Parco Nazionale del Circeo
Just 30 km south of Latina, the Parco Nazionale del Circeo protects a remarkable corridor of ancient Mediterranean forest, a coastal lagoon system, and the rocky promontory of Monte Circeo — all within a single national park established in 1934. It is one of central Italy's last fragments of genuine wilderness.
The forest and lagoons
The Foresta Demaniale del Circeo is a rare remnant of the laurel and oak forest that once blanketed the Tyrrhenian coast: wild boar, fallow deer, and over 200 bird species live here, and the forest floor is carpeted with cyclamens in autumn.
The four coastal lakes — Lago di Sabaudia, Lago di Paola, Lago di Caprolace, and Lago di Fogliano — are connected to the sea by canals and form a brackish lagoon ecosystem that is a paradise for birdwatchers, particularly during spring and autumn migration.
Monte Circeo and the sea caves
The 541-metre limestone headland of Monte Circeo rises dramatically from the flat Pontine coast and offers a hiking trail to the summit with views stretching from Ischia to the Castelli Romani on a clear day.
Below the cliffs, boat tours departing from San Felice Circeo village take visitors into the Grotta delle Capre and the famous Grotta Guattari, where a Neanderthal skull was discovered in 1939 — one of the most significant prehistoric finds in Europe.
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