How to get around Sperlonga

Sperlonga has no railway station, and one road along the coast does most of the work: the Via Flacca, which links Terracina to Gaeta and was inaugurated in February 1958. In July and August that single road is the bottleneck for the whole stretch.

The old town cannot be driven. It climbs its promontory in stepped lanes and concentric rings around the former castle, and it has to be walked — which is also the pleasure of it.

Between the upper town and the beach there is a real descent and a real climb, and the same applies to reaching the villa of Tiberius, which lies on the shore south of the centre.

The coves south towards Gaeta are the part most people never reach: the shore breaks into rocky spurs there, and several of the coves can only be reached from the water, which means a boat rather than a path.

For arriving without a car, the nearest railway is at Fondi-Sperlonga, inland, with a bus connection down to the coast.

Two Italian rules apply here as everywhere in the country. A ticket bought from a kiosk or machine must be validated on board before the journey starts, or an inspector will issue an on-the-spot fine. And driving into a historic centre usually needs a ZTL pass, with the boundary marked in black on a yellow sign.

By road. The Via Flacca runs along the shore from Terracina to Gaeta and is the main approach from either direction. It was inaugurated on 9 February 1958 and is the reason the town has a tourist economy at all.

By rail. There is no station in Sperlonga. The nearest is Fondi-Sperlonga, inland on the Rome–Naples line, from which a bus runs down to the coast.

Rome and Naples. The town is roughly halfway between the two, which makes it a feasible stop on a journey between them rather than a quick day trip from either.

In the old town. On foot only. The historic centre sits about 65 metres up on the promontory of San Magno, built in concentric rings with stepped lanes.

Down to the beach and the villa. A descent from the upper town, and a climb back. The villa of Tiberius and its museum are on the shore south of the centre.

To the coves. South towards the Gaeta promontory the sand gives way to rocky spurs forming coves, often reachable only from the sea.

Mobility note. The old town is stepped and steep throughout; the beach and the villa are at sea level and much easier, but the connection between them is not.

Validate your ticket. If you buy a ticket from a kiosk or machine, you must validate it on public transport before you start your journey. Officials patrol and issue an on-the-spot fine if your ticket is not validated.

ZTL. You need a pass to drive into the historic centre of many Italian towns in a private or hire car. The boundaries are marked with the letters ZTL in black on a yellow sign, and a camera reads your plate.

Strikes. Transport strikes in Italy are often called at short notice, which matters most if your visit depends on a single connection.

Taxis. Use only officially licensed taxis, which carry a taxi sign on the roof and a company name and number on the side.