A Travel Guide to Lazio, Italy
Lazio is the region that contains Rome – the region’s and the country’s capital. Besides the capital it hosts a beautiful stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea, other wonderful historic sites, natural parks and mountains.
The Tyrrhenian Sea in Lazio has some beautiful white sanded beaches and marinas that enjoy Blue Flag status: the European award for eco-friendly beaches and marinas with high levels of cleanliness. Sperlonga and Anzio are the current forerunners. In Lazio, the temperatures start picking up in April and by the time August comes there are sizzling temperatures passing the thirties (°C). And not forgetting water sports such as sailing, yachting, surfing and water skiing and fishing.
It also has an historic port that was one of the first additions of the Roman Empire. The Port of Ostia was conquered by the Romans around 440 BC and due to mud that built up when the harbour silted after their Empire collapsed - it has preserved a great deal of the way the Romans lived. There are ruins of temples that once served their pagan gods as well as places of business – like the Square of the Guilds that housed the offices of ship owners and traders, a mill and an ancient mill. There are mosaics that depict the transport of business from the docks to other countries and also inform about events and represent respective merchants, tradesmen and vendors with services or goods for sale. There is also a Roman Necropolis which they used to retain ashes and those buried. There is also a museum that provides an insight to how the Romans lived when the port was thriving.
Lazio also has some beautiful national parks: the Circeo National Park; the Castelli Romani Regional Natural Park; the Regional Natural Park of Appia Antica and the Regional Natural Park of Bracciano-Martignano. Between them they offer Neanderthal remains, natural wildlife of interest to botanists and birdwatchers, historic architecture housing works of art and medieval fortifications, beautiful waterways including the largest volcanic lake in Europe and the beautiful scenic Garden of Ninfa. Between them they offer a host of outdoor activities such as biking, canoeing, climbing, hiking and horseback riding. There is also plenty of golf courses with their own distinct landscaped and natural scenery coupled with their unique challenging layouts. Let’s not forget that football is very popular in Lazio too with two top clubs – one named after its capital Rome and the other after its region Lazio that both play at the Olympic stadium that hosted the Summer Games in 1960.
When the seasons change from warm to cold the beautiful mountains become host to Lazio’s visitors. There are several ski resorts that are all well equipped with stair lifts, different challenge rated pistes and instruction for learners.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Lazio ranging from apartments in the capital, Rome and urban areas to chalets near the beach or lying in the scenic backdrop of the mountains.
