Camping Gianola

The Riviera di Ulisse Natural Park covers the entire southern coast of Lazio and is well worth a few days' exploring. Start off with a trip to ancient Villa Mamurra a few minutes' drive or about 20 minutes' walk, to get an idea of what holidaying Romans got up to, then drive 35 minutes to Sperlonga and the outstanding spot Tiberius picked for his villa (complete with the sea cave he kept his sculptures in). Other recommendations include Gaeta (30 minutes), with its old centre and a few dozen historic churches (if not quite the hundred they claim); the finest must be Santuario della Santissima Trinita on the famous Montagna Spaccata, a mountain allegedly split in three by an earthquake at the moment Christ died. Also in town, take the steep stairs down to Grotta del Turco, a stupendous vaulted sea cave where Saracen pirates lurked in the ninth century. For maritime adventures of your own, Gaeta is a centre for watersports and boat hire. Hikers and mountain bikers are well catered for in the Natural Park of Monti Aurunci (50 minutes' drive), a protected area of biodiverse habitats for wildlife, birds and insects. The scenery is just as varied: peaks and oak forests leading down to a coast studded with wild promontories and hidden caves. Ferries leave Formia (15 minutes drive) for the islands of Ponza and Ventotene, quiet havens of wildlife with welcoming beaches and ancient ruins. Further afield, Naples is within an hour and a half.