Things to Do in Montesilvano with Kids: Beach Days, Bikes and Family Fun
Travelling with children changes the way you choose a destination. We know that from experience: we have twin boys ourselves, and when we plan a family holiday, we look for places where there's plenty for them to enjoy without turning every day into a complicated logistical exercise.
That's one of the things we like about Montesilvano: it's easy.
The beach is wide and sandy, the water stays shallow close to shore, the seafront is flat, and there are pine groves, cycle paths, playgrounds and plenty of places to stop for that all-important gelato.
And when, after a few beach days, you hear the inevitable “What are we doing today?”, there are plenty of alternatives.
Here are some of our favourites.
1. Enjoy an easy family beach day
Let's start with the obvious one: the beach.
Montesilvano has around eight kilometres of sandy coastline, with both beach clubs and free public beaches. The seabed slopes gently away from the shore and the water remains shallow for several metres, one of the reasons this stretch of the Adriatic is particularly popular with families.
If you're travelling with younger children, it's also useful to have somewhere to escape the sun. In several parts of the seafront, pine groves sit just behind the beach and provide welcome shade for a walk or a break during the hottest part of the day.
If you're staying at our Beach Apartments, it's even easier: the beach is just 50 metres away. Step outside, walk through the pine grove, and you'll reach the sand in less than a minute.
When you're carrying buckets, spades, inflatables and everything else children somehow need for a few hours at the beach, that short walk makes quite a difference.
2. Get on your bikes and head towards Pescara
If your children enjoy cycling, bringing or hiring bikes is a great way to explore the area.
The coastline is flat, and the cycle path connects Montesilvano with neighbouring Pescara. From Montesilvano's seafront, the ride to Pescara takes approximately 25–35 minutes, depending on where you start – and, of course, how fast your little cyclists decide to go.
There's no need to make reaching the city centre the goal. Half the fun is simply setting off, cycling along the coast for a while, stopping by the sea or taking a break for a snack or gelato before heading back.
With children, some of the best outings are the ones without a strict itinerary.
3. Take a break in the pine grove
One thing we particularly appreciate about this part of Montesilvano is having green spaces right beside the sea.
The pine grove provides welcome shade on hot summer days and is an easy option when the children still have energy to burn but the adults could do with a break from the beach.
Take a walk, have a snack in the shade and then decide whether to head back to the sea or home for a rest.
It may not be the most spectacular attraction of your holiday, but anyone who travels with children knows that simple, convenient spaces like these can sometimes be the most useful.
4. Try the Baby Skate Park
For something completely different from the beach, Montesilvano has a Baby Skate Park, an outdoor space designed to introduce younger children to skateboarding, roller skating and other wheeled sports in a suitable environment.
It's a fun alternative for an afternoon away from the beach, particularly for slightly older children who are ready for something a little more active.
You'll also find outdoor playgrounds and spaces for basketball, football and other sports around town.
If your children have skates, a skateboard or a favourite ball, it might be worth finding a little extra room in the car.
5. Take an evening stroll along the seafront
After dinner, the seafront is one of the easiest places to spend an evening as a family.
During the summer it comes alive with people strolling, cafés and gelato shops, markets, music and events that vary throughout the season.
And there's one activity that works remarkably well with children of almost any age: going out for gelato.
No reservations. No timetable. Very little planning.
And usually very few complaints.
6. Check what's on while you're here
Montesilvano hosts a busy programme of summer events, including concerts, shows, sporting events and family activities.
The programme changes every year, and throughout the season, so rather than listing events here that may quickly become outdated, we recommend checking the official Montesilvano Tourist Information Office calendar during your stay.
You may find that something perfect for your children is happening while you're here.
7. Discover Montesilvano Colle
When you fancy a break from the beach routine, spend a few hours exploring Montesilvano Colle, the historic hilltop part of town.
It's around a 10–15 minute drive from the seafront. With children, we'd recommend driving rather than tackling the uphill journey on foot or by bike.
Don't go expecting a theme park or a long list of attractions. That's not the point. Instead, you'll find narrow streets, traditional brick houses and lovely views towards both the Adriatic and the mountains.
We like the idea of heading up in the late afternoon, wandering around for a while and staying for dinner.
It's an easy way to show children that Montesilvano is more than the seaside town they see when they head to the beach every morning.
8. Look for wildlife at the Saline river mouth
If your children enjoy nature and wildlife, consider exploring the area around the mouth of the Saline River.
It's a coastal environment of botanical and ornithological interest where you may spot several species of birds, including herons, little egrets and cormorants.
Turn it into a mini nature hunt: who can spot the most birds? Can anyone identify a new species?
Sometimes that's all it takes to turn a simple walk into an adventure.
9. Ready to explore a little further?
One of the best things about a family holiday in Montesilvano is that you don't have to choose between a beach holiday and exploring Abruzzo.
Pescara is right next door and, if you have a car, your options expand enormously. Gran Sasso and Majella, lakes, castles, hilltop villages and national parks offer plenty of possibilities for family day trips.
Head south instead and you'll find the Trabocchi Coast, a completely different side of the Abruzzo coastline from Montesilvano's long sandy beach.
We'll be dedicating a separate post to our favourite family day trips, because there are far too many to squeeze into a few paragraphs here.
Montesilvano with kids, our way
As parents of twins, we've learnt that a good family holiday doesn't need to be packed with attractions from morning until night.
Sometimes the perfect day is much simpler: the beach in the morning, a leisurely lunch, some downtime, a bike ride or walk in the afternoon and gelato in the evening.
And that's probably one of the reasons Montesilvano works so well for families. You don't have to plan everything.
Distances are manageable, getting around is easy, and you can often decide what to do at the last minute.
If you're staying at Beach Apartments Montesilvano Pescara, the beach is only 50 metres away, while restaurants, gelato shops, supermarkets, a playground and the cycle path are all within walking distance.
Because when you're travelling with children, sometimes the real luxury isn't having a hundred attractions to choose from.
It's being able to step outside without having to load everyone into the car.