Italy’s Best Kept Coastal Secret Uncovered

Stretching about 46.5 miles from Monte Circeo to Gaeta, the Ulysses Riviera derives its name from the hero of The Odyssey, a nod to the area’s long‑standing mythic connections.

Archaeology and ancient myth

The coastal line is anchored by the Villa of Tiberius, where an archaeological museum displays a massive statue of Polyphemus, the one‑eyed cyclops from the epic. The statue, discovered in 1957 during the construction of the Via Flacca, once stood in a grotto where the Roman emperor entertained guests. Nearby, the ruins of the villa and its mountain‑side grotto overlook the sea, offering a tangible link to the stories of Polyphemus, Scylla, and Charybdis that Roman visitors associated with the coast.

Related: Setomaa Preserves Heritage Near Russian Border

Local tradition places Circe’s island, Aeaea, either on the offshore isle of Ponza or on Monte Circeo itself. The latter’s marshy wetlands may have once made it appear island‑like, reinforcing the legend.

Modern appeal for Roman holiday‑makers

Romans have flocked to the stretch since antiquity, but the Riviera retains a distinct charm for contemporary travelers. The author, who first heard of Sperlonga from a Roman landlord, later visited the town on a day trip and eventually returned for longer stays after moving back from New York. A weekend at the Hotel Chiaia di Luna on Ponza revealed scenery reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast in the 1950s: rocky outcrops, turquoise water, family‑run eateries serving spaghetti with clams, and pastel‑colored buildings framing the harbor.

Repeated summer visits have taken the author to different towns each year. In Gaeta, local shop owners Daria Reina and Andrea Ferolla suggested a beach club accessed via a steep descent from Via Flacca. The club’s orange‑and‑yellow umbrellas dot golden sand, and the water displays a striking shade of aquamarine. Nearby, at Papardò beach club, friends shared tiella—a savory pie filled with octopus and tomato or escarole and olives—while the medieval quarter’s narrow lanes displayed laundry hanging from balconies and modest shrines to the Virgin Mary.

Related: Mango Festival Delights in Nevis

Despite growing tourism, the area has changed more slowly than nearby hotspots such as Positano or Capri. Recent radio commentary noted rising prices on Ponza, and a fisherman’s cooperative in Terracina expanded, prompting a patron to lament a loss of authenticity. Yet the absence of large luxury resorts keeps the Riviera feeling “comfortably behind the times,” according to the author.

During a recent summer visit to Sperlonga, the white‑washed hill town featured murals depicting scenes from The Odyssey. An arch framing a mural of Ulysses’s ship overlooked the golden sand beach below, creating a sense of well‑being that continues to draw Romans to these shores.