A White Town Above Two Golden Beaches
Sperlonga is a whitewashed coastal town in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region of central Italy, known for its sandy beaches, its dazzling old quarter and a Roman imperial grotto. It sits roughly halfway between Rome and Naples, on a rocky promontory that rises above the Tyrrhenian Sea. The old town, the centro storico, is a tangle of narrow stairways, arched passages and small piazzas, all in glowing white, with balconies hung with geraniums and views that open suddenly onto the water. Below, two long arcs of pale sand run either side of the headland, so there is always a sheltered beach whichever way the day turns.
History is close at hand. In the first century AD the Emperor Tiberius had a seaside villa here, built around a natural sea cave that served as a dining pavilion and was adorned with large sculptural groups drawn from the story of Odysseus. Those marble fragments, rediscovered in the 1950s, are now displayed in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Sperlonga, beside the ruins themselves. Above the town, the sixteenth-century Torre Truglia keeps watch over the coast. It is a rare combination: an imperial Roman site, a hill town and a seaside resort, all within a short stroll of one another.
Beach Days, Lanes and Tables by the Sea
Days here follow an easy rhythm. Mornings belong to the sand: the Spiaggia di Levante and Spiaggia di Ponente stretch for kilometres on either side of the promontory, with gently shelving shallows, beach clubs and open stretches in between. Afternoons are for wandering the old town's lanes, where small shops sell ceramics, local olive oil and linen, before an evening passeggiata along the seafront. The coast belongs to the Riviera di Ulisse, a name that recalls the legend linking Odysseus to this shoreline, and the regional park of the same name protects its hills and headlands just behind the town.
Tables are the other great pleasure. Restaurants along the lungomare and tucked into the old town serve whatever the boats have landed: grilled sea bream, spaghetti with clams, fried calamari, anchovies and prawns, alongside local olive oil and mozzarella from the surrounding plain. Sunset is the moment to be seated, ideally with a view across the bay. Neighbouring towns widen the menu: Gaeta, with its historic harbour and castle, and Terracina, with its Roman temple ruins and long beach, are both an easy drive. A hotel group could pair Sperlonga's beach days with those towns in one seamless coastal itinerary.
Read the full Sperlonga guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitSperlonga.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.