home villas brochure enquiry concierge last minute travel route my wish list
Rome vacation rentals - Italy
home › travel route › lazio

lazio - the coast of Ulysses

The coast of Lazio between Terracina and Gaeta, almost at the border of Campania, is what one might call a pleasant discovery.  The Tyrrhenian Sea, in this middle part, offers glorious and tranquil scenery: sandy beaches and reclaimed farmlands. The landscape brightens at the Circeo headland and remains colourful for a good part of the journey towards the south, thanks to Mount Ausoni and Aurunci which separate from the Appennines and dive into the sea.  The result is an astonishing mix*combination of sheer cliffs and sandy inlets interrupted by ancient watchtowers.  The towns and villages are heirs of Latin cities falling along the Via Appia and the Flacca – Gaeta, Sperlonga, Formia, and Terracina – all of which have exceptional archaeological heritage.  To further increase the area’s splendour there is a certain environmental wholeness, thanks to the series of parks and nature reserves which detach the mountains from the marine background.  

Terracina is a city with legendary Greek foundations, which then became Etruscan and Roman.  The medieval village has a rich atmosphere, which passes from the Municipal Square to the cathedral.  The panoramic ancient temple of Giove Anxur is located on the peak of Mount Sant’Angelo.  Inland, there is the curious view of Campo Soriano – a landscape characterized by spectacular rock formations.  

Formia is an ancient city, set along the Via Appia and conserving important archaeological finds.  In the historic city centre, it is possible to visit the picturesque medieval villages of Castellone and Mola.  After a pleasant walk, you reach the villa and so-called tomb of Cicerone.  A little bit further away, on the coast, is the evocative suburban park of Gianola-Monte di Scauri.  Inland is the regional park, with its bewitching views, of Monte Aurunci.  

Sperlonga is a pretty fishing village with white houses located on a rocky spur.  Walks around the village and along its lanes with the ancient Truglia towers are both pleasant and highly recommended.  An absolute must is a visit to the villa and grotto of Tiberius.  

Gaeta is a historical Latin city, a well-known port and holiday resort at the centre of an evocative piece of coastline.  Places to visit in the city centre are: the Duomo (cathedral) with bell tower; the church of the Annunziata with the so-called Grotto d’Oro (Grotto of gold) and the medieval quarter situated on the headland.  In the immediate suburbs there is: the urban park of Mount Orlando with a mausoleum of Lucio Munazio Planco and the sanctuary of Mount Spaccata.