A seaside village in the province of Latina, Sperlonga was born on a rocky ridge of Colle S.Magno that sinks into the sea, and is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Its coastline is enchanting, golden sandy beaches stretch out at the foot of the village and for about 10 kilometers they frame a crystalline sea. All along the coast you can see rocks shaped by the wind in which sea caves open, coastal defense towers, the luxuriant hill of Mediterranean flora with vegetable gardens and olive groves and the small fishing port colored by small pleasure boats.
A maritime republic and a popular holiday destination already known at the time of the ancient Romans, Gaeta is located on the spur of Mount Orlando, and is a seaside resort with a temperate climate, rich in historical, monumental and religious remains. Its coastline is a succession of beautiful beaches bordered by rocky spurs, dominated by coastal towers, bays and coves.
Protected by the surrounding green hills and Mount Altino, Formia is a seaside resort with ancient traditions and one of the oldest cities in the south of Pontine, with a mild climate and a vast artistic and cultural heritage, as well as historical-archaeological, with numerous Roman remains , between villas and ancient tombs, among which we find that of Cicero.
Perched on the slopes of the Aurunci Mountains, about 140 km from Rome and 80 from Latina, the territory of Itri extends to the sea with a small strip between the coast of Sperlonga and that of Gaeta. The oldest settlement in the town is made up of groupings of houses around the imposing Medieval Castle and the Collegiate Church of S. Michele Arcangelo. Not to be missed for lovers of walking are the two kilometers of Roman paving of the ancient Via Appia, the Regina Viarum that winds through the suggestive Sant’Andrea gorge, among powerful square and polygonal buildings and more recent memories, such as the fort. S. Andrea.
Blue and green, ancient and modern, flavors, parties ... Terracina is all of this. It was the gateway to the Papal State until 1870, but also a Roman city on the queen of the consular roads, the Via Appia that led to Brindisi, the embarkation for the rich trade with the East, and then for the Holy Land, on the Via Francigena . Impossible not to perceive all this, with all the senses.
Ventotene is part of the Pontine Islands Archipelago, located almost in the center of the Tyrrhenian Sea and can be reached from Anzio, Formia and Terracina. It is a small island (1.54 km²), and like Ponza, it was born following the deposit of andesites, basalts and tuffs from effusions and explosions of submarine volcanoes. It is enough to immerse yourself for a few moments in its clear waters to be enchanted by the scenery that appears before us: scarlet sponges that cover the walls of the caves, gorgonians, purple and blue limestone formations that appear as tropical coral, clusters and rings of mollusc eggs, corvine and damselfish. Furthermore, it is still possible to observe archaeological finds from ships sunk in Roman times, the most significant today kept in the Municipal Archaeological Museum.
Eugenio Montale dedicated a few verses to her, defining it as a paradise on earth. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but Ponza is still a paradise, if you know where to go. The interior of the island is mountainous and crossed by mule tracks that lead to the volcanic area that is the heart of Ponza. The ideal is to walk them before sunset, or by bicycle, if you have trained legs. The port area is the first you will see when arriving in Ponza. The glance is not bad, but don’t be satisfied. Continuing beyond the tourist port and the historic center, you will find the Borgo di Santa Maria where there is a small port and the island already becomes a little less touristy. Where Ponza narrows and becomes a thin strip, the area of Le Forna begins, the wildest and highest part of the island.
