A handpicked selection of 8 of the best beaches near Rome to escape the summer heat. Best Rome beaches for a day trip from the city or a weekend getaway near Rome.
Rome is close to the sea and one of the best ways to deal with Rome’s summer heat is to escape the city and head to the beach.
Rome beaches are sandy and easy to reach from the city and surprisingly pleasant.
Those closer to the city are perfect for a meal along the sea and a day sunbathing, while those a little further north or south are great for a day trip from Rome to the sea but also for longer stays.
This is our selection of the best beaches near Rome for day out in spring/summer or a beach weekend getaway from Rome.
The best beaches near Rome: Rome beaches chart
| Name of beach/locality | Distance from Rome* | Get there by | Best for |
| Lido di Ostia | 30 Km | Car/train 1h | Lunch on the beach, sunbathing |
| Santa Severa | 69 Km | Car/Train 1h | Views, sunbathing, swimming |
| Santa Marinella | 73 Km | Car/Train 1h | Lunch on the coast, day on the beach, surfing |
| Anzio / Nettuno | 62 Km | Car | Lunch on the coast, day on the beach |
| Sabaudia | 95 Km | Car | Views, sunbathing, swimming |
| San Felice Circeo | 106 Km | Car | Views, sunbathing, swimming |
| Sperlonga | 148 Km | Car/ Train + shuttle 1h | Views, sunbathing, swimming. Exceptional for families with kids |
| Gaeta | 172 Km | Car / Train + shuttle 1h | Views, sunbathing, swimming |
Lido di Ostia – Rome’s beach
Lido di Ostia/ Ostia Lido is Rome’s beach and one of the easiest beaches to reach from Rome city center.
If you have a car, all you need to do is follow Via Cristoforo Colombo, which will lead you right to the sea, while if you prefer to get to Ostia by train, you can catch one from Piramide.
The train gets you to Ostia beach in about 30 mins and operated with the same ticket as the metro. Ostia is served by the urban train system, which makes it a great budget option. careful with the name of the stops: Ostia Antica Scavi sops served the archaeological park. For the beach, you need Ostia Lido.
Ostia has a long, flat coastline with a nice stretch of sand and many beach clubs offering chairs, umbrellas and beach terraces at different price points.
These are a great choice if you want to eat in one of the terraces or you want good facilities such as umbrellas, beach lingers, showers and changing cabins.
The beach clubs occupy most of the waterfront but you also have free stretched of beaches in Ostia, towards the area of ‘cancelli’, at the southern end of the town.
Check carefully the distance from the metro station if planning on coming by train.
The beach in Ostia is nothing special in terms of charm however, it is a surprisingly refreshing and relaxing day out, when you need an easy break from Rome city center.
Fun fact: the beach in Ostia is rich in iron and is therefore rather dark. If you have small kids, bring a magnet and collect the iron, it is rather magical!
The water in Ostia is what you would expect neat a big city but perfectly suitable for basic swimming and a beachside meal.
Santa Severa – best beach near Rome with castle view
Santa Several is a beach locality to the north of Rome, along with via Aurelia, and a favorite Rome beach for savvy locals. Santa Severa beach is lovely, sandy, and comes with an extra plus: a beautifl castle right on the sea that adds a scenic backdrop to your day!
Santa severa is easy to reach by car or bus and has nice waters, and it is a popular destination for all types of visitorsinding familes, who find here nice, safe waters and pretty views.
You can get to Santa Severa from Rome by car od train: the train from Rome to Santa severa is the one on the main Rome- Civitavecchia line and stops at Rome Termini, Tuscolana, Ostiense, Trastevere and San Pietro, all handy stops serving different parts of the city.
Santa Marinella – popular surf beach near Rome
Santa Marinella is a pretty beach town to the North of Rome, perfect for a day on the beach in summer and, maybe surprisingly, for surfing in winter!
Santa Marinella caught the attention of surfers in recent years and while there is no denying that the Lazio seafront is nothing like California, professional surfers say this is a good spot for the sport, when the weather conditions are right!
If you don’t surf or you are here in summer, Santa Marinella is a pleasant option. Santa Marinella beach here is sandy, the town pleasant and you can come here by train in about 1 hour.
The train departs from Roma Termini station and stops also at Stazione Ostiense, Trastever and Rome san Pietro station: this is the same line serving Santa Severa, on the main Rome-Civitavecchia line.
The beach is a short walk from the train station and it is equipped with beach clubs and a limited free area.
Anzio / Nettuno beaches
Anzio and Nettuno are two localities immediately to the south of Rome and they are popular Romans who come hre for the day ot teh weejend to enjoy their sandy beaches and food establishments.
The two towns are about 3km from each other but the intense urbanisation of this area means there are pretty much attached, hence the mention of the two of them together.
This is a good, family friendly beach near Rome and it is best reached by car.
Sabaudia beach and town
Sabaudia is a beach town to the south of Rome famous for a beautiful sandy shoreline and fascist architecture, which make it a bit of a hidden gem for architecture lovers.
The beach here is stunning and sandy and it feels a lot more remote than others in this area. Protected by a sand dune and with views of Monte Circeo, the beach here is light colored, sandy and soft and the waters clean.
The town is pleasant and well served and a gret place for a weeekend. Sabaudia is best reached by car.
S. Felice Circeo
San felice Circeo takes its name from Mount Circeo, a pretty promontory that is the wonderful backdrop to this Rome beach. The beach here is sandy and pretty, the town scenic if you take the time to go up and explore and there are both beach clubs and free stretches of beach.
The best way to get to Circeo beach is by car or bus: teh bus departs from Laurentuna station so it entails a metro + bus journey: the beach is a 10 minute walk from the station.
The beach is regularly awarded the coveted blue flag for water quality and it is lovely for swimmers and families.
Gaeta – one of the best beaches near Rome for a weekend getaway
Gaeta is a lovely historical town in southern Lazio with a pretty center and a stunning sandy beach: Serapo. Serapo is blessed with soft golden sand, clear waters and it also has beautiful views over Montagna Spaccata, which makes it one of the most scenic beaches near Rome.
The beach has many beautiful and well-equipped beach clubs, restaurants and hotels and it is perfect for a day on the sea or a weekend. Many Romans relocated here for the summer. you can get to Gaeta by car or by train: the stop is Formia/ Gaeta and from there you have either a shuttle or a shuttle + bus ride to the beach.
You can read all about Gaeta in our Gaeta travel guide
Sperlonga – pretty whitewashed village and family-friendly beach near Rome
Sperlonga is a delightful village and beach in the south of Rome and one of the best beaches for families you can ask from.
The beach develops under a scenic promontory and it is sandy, clean and with shallow waters, perfect for kids. Sperlonga itself has a historical beautiful part on top of the promontory and a more modern part along the sea with restaurants and hotels.
To get to Sperlonga from Rome you catch the train from Rome termini to Fondi / Sperlonga and then you catch the local bus to the beach or a taxi. You can find our guide to Sperlonga here.
I hope you enjoyed this shortlist of the best beaches near Rome and it gave you ideas on what to do on a summer weekend in Rome. Safe travels!