Circeo Peninsula – Miles of Sandy Beaches and Ancient Caves

This is a place full of dramatic scenery, with ancient villas nestled in the folds of rocks that jut out into the Tyrrhenian sea.

The sandy beaches along this stretch of land between the Lazio and Campania regions, are simply stunning. Golden, uncrowded, and plentiful in number. The same goes for the seaside towns peppered along the coast on enchanting roads. Quaint, charming, adorable. But where are the crowds?

This is a place quite undiscovered.

…by tourists, that is.

The Italians have long been visiting the Circeo Peninsula, especially wealthy Romans, from as far back as the days when Emperor Tiberias had a villa here. The whole area is known affectionately as the Ulysses Riviera because legend has it that Odysseus sailed through on his travels.

SAN FELICE CIRCEO

This town is a preferred holiday location of many Romans, and can be found within the Circeo National Park, 30 kilometres of lakes, forests, and sand dunes. The Park itself is about 100 kilometres south of Rome and was founded in 1934. It now preserves the best and largest plain forests in the whole of Italy, and is also home to wild boar, which can be seen roaming around.

There is a new town and a medieval walled town to explore. The central piazza is lined with shops and restaurants, and there are plenty of churches to explore.

It is also home to the Grotta Guattari, a Neanderthal cave discovered by accident in 1939. It can be unsettling to wander around here when you discover that research into the skulls revealed evidence of cannibalism. Research also shows that the cave was inhabited as far back as 100,000 BC (50,000 years prior to Neanderthal man) by prehistoric hominins.

TERRACINA

Terracina is another town between Naples and Rome, in the southern Lazio region. It attracts many Italian visitors with its wide sandy beach and the dominating Mount Circeo as a backdrop. Sunsets here give the impression that the mountain is on fire, and the sunsets vary night to night. Sit back in a café with a gelato and watch this spectacle after a stroll on the quiet sands.

In the centre of the town the extremely narrow cobbled streets lead to ochre-coloured buildings, with green shutters. This sleepy town by day houses live music at night, unusual for a town this compact. It has a decent music scene with an annual mod-themed music festival, Anxur Festival.

The main food here is seafood, which can be enjoyed in several cafes or restaurants along the coast. The old part of town has the attractive Cathedral, as well as the Museo Civico containing ancient sculptures.

Something which should not be missed is the Temple of Jupiter Anxur. It is the town’s most famous historic site, and offers impressive romantic views of the sea, the town, and the mountain.

SPERLONGA

Sperlonga is perhaps the most popular and most charming of the towns in the peninsula. This is due to its beautiful beaches, and the clusters white-washed houses. A ride out from Rome or Naples will get you to within a 15-minute bus ride of the tranquillity on offer here.

It is similar to the Cinque Terre with its narrow stairways and steep headlands, but without the hoards of people cramming into the streets. It is popular with Italians and tourists alike but only in certain months does it become busy. The majority of the time Sperlonga provides a peaceful atmosphere on its stunningly clean beaches.

The town has several restaurants to choose from, as well as some general stores. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale is worthy of a visit.

GAETA

Gaeta is a small fishing village, enjoyed for the views of the ocean everywhere you look, luxurious beaches, and churches around every corner. Serapo Beach is a common beach to head to for relaxing.

The 10th century Aragonese-Angevine castle needs to be seen to be appreciated for its sheer size. It is one of the town’s major attractions and it has housed many a King, and protected many an army.

The distinctive local cuisine is a tiella, a sort of flat calzone, with various stuffings, but traditionally seafood.

It’s the perfect town for walking on coastal paths, along the beach, or shopping in the town, or discovering history in the side streets. But if it’s more adrenalin that you’re after then join in the many surfing, windsurfing and free-climbing activities on offer in the area.

As well as pottering around the various towns, or enjoying a meditative moment on a secluded beach, there is plenty of walking to be enjoyed. Mesmerising roads lead you right up to hilltops to stun you with views across harbours, reportedly all the way to St Peters at one end and to the bay of Naples the other.

Literature lovers will enjoy the road from Circeo out to Sabaudia, which takes in the many villas along the way and the beaches that line the area. Moravia and Pasolini are just two of the writers known to have spent time writing in the area.

From hill top peaks you can enjoy some of the most usual views in Italy.

This area has so much to offer. Spend some time here before the rest of the world catches on.