The experience

Experience traditional fishing in the trabucchi

Do you want to experience close contact with the Puglian sea and tradition? We will take you to discover the trabucchi, the large structures typical of Gargano’s seafaring tradition formerly used for fishing.

The “trabucchi,” which mark the coast between Vieste and Peschici, are rudimentary tools built by local fishermen to secure a livelihood by avoiding exposure to the myriad pitfalls of the sea, from storms to pirate raids, which for a very long time have been the bogeymen of these small villages. In fact, the trabucchi rise on the edge of the shoreline, stretching out into the sea with two huge arms (the “antennae”) to which a net is hooked that takes advantage of the sea currents to catch fish. Their solid grandeur unites the sea and the land of the northernmost strip of Puglian: indeed, in the Aleppo pine logs and beams that make up these structures is enshrined the thousand-year history of the Umbra Forest, which stretches almost to the sea.

In our workshop you can delve into the heart of this corner of Puglia – protected by the Gargano National Park – through one of the oldest crafts, and relive firsthand the tradition of fishing as it was practiced by your ancestors. You will be able to test your skills together with the village’s elderly and young “trebuccolanti”: they will be the ones to guide you and explain the traditional techniques, from the heights of these monumental wooden architectures overlooking the beautiful Adriatic Sea.

The stories of the trabucchi

You will also hear with us the stories of local fishermen who over time had to leave these shores in search of more favorable winds, among those who later returned and those who continued to dream of their sea from afar.

A day framed by the blue of the Puglian coastline, in the company of locals, rediscovering the tradition of ancient crafts passed down from generation to generation. An experience that is sure to remain etched in your heart.