Lazio's sea is at its best away from Rome: the Pontine Islands, with some of the finest seabeds in the Tyrrhenian, and the Riviera di Ulisse between Sperlonga and Gaeta. Inland there are large volcanic lakes where motorboats are banned and you can only sail or paddle. Here you will find the best spots for each activity, with the right wind, the level required and the rules of the marine protected areas.
Each number matches a spot in the list.
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For each spot: level, best time and the winds that make it calm or best avoided.
A tiny island of tufa and lava, protected by a marine reserve, with seabeds full of groupers, morays and Posidonia, and wrecks from Roman times and the Second World War.
Windyes Calm sea, light winds · no Libeccio, strong Maestrale
Full details →Paddle along the white and yellow cliffs of Ponza, among sea stacks, natural arches and turquoise pools like those of Cala Feola and the Faraglioni di Lucia Rosa.
Windyes Calm sea, light winds · no Maestrale and Libeccio
Full details →From Gaeta's beaches you paddle or swim beneath the cliffs of Monte Orlando to the Montagna Spaccata, where the rock opens in a cleft that runs all the way down to the sea.
Windyes Light Tramontana, calm sea · no Libeccio, Scirocco
Full details →The rocky shore between Santa Marinella and Capo Linaro, an hour north of Rome, is the heart of surfing in Lazio: with the winter swells, some of Italy's best-known reef breaks form here.
Windyes Libeccio and Maestrale swells, light or offshore wind · no Flat sea in summer
Full details →A large volcanic lake an hour from Rome where motorboats are banned: you can only sail, row or SUP, with the Orsini-Odescalchi castle in the background.
Windyes Afternoon breezes for sailing and windsurfing; calm mornings for SUP · no Thunderstorms, strong Tramontana
Full details →The largest volcanic lake in Europe, with two islands: by kayak from Capodimonte you can reach Isola Bisentina, with its churches and chapels among the holm oaks.
Windyes Calm mornings for kayaking; afternoon breezes for sailing and windsurfing · no Thunderstorms
Full details →Before choosing a spot, check where the wind is coming from: the same cove can be a swimming pool or a place to avoid.
Rules vary from one area to another and from year to year: here is the general picture, but the managing body's regulations always take precedence.
Three zones around the two islands. In zone A, around Santo Stefano, swimming and diving are not allowed without authorisation; in zones B and C swimming and snorkelling are free and diving is done with authorised dive centres.
A submerged rocky shoal off Ostia, a few kilometres from Rome: it can only be visited by diving with authorised dive centres, and fishing is banned.
The park also includes the island of Zannone, in the Pontine archipelago, and the sea around the promontory: landing and activities on Zannone are subject to park rules.
Snorkellers and divers must mark their position with a diver-down buoy (or a red flag with a white diagonal stripe) and stay within 50 metres of it: harbour-office ordinances require it, and boats must keep their distance.
During the bathing season, motor boats are banned or restricted within 200 metres of beaches and 100 metres of sheer cliffs: kayaks and SUPs can paddle close to shore, but must stay out of the boat launch lanes.
Wind blowing from land to sea pushes SUPs, kayaks and inflatables out to sea even when the water near the shore looks calm: with an offshore wind, stay close to the coast or don't go out.
Emergency number at sea: 1530 (or 112).
The exact rules (times, lanes, distances) are set by the local harbour office's bathing ordinance and vary from one municipality to the next.
