The Le Morge Seaside Pine Forest is a strip of greenery that stretches for about 1.5 km parallel to the Blue Flag beach, between the sandy shore and State Road 16 (SS16 Adriatica). It consists mainly of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), the pioneer species typical of the Mediterranean coastal landscape, and is part of a dune system that merges to the south with the Lecceta di Torino di Sangro Regional Nature Reserve.
A man-made pine forest, a true ecological role
Like most of the pine forests along the Abruzzo coast, the one at Le Morge is of human origin: it stems from 19th- and 20th-century reforestation efforts designed to stabilize the dunes, serve as a windbreak for the agricultural hinterland, and reduce salt spray on the coastal road. The Aleppo pine was chosen for its hardiness—it grows on sandy, water-poor soils, withstands wind and salt spray, and regenerates well after fires.
As the trees matured, a spontaneous Mediterranean understory formed: mastic, myrtle, arbutus, broom, coccolone juniper, and rockrose. It is a microhabitat that hosts resident and migratory birdlife (bee-eater, jay, kestrel, and Eurasian scops owl) and serves as a corridor for the Hermann’s tortoise, which has its regional stronghold just a few hundred meters away, in the neighboring Lecceta.
Protection and Threats
The pine forest is subject to landscape restrictions and specific municipal protection (Ordinance No. 28 of May 21, 2020), which limits tree felling, regulates pruning, and prohibits open fires and camping. The main threats remain summer wildfires—pine trees are resinous and highly flammable—the pine processionary moth, and coastal erosion, which over the past twenty years has significantly shortened the beach in several places.
How to experience it
The path through the pine forest is flat and shaded all day long, with benches scattered along the way and a few drinking fountains: a walk suitable for families, seniors, strollers, and wheelchairs on the main stretch. It connects to the Via Verde dei Trabocchi and the Lecceta trails via pedestrian crossings on State Road 16. From April to October, during the midday hours, it offers a cool respite between the sea and the road.