The Most Popularly Known Beaches near Rome
While others visit Rome to witness its magnificent collection of ancient architecture, to experience the Roman culture and to taste the sumptuous authentic Roman and Italian gastronomy, heading towards the beaches in and near Rome can be equally fun and exciting most especially during summer season. If you fly to Rome through either Ciampino or Fiumicino airports, you can notice a large body of water downward as you land in the Eternal City. This large body of water is the Mediterranean Sea. Rome may not actually be a beach town but you can as well relish a relaxing combination of sand, salty water, seafood and sunset through the various beaches around the area.
Note this article is about the beaches near Rome.. But when done exploring the beaches and you want to experience Rome, I highly recommend this site about Rome sightseeing for an overview of all major tourist attractions that Rome has to offer.
Nettuno and Anzio
Anzio is a seaside town in Lazio region that is located south of Rome. It is very famous for the serene beaches it houses. You can be able to reach Anzio from Rome through taking an hour train trip. Nettuno, on the other end, is located just adjacent to Anzio. Both Anzio and Nettuno provides visitors with clean and clear beach water. In fact, they have been awarded blue flags for consecutive years already for having been maintained clean and clear water beaches. Aside from the beaches in these two areas, you can also find some ruins of the ancient Roman villas which are dated from the time of the “Antium”, the place of birth of Emperor Nero. Strolling along the harbor streets through the heart of the town you can find some great gelato cafeterias and restaurants.
Sperlonga Beach
The Sperlonga Beach is one of the top beach choices among tourists despite the fact that it is a bit distant from Rome. Like the beaches in Anzio and Nettuno, Sperlonga beach is also awarded with an Italian blue flag. These blue flags are only given to beaches that are environmentally friendly as well as to those that are able to maintain clean sand and water. Although most of the beaches in Sperlonga are privately owned and ran, it still continued to be the top choice because of the picturesque view that this town offers. Sperlonga is not only a popular beach destination in these modern days but also even during the ancient times. It is said to be Emperor Tiberius’ favorite summer destination. In fact Emperor Tiberius had built his own villa on the southern area of the town which served as his home when he wanted to chill out from the heat of the city. This villa of Emperor Tiberius is now known to be an archeological museum. In the villa you can also see the Grotto of Tiberius. Traveling from Rome to Sperlonga can take long as an hour and a half. You can take the train from the Termini Station in Rome to the Fondi-Sperlonga Station and from there you can take a short bus trip to the beach area. Another option is to join the tourist guided Sperlonga Beach Day Trip that provides a two-way trip from Rome to Sperlonga and vice versa.
Terracina Beach
Terracina is a beautiful town located in the southernmost part of the region of Lazio, not too far from the town of Sperlonga. The Terracina town’s centro storico is fashioned with yellowish-brown hue and green-colored shutters. The extremely narrow streets along the beach are embellished with cobblestones. Beaches at Terracina are also equally magnificent as that of Sperlonga. For an added adventure, you may also head to Tempio di Giove. It is an archeological site in the town that offers a breathtaking sight of the whole Tyrrahenian coast.
Ostia Lido
Ostia Lido is the closest beach to Rome. It is known for its clean water and dark sand. Public beaches are rather crowded. If you want to avoid huge crowd you can choose to go to a private Ostia Lido beach resort. Ostio Lido can easily be reached through the Metro Line B in Rome. You can take the train to the Piramide stop and then take an Ostia Lido train that is heading to the direction of Cristofor Colombo. The trip can take as long as roughly half an hour.
Santa Marinella and Santa Severa
A seaside district north of Rome is the Santa Marinella. It can be reached from Rome through the regional train which you can catch at the main railway station in Rome, the Termini Station. Traveling from Rome to Santa Marinella can take as much as an hour. Transportation means is not a problem if you wish to go to Santa Marinella because there are around 2 to 3 trains which depart per hour. From the Santa Marinella train station, you just need to walk for around five minutes to be able to hit the beach area.
Another seaside town is the Santa Severa. It is situated within the Santa Marinella district. Santa Severa is very ideal for those looking for a calm and tranquil getaway but do not want to move too far from the city. Santa Severa is not merely known for its great collection of wonderful beaches but also for housing a stunning ancient castle that is built along the edge of the beach, nearly touching the sea water. This piece of interesting history was once owned and occupied by the ancient noble Roman families. Today, the castle is utilized as a home for musical and cultural exhibits.