As you ski lazily down a gentle slope, a ray of sunshine hits your face, and you look down to the coastline. The sun is glittering on the Adriatic and has just illuminated the endless vineyards and olive groves that lead down from the mountains to the beaches. The gently rolling hills are ablaze with blossoming cherry and peach trees, while lavender, daffodils, iris and crocus are beginning to peak out after a short and temperate winter, punctuating the landscape like a colorful Renoir. This is April in Abruzzo, Italy.
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Arriving back down to the ski resort, you can have a restorative espresso and meander back toward the coast. An hour later, you’re enjoying fresh clams and white wine at a beachside café, to be followed by handmade pasta topped with today’s catch. After a leisurely lunch, you take a walk on the beach, maybe settle into a quick nap on the sand, reveling in the warm springtime sun. Perhaps you take a quick dip, though the waters are still shaking off their winter chill.
Abruzzo, historically one of the poorest regions in the country, had fallen off the national map until just a few decades ago. Since the 1950s Abruzzo has seen steady economic growth. In the 1990s, its growth surpassed that of any other region. The per-capita GDP now well outpaces that of the rest of southern Italy. Abruzzo is now the richest region in this part of Italy.
The construction of new highways made it more easily accessible from Rome, opening the region up domestically and attracting state and private investment. New development is taking place, especially in Pescara, where a new bridge is under construction and large-scale housing communities are underway along the seaside. Small historic towns including Città Sant’Angelo, Tocco da Casauria and Popoli are working hard to attract investment in efforts to save their historically significant but nearly deserted streets.
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The Abruzzo Business Board and the Abruzzo Tourism Board are working hard to attract more tourism, both domestic and international, more foreign investment and more general recognition. While the region is still several years away from being a recognized vacation spot, and perhaps even further from being the household name that Tuscany is, the tide is turning. It won’t be too much longer until the world begins to pay Abruzzo the attention it deserves. For now, you could say that Abruzzo is Italy’s best-kept retirement secret.
You’ve surely heard of the wonders of Tuscany. Maybe you’ve long dreamt of experiencing them for yourself in retirement. If you dream of the best of Italy, look beyond pricey Tuscany to much more affordable Abruzzo. Abruzzo has everything Tuscany offers and more at a fraction of the cost. The low cost of living is bolstered by the continuing weak euro. At today’s exchange rate between the euro and the dollar, a couple could live in Abruzzo comfortably on $1,400 per month or less, including rent. Your monthly budget could be even less if you own your own home.
One particular seldom-considered opportunity in Europe is the chance to live off the land in this corner of Italy. A nice plot of fertile land, enough for a self-sufficient farm, is a bargain. Thanks to the year-round temperate climate and abundant sunshine, Abruzzo is an ideal choice for this kind of back-to-basics resilient lifestyle.
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Abruzzo is not a major tourist area. This is a traditional, rural region. That reality comes with pros and cons. The pros include the low cost of living and property and the lack of tourist over-development. You could buy a tumble-down but charming property for renovation for as little as 5,000 euro. The primary con is that, for all these reasons, you’ll need to learn Italian to make a life here.
If you’re up for tackling the language barrier, Abruzzo could be the ideal place to make your dreams of la dolce vita come true. Escape to Abruzzo to embrace a low-key and peaceful way of life. The best of Italian country living is available at a fantastically bargain price.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.
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The Best-Kept Retirement Secret in Italy originally appeared on usnews.com
