This content was automatically translated. View the original text.
Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park: trekking among Roman villas and split cliffs
The Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park stretches along the coast from Gaeta to Minturno. It brings together rocky headlands, protected marine reserves and a centuries-old history. Here nature takes centre stage, but the past is everywhere — from Roman ruins to medieval shrines.
In Gaeta, the sacred mountain
The promontory of Monte Orlando is the green heart of Gaeta. Walking among the maritime pines, visitors may come across the ancient Bourbon powder magazines and, at the summit, the perfectly preserved Mausoleum of Lucius Munatius Plancus. Yet the true symbol of the area is the Montagna Spaccata — a dramatic cleft in the rock plunging sheer into the sea, which legend connects to the moment of Christ's death.
In Sperlonga, the emperor's cave
Then there is Sperlonga. Here the protected area encompasses the famous Villa of Tiberius and its museum. The emperor had a summer dining room built inside a natural sea cave, which he adorned with colossal statues depicting the adventures of Ulysses. A truly unique place. Visitors can explore the museum and then make their way down to the grotto, imagining the ancient banquets once held there.
The park boasts a dense network of trails for hiking and cycling. Each protected area has its own access points and specific routes, ideal for exploring the coastline and its stories on foot.
