Wild country
Between the city and the sea there is more protected land than anybody expects, and most of it is empty on a weekday.
44 things to book22 placesthe nearest is a 33 min drive from Rome
Lazio and the coast either side of it hold a run of reserves that would be famous if they were anywhere else. The lagoon at Orbetello has flamingos on it. The Circeo park has the last of the coastal dune forest that once ran the length of this shore. The Tiber and the Farfa meet in a wetland an hour north of Rome that you can cross by boat.
Inland it goes up instead of flat: the Simbruini, which are beech and cold water, the Lepini, which are limestone and empty, and the high country behind Rieti where the mountains actually start.
Nearly all of it is walkable, most of it is free to enter, and the wildlife guides who work these places are the sort of people who can tell you what you just heard. Go early; go outside July and August if you can.
The wetlands are the part that surprises people, because nothing about Rome suggests them. There is marsh at the mouth of the Tiber with hides on it, a reserve where the Farfa joins the river that you cross on an electric boat through the reeds, a sulphur-spring reserve on the coast at Tor Caldara, and a lagoon two hours north-west with flamingos standing in it. All four are quiet on a weekday and none of them are on anybody's list.
Go with a guide for wildlife and go alone for walking, because those are two different days. Several of the walks here are run by licensed naturalists — a category that means something in Italy — and the card says when that is the case. The difference between crossing a marsh and being shown one is the difference between an hour outdoors and a morning you remember.
Timing, honestly. Go for birds in spring and in winter, when the migrations pass and the lagoons fill; go for the woods in October, when they turn. July and August on the coastal reserves are hot, exposed and busy with the beach traffic — go inland and up instead, into the beech forest east of the city, which is ten degrees cooler and where the springs come out of the mountain.
Guided walks, birdwatching hides, boats through the reeds. Several are run by the reserve itself rather than by a tour company.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
On the trailGuided outings inside the Maremma regional park led by nature guides certified by the Region of Tuscany, on foot, on horseback, by carriage, by canoe or by bicycle.
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On the trailA WWF-run reserve of meadows and Mediterranean woodland near Fregene, in the Fiumicino municipality.
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On the trailA wetland managed by WWF near Maccarese, used as a stopover and wintering ground by many bird species: ducks in winter, herons, kingfisher, marsh harrier, and osprey in autumn.
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On the trailA ring walk in the Monte Catillo nature reserve, the balcony over the Aniene valley, on sunny limestone ridges and shaded oak paths with views over Villa d'Este and the waterfal…
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On the waterA boat trip on the Tiber inside the Nazzano Tevere-Farfa nature reserve, on two 23-seat electric boats named Airone and Martin Pescatore.
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On the trailThe reserve keeps observation hides and towers along the river.
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On the trailGuided group walk in the hundred-hectare re-naturalised wetland next to the Garden of Ninfa, led by naturalist guides of LIPU, the Italian bird protection league.
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On the waterA small water park on the edge of Latina, built around children: slides, a spray park, a shallow lagoon and shaded lawns for the adults.
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On the trailGuided excursion in a thousand-hectare reserve to an abandoned medieval settlement with a church and fountain designed by Bernini, past sulphur vents and small waterfalls.
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On the trailA 44-hectare coastal reserve between Anzio and Lavinio, known for its sulphur emissions and yellow sulphur deposits along the rocky shore.
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On the trailGuided walks in the Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia regional nature reserve, the mountains that enclose Lake Turano and Lake Salto, offered by the same operator that runs the lake …
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On the trailOne of the largest WWF reserves in Italy, 900 hectares of freshwater marsh, reedbed and riverine wood on the Tiber between Umbria and Lazio, and an Important Bird Area.
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On two wheelsA mostly flat 10 km ride inside the Lago di Vico nature reserve with an environmental guide, with a 20-30 minute stop at an observation hide in the marsh area and an introductio…
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On the trailThe visitor centre of the Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile reserve is the trailhead for the path to Lago Lungo, where hides let visitors watch and hear water birds.
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On two wheelsA guided e-bike ride of 38 km declared, lasting 5 to 6 hours, from Orbetello.
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On two wheelsA guided e-bike ride of 32 km declared, lasting 3 to 4 hours, starting from Orbetello.
See the dayThe Circeo, Sabaudia and the Maremma. Flat, wide, and completely different from the hill country everybody else goes to.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
On the waterForty-five minutes from Piramide by train, then you take the helm off Ostia.
€45 per person
Books on barcadicarta.it
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On the waterForty caves along the Circeo promontory, twelve aboard, two hours and a quarter.
€40 per person
Books on ilovecharter.it
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With your handsBe there for the 8:30 milking and the 9:00 curd: the timetable is the tour.
€15 per person
Books on agricolacirce.it
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On horsebackThree to four hours in the saddle for experienced riders: from the ranch through pinewood and forest out to the beach at Ostia, Rome's own coast, where the ride stops at a beach…
A sports club — you join them for the day
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On two wheelsA guided ride of about 25 km on a semi-loop from Camping Europing in Tarquinia to Montalto di Castro, crossing the seasonal Arrone stream and taking in the old town of Montalto …
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With your handsGuided visit of the cellar at Le Ferriere with a tasting of the vintages available, in Italian or, on request, in English, French or German.
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With your handsAbout an hour and a half: a tour of the estate, then a sommelier leads a tasting of five of the winery's labels paired with local food, a hand-made tarallo, sheep's milk caciott…
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In the airA tandem parachute jump from 4,200 metres over Monte Argentario, its lagoon and the Maremma beaches, harnessed to an instructor who flies the whole descent.
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On horsebackA riding school on Via Portuense at Fiumicino, running for over forty years, with an indoor and an outdoor arena.
A sports club — you join them for the day
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On the waterA kitesurf school working several spots on the Roman coast, with a base at Fregene.
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On the waterA kitesurf school working the Fregene, Focene, Maccarese and Passoscuro spots north of Rome.
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With your handsAbout two hours led by the brewer or one of the partners: a walk through the hop rows and the fields, the brewery itself, and a guided tasting of three beers chosen on the day a…
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On the trailA half-day guided visit to the Monterozzi necropolis, a UNESCO site, and to the National Archaeological Museum in the old town.
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On the trailGuided visit of about an hour and three quarters to the Monterozzi necropolis, a UNESCO site with roughly two hundred painted chambers spanning the seventh to the first century …
See the dayBeech forest, high pasture and the springs the rivers come out of. An hour and a bit east, and ten degrees cooler in August.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
On the trailA long but not difficult ring hike starting from the small settlement of Campaegli and reaching the summit of Monte Autore.
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On the trailA visit to the monastery of San Benedetto, built against the rock face above the Aniene valley, where Benedict lived as a hermit.
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On the trailA botanical garden at Collepardo that gathers the wild plants of the Ernici mountains, including rare species kept from extinction.
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On the trailA ring hike from the Serra Sant'Antonio pass above Filettino to the summit of Monte Viglio, the highest peak of the Monti Cantari at the eastern edge of the Simbruini park.
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On the trailVisit to the medieval fortress that dominates the hill town of Sermoneta, run by the same foundation that owns the Garden of Ninfa.
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On the trailA ring hike starting at the car park of the Santissima Trinità sanctuary above Vallepietra, along the Alta Via del Parco and part of the Frassati path, crossing the karst depres…
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On the trailClimbing on an indoor artificial wall with routes for every level and an instructor always present.
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On the trailA slow, guided sensory walk in the beech forest of the Simbruini, led by a certified forest bathing guide.
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On the trailGuided snowshoe outings on off-trail routes in the Simbruini, with TSL snowshoes and winter Nordic walking poles included in the price, sanitised after each use.
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On the trailGuided snowshoe walks in the snow-covered woods of the Monti Simbruini, on routes of different difficulty from beginner outings on packed snow to longer hikes.
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On the trailGuided walks in the Monti Simbruini regional park led by certified AIGAE guides, from gentle walks to demanding summit hikes.
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On the trailA guide company based in Subiaco that runs tours of the Benedictine monasteries, the Rocca Abbaziale, the old town and the convent of San Francesco.
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On the trailA day hike through open landscapes, old beech forest and wide karst plateaus to the summit of Monte Autore, the third highest peak of the massif.
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On the trailCross-country skiing lessons on the FISI-approved loops at Monte Livata and on the touring route linking Campo dell'Osso to Monna dell'Orso.
See the dayDriving time from the middle of Rome, on the road network and without traffic. It tells you whether the day stands up; it is not a timetable.
Getting there
The day stays yours: you leave when you want, stop where you want, and come back when the light goes.
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See prices on LocalrentNo parking to find, no wrong turns, and you leave when the day is done.
Affiliate link — you pay their price, never more, and they pay us. You book with Welcome Pickups, and anything about that booking goes through them.
See prices on Welcome PickupsThe Orbetello lagoon, about two hours north-west on the Tuscan coast, is the reliable one. Closer in, the Maccarese ponds and the Tiber-Farfa reserve are good for birds without the drive.
Many are open access, and the guided walks and boats are what you pay for. Where we have not verified a price the card says so and points you at the reserve.
For wildlife, yes — the difference between walking through a wetland and being shown one is enormous. Several of the guides here are licensed naturalists and the card says when that is the case.
Spring for birds and flowers, autumn for the woods, winter for the lagoons. Midsummer is the one to avoid on the coast, both for heat and for company.
The Tevere-Farfa reserve an hour north, which has hides and an electric boat through the reeds; the Macchiagrande oasis and the Maccarese ponds on the coast west of the city; the Pantanello park on the Pontine plain; and, two hours north-west, the Orbetello lagoon, which is where the flamingos are.
The Circeo is the national park within easy reach — it runs down the coast south of the city and holds the last of the dune forest. The Maremma, up on the Tuscan coast, is a regional park and the other big one. Behind Rome there are the Simbruini and the Monti Lucretili regional parks, which are beech forest and high pasture.
Many are open access and free to walk into. What you pay for is the guided walk, the boat or the hide. Where we have not verified a price the card says so and sends you to whoever runs the reserve rather than guessing.
Birds reliably — herons, waders, raptors over the hills, flamingos at Orbetello. Long-horned Maremmana cattle and half-wild horses in the Maremma park and the Tolfa hills. Wild boar and deer are present everywhere and seen mostly at dawn, which is another argument for going early.
The hides and the boat trips are, because there is something to look for and a reason to be quiet. A long walk in an open reserve in the middle of the day is not. Where an operator sets a minimum age it is on the card.
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