Long before Rome mattered, Ardea was the capital of the Rutuli, the people of Turnus, Aeneas's rival in Virgil's Aeneid. The old town still sits on its tufa outcrop a few kilometres inland. The coast below, Marina di Ardea and Tor San Lorenzo, is something else entirely: a sprawling strip of holiday homes, campsites and beach clubs along a long, straight shore of dark volcanic sand, between Ostia and Anzio.
Ardea has one surprise worth seeking out. The sculptor Giacomo Manzù lived here in his last decades, and the Manzù museum near the old town holds a large collection of his bronzes, including his famous cardinals. It is a quiet, well-kept place, rarely crowded.
The beach is long and open, and swimming is the main activity in summer. The sea shelves gently, the sand is warm, and the water is generally clean, though it can be murky after storms. Beach clubs rent umbrellas and loungers, while public sections are free. Watch for flags, rip currents and jellyfish in late summer. Early morning or evening is the best time for a swim, when the crowds have thinned.
The riding along this stretch is mostly flat and straight, with the coastal road running parallel to the sea through pine woods and holiday villages. In summer, weekend traffic can be very heavy, especially on Sunday evenings, as Romans head back to the city. Speed bumps and roundabouts slow progress in the towns.
A little further down the shore, Anzio and Nettuno were where the Allies came ashore in January 1944, beginning months of bitter fighting; the British and American war cemeteries are quiet, immaculate places worth a pause. Pumps, pizzerias and beach bars line the coast road, so practicalities take care of themselves.