This post describes the best things to do at Santa Severa Beach and tips for visiting the beach.
You will learn about one of the most beautiful beaches north of Rome and definitely, the beach I have visited the most in recent years. It is in fact quite easy to reach from the area where we live, which is Lake Bracciano.
Santa Severa Beach is also the best beach in the coastal town of Santa Marinella.
The reasons for this primacy are first of all to be found in the clearness of the water, and then by the length of the beach. The beach has parts that are equipped with beach clubs and restaurants and others that are wilder and can be reached by a short walk.
The pride of the place is the ancient Santa Severa Castle, which dominates the profile of the beach and cannot be missed from your souvenir photos.
This article also discusses how to get to Santa Severa Beach and where to park.
Now let’s discover all the secrets of one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy near Rome.
7 Best things to do in Santa Severa Beach
Visit Spiaggia del Castello (Castle Beach)
Locals, for convenience, divide the beach in Santa Severa Italy into three beaches:
- the main public beach or “Spiaggia del Castello,”
- the part of the beach with the beach clubs
- Sabbie Nere Beach (Black Sand Beach, free).
It is interesting to see all three, they are set one after the other and you can visit them on the same day spent exploring Santa Severa Italy.
The most fascinating part of the beach is Spiaggia del Castello or Castle Beach, which is located in the middle of the other two beaches.
You can access the beach by walking or driving down Via del Castello, the road leading to the Santa Severa Castle. You may park your car at the paid parking lot right in front of the beautiful Santa Severa Castle, which dominates the beach.
Or you can park at the free (but tiny) parking lot near the restaurant Isola del Pescatore, a little further north, within walking distance from the beach.
The beach is named for the charming and ancient Santa Severa Castle, which outlines the profile of the beach, making it a perfect postcard landscape.
Locals spend entire days here, bringing along all the necessities as well as beach umbrellas. If you come here on summer weekends, you will find the beach full of colorful umbrellas, families, couples, and groups of friends. This is a very popular beach.
You’ll find a free restroom both at the restaurant Isola del Pescatore and in the courtyard of the castle (entrance to the castle is free, only some museums inside the castle charge a fee). The Isola del Pescatore is an established seafood restaurant that also offers sandwiches to-go, coffee, and drinks.
Relax at a beach club
The most relaxing thing to do at any beach near Rome is to spend the day at a beach club.
Within walking distance of Castle Beach, just past the restaurant Isola del Pescatore, the part of the beach featuring beach clubs begins, the first being Il Marinaio.
Come here if you want to sunbathe on comfortable beach beds and use changing rooms and showers. Renting two beach beds and an umbrella for the whole day costs about €15
Past the first beach clubs, there are also others. Take a walk along the beach to choose the one you like best.
Each of them also has a restaurant offering seafood dishes. The service and quality are quite equivalent.
Discover Black Sand Beach – Spiaggia Sabbie Nere
This very dark sandy beach is located just south of Castle Beach. It is also quieter and less crowded. There are no cafes or restaurants.
To reach it, take a path from Aurelia Street (Varco 54 – Sabbie Nere).
You can also reach it by going around the Castle (on the seaside, but that’s only for the adventurous).
Near the beach is an archaeological area of great importance but semi-abandoned. These are the bases of buildings belonging to the ancient Etruscan port city of Pyrgi.
If you visit Sabbie Nere Beach, I recommend that you bring everything you need to protect yourself from the sun. Temperatures here, including sand temperatures, are scorching in summer.
This beach borders a part of the beach reserved for naturists and is one of the hidden natural places to visit in Italy.
Visit Santa Severa Castle
A quick history of Santa Severa Castle
The Santa Severa Castle, along with the clean seawater, makes Santa Severa Beach one of the most beautiful beaches near Rome. The historical legacy of this monument is incredible.
Walking around the outer perimeter of the castle, one notices that the walls have the lower layer worked with massive polygonal blocks. These are so-called megalithic or cyclopean walls of difficult attribution but certainly from pre-Roman times. Other examples of such massive blocks can be found elsewhere in central Italy, such as in the town of Amelia.
The castle rose above the Etruscan settlement of Pirgy, which hosted a vital port.
The port city of Pirgy was founded in the 7th century BC by the Etruscans and included a sanctuary that has been the subject of excavations for more than 50 years. The coastal villages of Latium were conquered by the Romans one after another around the 3rd century BC. The castle proper was built in the 14th century and a village developed around it over the next two centuries.
In 1482 it came under the ownership of the Order of the Holy Spirit and remained there until 1980, when it became state property.
What to see in Santa Severa Castle
Entrance to the castle village is free. You can wander around the restored small courtyards and learn what the spaces were used for. Definitely get to the garden with the panoramic terrace overlooking the sea.
If you want you can visit the museums for a fee (€8 total). The Museum of Navigation is tiny and full of amphorae found on the seabed around the ancient port. The museum displays evidence and detailed explanations of the function of the port in antiquity and common sea routes. It may be of interest to navigation enthusiasts. A video documentary is shown in one of the museum rooms, but it is only in Italian.
Of more interest is the Antiquarium Museum, which houses important artifacts from the Etruscan era. Unfortunately, it has been closed for restoration for several years and there is no definite information on when it will reopen to the public.
The most important artifacts found near Santa Severa are now on display at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome.
Stay at Santa Severa Castle
In recent years, Santa Severa Castle has benefited from renovation funds that have flowed into the construction of a hostel. Inside the castle, there are 14 private rooms for different types of travelers (families, singles, couples). The rooms have names of Etruscan deities.
There are no dormitories present. Some rooms have breathtaking views of the sea. From all of them, you can hear the sound of the sea.
Prices are not cheap, but you have to book on the official website well in advance because the rooms are in high demand.
Santa Severa Castle is one of the most beautiful medieval castles near Rome. If you want to have a unique stay experience give it a thought!
Savor local dishes
A day spent at the beach stimulates the appetite. Santa Severa is a destination that can satisfy all your culinary cravings.
Starting with fish dishes. A stone’s throw from the castle, also on the beach, is the seafood trattoria Isola del Pescatore. The highlights are classic Italian seafood dishes:
- seafood salad
- mixed fried squid, shrimp, and small fish
- spaghetti with clams
Here, you will also find more basic sandwiches to eat under the beach umbrella and coffee.
A typical dish of this region is pinsa (not a typo, really pinsa and not pizza). The appearance is that of a pizza, but the substance is different. The dough is made with several kinds of farin and is much more digestible. You will find it both at the Bistro in the castle walls and at Cattive Compagnie. The latter is also a renowned pastry shop and is located in Piazza Roma, halfway between Via Aurelia and the beach.
If you’re traveling by car, it’s worth driving a few miles inland to enjoy the homemade cuisine at Zi Maria Restaurant and Wine Shop.
Explore Santa Severa’s surroundings
Santa Severa Beach is the crown jewel of this part of the coast. But it is not the only place worth visiting in the region.
In each direction, you will find, traveling for a short time, other beautiful places.
Starting with Lake Bracciano, one of the cleanest lakes in Lazio. In addition to taking long baths, the lake is overlooked by picturesque medieval villages such as Trevignano Romano.
A little further south is the coastal village of Cerveteri, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Etruscan necropolis.
Toward the north, however, interesting destinations include the scenic village of Tarquinia and Lake Bolsena.
How to get to Santa Severa Beach by train from Rome
Trenitalia trains to Santa Severa Rome leave every hour from Roma Termini. The first train leaves at 6:40 a.m. and the last at 11:20 p.m. The trip takes one hour.
The ticket costs €4.10 and you can buy it from the automatic machines at the station (remember to validate it before boarding the train!).
To get to the beach, walk 1.2 km from Santa Severa station to “Castle Beach.”
If you come from Civitavecchia or Santa Marinella, take a train to Santa Severa, the ticket costs €1.50.
From Rome to Santa Severa Beach by Car
The entire northern coastline of Rome runs along the ancient Aurelia consular road, which originates in the center of Rome and reaches as far as Genoa.
It is said that this road in the days of the Roman Empire was used to transport gold.
In contemporary times, it can cost you dearly to disregard the speed limit, which ranges from 50 to 90 km/h depending on the sections. Pay attention to the road signs indicating the speed limit and slow down when passing through residential areas.
Santa Severa Beach Parking
There are both free and paid parking lots very close to the beach. If you are traveling in the summer and want to find a convenient place for your car, arrive early in the morning. Especially on weekends, the beach is busy.
If you are traveling with children or the elderly, park in the paid parking lot facing Santa Severa Castle; it is the closest to the beach. A full day costs €4. There is also free parking near the beach cafeteria and restaurant “L’isola del Pescatore.”
There is also parking near the beautiful and wild Sabbie Nere Beach.
Wrap-up – Santa Severa Beach Rome
When you hear about the beautiful public Santa Marinella beach Italy, know that people commonly refer to Santa Severa Beach.
The beach is frequented mostly by locals and has some of the cleanest water in Lazio.
It can be visited either by a trip from Rome or by shore excursion from Civitavecchia.
There are two free beaches in Santa Severa, just north and south of Santa Severa Castle. But if you are not prepared to spend an entire day at the beach, fear not. In Santa Severa Italy, there are also plenty of beach clubs where you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas and stop for a meal. If you’d like a little action after your day at the beach, you can visit Santa Marinella, one of the prettiest beach towns near Rome.
Let me know your thoughts about Santa Severa Beach, the quiet beach to visit near Rome in every season.
