Parco Nazionale del Circeo
Just 30 km south of Latina, the Parco Nazionale del Circeo protects one of the last remnants of the ancient Selva di Terracina forest, a string of coastal dunes, a saltwater lagoon and the dramatic limestone promontory of Monte Circeo itself. It is one of Italy's oldest national parks and arguably its most underrated.
Forest, Dunes and Lagoon
The Foresta Demaniale is a primeval oak and hornbeam woodland that once stretched across the entire Pontine Plain before land reclamation in the 1930s. Walking or cycling the forest trails today feels genuinely wild — red squirrels, wild boar and over 200 bird species inhabit this green corridor between the Apennines and the sea.
Lago di Sabaudia, the long saltwater lagoon separating the dunes from the forest, is a birdwatcher's paradise. Rent a kayak or canoe from operators in Sabaudia town to paddle its mirror-flat waters at sunrise, when flamingos, herons and cormorants are most active.
Monte Circeo and the Grotta Guattari
The park's limestone headland, Monte Circeo, rises sharply from the Tyrrhenian coast and is steeped in mythology — Homer's Circe was said to have lived here. The summit trail (about 2 hours return from San Felice Circeo village) rewards hikers with a panorama stretching from the Pontine Islands to the Castelli Romani.
At the base of the promontory, the Grotta Guattari is one of Europe's most important Neanderthal sites: a Neanderthal skull was discovered here in 1939, and new excavations since 2019 have unearthed nine further individuals. Guided tours of the cave must be booked in advance through the park authority.
The sandy beaches between Sabaudia and San Felice Circeo are among Lazio's cleanest and least crowded, backed by dunes rather than beach clubs.
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