The best beaches near Rome include convenient urban sands such as Ostia and Fregene to more far-flung destinations such as stunning Sperlonga.
This close to the capital, the best beaches will have a high degree of stabilimenti, or beach clubs, those quintessentially Italian regiments of candy-colored parasols, sun beds, and aviator-sunglasses-wearing attendants.
There are, however, plenty of spiaggia libera or “free beach” options available near Rome. And this close to a major city, it’s always worth noting which beaches have the cleanliness of their water confirmed by the Bandiera Blu (Blue Flag) accreditation.
What distinguishes many of the beaches near Rome are the often remarkable titbits of history that come attached. And of course, there’s the infectious joy that Romans bundle into their beach bags along with their towels and beach umbrellas as they travel to the best beaches near Rome.
Ostia Beach
Ostia Beach
Known as “Rome’s beach,” Ostia is the only district of the Eternal City that borders the cerulean waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
A 30-minute drive from Roman landmarks such as the Vatican and the Colosseum sees you arrive amid Ostia’s dunes and sandy shoreline. Naturally, it’s a well-catered beach, with a ribbon of brightly colored parasols demarcating the various beach clubs that ply their trade here.
The sun-worshipping Romans have a wealth of options for when the exertions of tanning or floating summon their appetites. One of the best is La Vecchia Pineta, with its outdoor sea-view terrace and dishes like black fettuccine with clams and pumpkin flowers.
Ostia Antica
Aside from being one of the best day trips from Rome, Ostia Antica was the city’s first official port. When you’ve had your fill of Ostia Beach, make your way to Ostia Antica’s archaeological site (only a few minutes’ drive inland). You’ll find impressive and extensive ruins to walk among, with lines of crook-neck stone pines supplying shade.
Fregene
Fregene
A cute coastal town that offers one of the best beaches near Rome, Fregene also distinguishes itself as one of the best-kept beach destinations near the capital.
As such it’s a year-round option for roaming Romans, its mile-long sweep of sand a place for reviving seaside strolls in the winter. In the summer trendy Roman families arrive from the upscale northern neighborhoods to hang out at their favorite stabilimenti. On summer evenings, a gong sounds to announce the sunset.
Fregene’s reputation soared in the 50s and 60s when it was the Roman celebrity’s summer seaside escape of choice. But it’s been popular long before this. If you’d like to cool off in some deep shade, find your way to the town’s famous pine forest, planted by Pope Clement IX in the 17th century.
Santa Marinella Beach
Santa Marinella Beach
A port for Carthage in the fifth century, today Santa Marinella is home to one of the best beaches near Rome.
One of the charming seaside towns that dot the coastline near Rome, Santa Marinella is reached after a 45-minute train ride from the capital. As you walk to the beach, you’ll pass couples sipping espressos with pistachio-filled cornetti on the streets outside family-run restaurants.
Santa Marinella Beach
It’s not long before you arrive at the sand to scope out your spot. In the winter, Santa Marinella’s waves attract local surfers, but in the summer the breakers are glassy and barely capable of shifting the tiny shells dotting the waterline.
With its all-rounder offering, this beach is popular, so be sure to arrive early if you’re hunting a swatch of golden spiaggia libera.
Come aperitivo hour, try for a table at L’Acqua Marina with postcard-perfect views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Stay for fresh grilled seafood, or if you want to eat on the beach, look for the hole-in-the-wall on the promenade, near Gigi Bar.
Santa Severa
Santa Severa
Just south along the coast from Santa Marinella, Santa Severa is a handsome combination of modern beachfront and medieval fortifications.
The imposing Santa Severa fortress makes for an atmospheric backdrop to a beach day. It dominates a choice spot on the coast like a particularly assertive early riser.
Santa Severa Castle
A very family-friendly destination, Santa Severa offers a relatively generous amount of free beach, found in the black sand area south of the castle. For children, some wonderful rocky areas to explore can be found close to the castle.
Prefer more amenities? Head to the north side of the castle, where the beach clubs dominate the bronze sands with their showers, sun beds, and Spritz-bearing waiters. For a delicious meal with your table legs in the sand, find a spot at L’Isola del Pescatore.
Read: Best Things to Do in Rome with Kids
Anzio Beach
Anzio Beach
Anzio Beach is less famous for its wonderful seaside than the role it played during World War II. This beach, an hour and a half by car south of Rome, was the site of a landing by Allied Forces that would eventually contribute to the liberation of the Italian capital.
Whether you’re making an amphibious landing or simply chasing a lazy day beneath the glorious Italian sun, Anzio Beach ticks most boxes. The stiff breeze that occasionally blows can make for a superb day’s windsurfing or kiteboarding.
Or crest the Bandiera Blu-certified waves at a more sedate speed on your SUP, taking in Anzio’s mocha-tinted cliffs and multi-hued beach culture from the sea.
Wander across the warm, richly hued sand to the beach’s free section. Here you’ll be close to another piece of Anzio’s impressive history. The Villa Imperiale de Nerone is on the cliffs behind you, once the residence of Emperor Nero.
Sabaudia Beach
Sabaudia Beach
Sabaudia Beach, despite being nearly equidistant between Rome and Naples, is usually a little less busy than many of the other beaches on this coastline.
Without a direct train link, only those with a car can make the nearly two-hour drive from the capital to this picturesque beach. Sabaudia has an easygoing, remote feel, with a spiaggia libera significantly more sizeable than many of the best beaches closer to Rome.
Sabaudia Beach
Descend the stairs through the plush, cliffside villas, on through the dunes, and reward yourself with a refreshing foot bath in Blue Flag breakers. With its soft yellow sand and the coastal bulwark of Monte Circeo silhouetted in the distance, Sabaudia encourages you to slow down and breathe a little more deeply.
If you’re into architecture, Sabaudia offers an extra dimension for your beach day. Wander into the town to explore the fascist buildings found here, a visible monument to the town’s mid-20th-century origins.
Terracina Beach
Terracina Beach
Travel south for just over an hour and a half by car, and you arrive at a crop of the best beaches near Rome. Arguably chief among them is Terracina.
The town is popular, with ferries departing regularly for the Pontine Islands. Beyond the bar and restaurant-lined boardwalk is a spacious ribbon of beach that stretches from the harbor and runs off towards San Felipe Circeo. There’s plenty of room for both the stabilimenti and free beach, while the aquamarine shallows welcome all comers.
Temple of Jupiter, Terracina
This was once an important stopover on the ancient Appian Way and you can see the still-standing arches of the Temple to Jupiter that the Romans built here. A hike up to its lofty mountain perch rewards you with a profound slice of the history that Italy is known for and views of the beach clubs polka-dotting Terracina’s yellow sands.
Stroll into the town’s charming centro storico for an alfresco table for dinner in the violet dusk.
Sperlonga
Sperlonga Beach
One of the best beaches near Rome with an outstanding coastal town attached, Sperlonga makes for a superb day trip or longer. It’s been popular with Romans ever since Emperor Tiberius picked it as a holiday spot in the first century AD.
First, the beach. Sperlonga offers long strips of ochre yellow sand slipping into radiant blue water on either side of the town-crested promontory. With over a decade of awards for its water cleanliness, you can propel yourself through the warm sea without a care.
Sperlonga
Located roughly halfway between Rome and Naples, this off-the-beaten-path spot is famous for its whitewashed historic center. Walking its shining narrow streets, your skin pleasantly salty after your swim, you could almost feel like you’ve accidentally ended up on a Greek island.
The remains of the emperor’s villa are also wonderful to explore. The centerpiece grotto is remarkable, although when part of the roof collapsed it almost killed the emperor. The statues caught in the collapse can be seen reconstructed at the Sperlonga Archaeological Museum.
Sant’ Agostino Beach
Sant’ Agostino Beach
A tranquil destination just north of the town of Gaeta, Sant’ Agostino Beach is just under a mile of buttercream-soft sand.
In August, Sant’ Agostino’s translucent shallows become like a mixer for families from Rome and Naples. High overhead, climbers dangle from the inland crags.
It didn’t always get so busy. Around 50 years ago, this area, south along the coast from Sperlonga, was mostly agricultural. Vineyards, fruit orchards, and melon farms benefitted from the warm sea breezes instead of holidaying Italians.
That more laid-back ambiance returns outside of August, Italy’s month off. Travel south to Gaeta for its charming medieval center, and wander the atmospheric lanes of Borgo Elena. On Via Indipendenza, beneath the laundry drying overhead in the evening air, taste test the town’s renowned black olives at Hostaria la Rete.
Feniglia Beach
Feniglia Beach
More “freeway close” to Rome than “spitting distance”, Feniglia is, as if you needed one, the perfect beachy lure to make a foray into Tuscany.
One of the beaches found on the stunning Monte Argentario peninsula, Feniglia Beach is on the peninsula’s eastern side, with views back along the coast. It’s essentially the southerly side of the spit of land that connects Monte Argentario with the mainland, a strip of sand with a hinterland of pine and scrub known as the Duna Feniglia Nature Reserve.
Feniglia Beach
As with many of the beaches found in Tuscany’s Maremma region, there’s a sense of pristine wilderness here. Sun-bleached logs act as makeshift benches on the acres of free beach space.
At the end nearer the town (and the parking), you hear the shouts of teenagers playing beach volleyball. The water is warm and crystalline over the extensive fine sand shallows.
Monte Argentario is a lively summertime destination. Yachts anchor offshore near hidden coves, while pirate festivals take place at cute seaside towns like Porto Ercole.
Torre Flavia Beach
Torre Flavia Beach
With its wonderfully evocative tower, Torre Flavia Beach is one of the best beaches near Rome for a sense of romance.
This entirely free beach, despite being just over an hour by car from Rome, is something of a secret. It’s reached after a short walk through the wetland reserve where you can spot wading egrets and watchful turtles.
Torre Flavia
The crumbling Torre Flavia sits near the shoreline like something in the backdrop of a Dali painting. Fishermen peacefully cast their lines into the glassy shallows, while plovers stride amid the scrubby protection of the dunes. The beach is peaceful, natural, and endowed with shaggy, shade-providing palms.
Ladispoli, the town where the beach is located, is crammed with historical sites including an Etruscan necropolis and ruined Roman villas. In the spring, it’s awash with artichokes during its annual festival.
Castel Porziano
Located within the Roman Littoral State Nature Reserve, Castel Porziano is unusual for being one of the best beaches near Rome that’s almost entirely spiaggia libera.
South of buzzy Ostia Beach, Castel Porziano is reached after a walk through the grassy dunes, pines, and amethyst wildflowers that make up its scenic hinterland. Once you arrive, you’re greeted with the most attractive, sizable swathe of free, silken-sand beach close to the city center. Gentle waves, in the strictly below-knee zone, ripple across the shoreline.
Of course, it gets busy. And although there are restaurants to be found along its wide length, as well as public bathrooms and showers, you should pack an umbrella for shade.
In high summer, this beach is excellent for people-watching. A diverse crowd, including everyone from kite surfers to naturists, arrives before filtering off into different areas of the beach. And while you might have dinner reservations in the capital, when the sunset tints the skies, you might feel a need to push back your plans and order an aperitivo at the beach bar.
Read: Three Days in Rome
Rome
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