1. Sperlonga
It may not be the closest beach to Rome, but you can hardly ask for a prettier holiday town, with its whitewashed houses descending along narrow lanes above a pair of crescent beaches. A small promontory lies between the beaches, which drop in long shallow sweeps into a sea so clear and clean that it has earned a Blue Flag designation.
2. Santa Marinella
Closer to Rome and less complicated to reach – it’s less than an hour by a train that takes you within a five minutes’ walk of the beach – Santa Marinella is less picturesque, but has a fine-sand beach protected by a breakwater. The gradual decent into the clear water makes it a favorite for families with small children. There is very little free beach, but you will welcome the shade offered by a lido.