. +39-0884-701-212; www.aldragone.it; Reservations recommended. Closed Tues, though open daily mid-June–Aug. Closed Oct 31–Mar 15.

Casa della Bruschetta – Raffaele del Frate's laid-back and popular joint is almost always open. When live musicians aren't strumming or bongo-ing at the primitive wooden tables set on a shaded blind alley, pop music plays over the speakers and guests drop by to munch on bruschette[md]the "tipico" comes with a slice of grilled bread hiding somewhere under a virtual salad of julienned eggplant and peppers, capers, olive oil, olives, fresh tomato, and onions. They also serve good vegetable antipasti and cheeses, as well as the omnipresent orecchiette cacioricotta. Desserts are quite tasty; try the biscuit-like pockets stuffed with fig marmalade or the crunchy fritters topped with honey and chopped almonds.
Via S. Nobile 6; tel. +39-0884-098010; www.casadellabruschetta.it; Open dail 9am–1am. Closed Sept 16–May 28.

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