Day Trips from Rome: Beach Day in Sperlonga
If you’re coming to Rome in warmer months and love the beach, consider doing a Day Trip to Sperlonga Beach. It’s a little further than some other beaches, but it’s well worth the trek. Sperlonga is a blue flag beach and the water is clear and beautiful. It’s a lovely beach lover’s day trip, out of the bustle of Rome.
Where is Sperlonga?
Sperlonga is a pretty seaside town south of Rome. Check it out on Google Maps.
When you arrive in Sperlonga, you can go to a stretch of beaches to the east and west. We went to the stretch of beach on the east side, next to the National Archaeological Museum Grotta di Tiberio.
This is a lovely blue flag beach, meaning you’re going to swim in incredible water. That’s exactly what I spent most of my time doing in Sperlonga. I simply couldn’t get enough of the water, just floating around.
Sperlonga is a little further out than some other beaches, but it’s worth it. It’s about a 1.5 hours train ride one way, so 3 hours of train travel in total. But it is totally worth it, with much cleaner and more beautiful water than some of the other nearer beaches like Ostia. The water is so clear and beautiful, that you end up hanging out in the water for ages.
How to get to Sperlonga:
From Rome, catch a train from Stazione Termini to Fondi-Sperlonga. You can book your return tickets on Trenitalia. They are only about €6.90. There are trains running all day, and the ride is about 1.5 hours, which goes pretty quickly. Get yourself an espresso from the vending machine in the train, and sit back and enjoy the ride.
We got the 9:36 am train from Rome Termini, and arrived at the Fondi-Sperlonga station at 10:52 am. ON the way back, we got the 6:02 pm train from Fondi-Speronga to Termini, and arrived at 7:24 pm.
When you arrive at the Fondi-Sperlonga Station, you then get a bus to the beach. The buses work pretty well. They leave just outside of the Fondi-Sperlonga Station. The buses go to either Fondi or to Sperlonga, so be sure which bus you get on. They run about every hour, and only €1 each way. You pay the bus driver as you get on, which makes it super easy-going.
Note: Check the bus schedules. On Sundays the buses run a lot less frequently.
The buses stop at the seafront right at the Sperlonga beach. You’ll know when you’re at the stop because most of the people will get off. And you’ll see the see right there in front of you. It’s a beautiful sight.
From the bus stop, you’ll see a lovely piazza looking over the sea.
Sperlonga Beach:
To get to the beach, you walk across the piazza towards the sea. Just look for a pathway down to the left and you’ll get to the beach easily.
You walk along the sea on a lovely walkway. It’s very special.
The beach has normal sand and not pebbles. The stretch of sand is actually quite narrow, but wide enough to find a lovely spot to settle for a few hours.
The water is incredible. By far the clearest I’ve experienced at beaches near Rome (although I still need to visit Sabaudia).
It’s simply magic, swimming in this water. When I went with friends, we spent most of the day floating and standing in the water while we chatted. It was calm and clear and utterly gorgeous.
You can also stroll further along the beach to the National Archaeological Museum Grotta di Tiberio. These are ruins of the Roman Villa of Tiberius. On this side is another lovely swimming spot. It’s lovely climbing up onto the rocks and sitting right at the sea’s edge. A lovely day out of the city for sure!
Sperlonga Town:
Before or after your visit to the beach, enjoy a little walk through the town. It’s very pretty, with whitewashed buildings and a charming atmosphere.
There are a few little shops where you can get provisions for your picnic on the beach. Or there are a few little spots where you can eat. We took a picnic down to the beach, so that we could spend as much time as possible at the water.
After your day on the beach, do yourself a favour and go for an Italian brioche. This is basically an ice-cream sandwich. Oh yes, you heard me right. An Italian ice-cream sandwich.
Even though I am a bit of a health nut, this was something I had to try.
Side note: Being healthy is about finding a balance. There’s no need to only eat raw fruit and veg for the rest of your life. Being healthy is about enjoying life, and finding a balance between healthy habits and celebrating life. One of the ways I celebrate is through food. All kinds of food.
And so… I gave it a try. Oh boy, was I in for a treat!
We got this particular brioche at a darling little pasticceria-gelateria called Gelateria Dolce Gelato. You basically just choose the brioche and then choose the gelato flavours you’d like it filled with. The bread was light and fluffy, and the gelato as amazing!
Happy Day Tripping!
Even though there is a bit of travel time, a Day Trip to Sperlonga is definitely worth it. If you love the beach, and are visiting during warmer months, this is a fun way to spend a day outside Rome. Get out of the city, swim in the beautiful sea and experience Italy at the seaside.
