On the water
Six volcanic lakes and a hundred kilometres of coast, and the nearest of them is half an hour from the middle of Rome.
60 things to book26 placesthe nearest is in Rome itself
Lakes first, because they surprise people: Bracciano has no motorboats on it at all, which makes it one of the quietest sailing and paddling waters in central Italy for something this close to a capital city. Albano and Nemi are small and deep and ringed by towns; Bolsena is big enough to have islands.
Then the sea — sailing, sea kayaking, boat days out to the caves along the southern coast, and the two islands. Everything here comes with the kit and somebody who knows the water.
Close enough that the drive is not the day.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
On the waterA day out under sail from the Porto Turistico di Roma at Ostia.
See the day
On the waterA sailing base on the Lake Bracciano shore at Polline, inside the regional park, with its own beach.
See the day
On the waterA surf school at Ostia Lido with programmes for children, teenagers and adults, a summer surf camp and an adaptive surfing programme.
See the day
On the waterA CONI-accredited water sports school on the Ostia seafront, at the VLounge beach club.
See the day
On the waterNinety minutes on a wakeboard on the Tiber, without leaving Rome.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterA kitesurf school working several spots on the Roman coast, with a base at Fregene.
See the day
On the waterA kitesurf school at Fregene running three levels of course: beginner, intermediate and advanced, each covering specific manoeuvres and safety technique.
See the day
On the waterA kitesurf school working the Fregene, Focene, Maccarese and Passoscuro spots north of Rome.
See the day
On the waterFour guided outings from the beach club on Lake Albano, all the same length and the same price: on a paddleboard along the Francigena shore, aboard the club's sailing boat, on f…
See the day
On the waterKayak rental on Lake Albano below Castel Gandolfo.
See the day
On the waterAn SSI diving school based at Frascati that organises guided dives on the coast north and south of Rome, including Santa Marinella and Tor Paterno, plus try-dive sessions, cours…
See the day
On the waterTrendingThree hours paddling across Lake Albano, gear included, children from six up.
€42.40 per person
Books on ckacademy.it
See the dayOut after breakfast, back with the evening still yours.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
On the waterGuests sit on a floating platform out on Lake Nemi and are served by staff.
See the day
On the waterAn hour on Lake Nemi on a stand-up paddleboard with a federal instructor, board and gear included.
See the day
On the waterA course of four lessons on the lake, board and wing included, with the club that runs them.
€400 per booking
Books on Sporting Club Sabazia
See the day
On the waterA guided canoe outing along the shores of Lake Martignano, run inside the regional park programme of naturalistic events.
See the day
On the waterNinety minutes on Lake Bracciano with an instructor: board, paddle, dry bag.
€15 per person
Books on Sporting Club Sabazia
See the day
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.
See the day
On the waterA water sports centre on the Bracciano lakefront, affiliated to the Italian Sailing Federation.
See the day
On the waterA sailing centre on the Bracciano lakefront with courses for children aged 6 to 16 in camp or daily format, an adult sailing school, and canoe and kayak courses.
See the day
On the waterScheduled navigation on Lake Bracciano linking the three lakeside towns of Bracciano, Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano Romano.
See the day
On the waterWalk in from the lakeshore into a volcanic lake: shelving bottom, no current.
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterRental base on Lake Bracciano with single and double kayaks, stand up paddle boards, rowing boats, pedalos, electric motor boats, water bikes, Hobie Cat 16 catamarans, Laser and…
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterA nautical base on Lake Bracciano running sailing and windsurf courses for children aged 7 to 17 and for adults, in five-day full immersion camps or single days from Monday to F…
See the dayCommit to one of these rather than two.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
On the waterIt runs on wind: a kite, a board and a beach among the Tarquinia dunes.
Booked by phone
See the day
On the waterDay trips by boat leaving the Nettuno marina and the Anzio harbour.
See the day
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.
See the day
On the waterA full day out from Anzio: fast ferry across to Ponza, then about six hours in a boat around the island with several swimming and snorkelling stops, past the Grotte di Pilato, C…
See the day
On the waterDives on the Anzio and Nettuno stretch of coast, organised by level: Secchitella, Panettoni and Grotticelle for beginners, Giardini del Faro and Taglio di Ponente for experience…
See the day
On the waterA guided outing in six-seat Canadian canoes to reach the hidden corners of Lake Turano.
See the day
On the waterA tour of Lake Turano aboard the electric boat Thiora, which carries up to fourteen people.
See the day
On the waterSingle and double kayaks on Lake Turano at Castel di Tora, supplied with paddles and buoyancy aids.
See the day
On the waterCanoe and stand-up paddle sessions run from the Avventuristicando centre at Colle San Mauro in Rieti, with instruction in the basic technique.
See the day
On the waterHourly kayak and mountain bike hire at the Green Adventure centre on Lake Vico in Caprarola, with an instructor available for kayak outings.
See the day
On the waterA two-hour kayak outing on Lake Vico starting at 09:30 from the Centro Outdoor & Kayak Alchimia at località Scardenato.
See the day
On the waterA three-hour kayak session on Lake Vico run by the Centro Outdoor & Kayak Alchimia, inside the Lago di Vico nature reserve.
See the dayA full day, out and back, and worth the drive.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
On the waterA boat leaves the marina of San Felice Circeo and goes right around the Circeo headland, passing its caves, beaches and coves.
See the day
On the waterDay trips out to the Pontine islands to dive Ponza, Palmarola and Zannone, including the wreck at Punta Papa.
See the day
On the waterThe centre dives the eleven kilometres of coast between Torre Fico and Terracina, on rock formations and posidonia meadows.
See the day
On the waterA guided paddle on the Tirino in stable sit-on-top canoes that do not capsize, inside the Gran Sasso national park.
See the day
On the waterThe boat leaves the port of Terracina at 7:00 and comes back at 17:00.
See the day
On the waterA guided paddle on the Tirino, a spring-fed river inside the Gran Sasso national park whose water is clear enough to see the bottom the whole way.
See the day
On the waterForty caves along the Circeo promontory, twelve aboard, two hours and a quarter.
€40 per person
Books on ilovecharter.it
See the day
On the waterA day spent aboard a working fishing boat out of Porto Badino, with coastal exploration, tasting of the catch cooked in the traditional way, sport fishing and swimming in places…
See the day
On the waterKitesurf course for people who have never flown a kite, run on the beach at km 106 of the Pontina road.
See the day
On the waterStand-up paddle lessons and board hire on the Terracina shore, on flat water or in the waves.
See the day
On the waterWindsurf tuition on the Terracina shore, from first-timers to experienced sailors, with personal lessons available.
See the day
On the waterA first scuba dive for people with no certification, run by a diving instructor.
See the dayThe islands, and the few places whose position we have not pinned down yet.
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
See the day
On the waterCast off at 9:30 for the Blue Grotto of the Dolls, snorkel kit on board.
€60 per person
Books on Gaeta Escursioni
See the day
On the waterAn hour and a half out of the harbour to the Grotta Azzurra, with a swim stop.
Books on Sperlonga Escursioni
See the day
On the waterNo boat: a cable tows you across, and one hour on it is enough to find out.
€25 their price
A sports club — you join them for the day
See the day
On the waterA canoe trip starting at the springs of the Cavata river below the medieval town of Sermoneta, paddling five kilometres along the edge of the Monticchio spring-water nature monu…
See the day
On the waterEvening boat trip leaving at 18:00 and returning at 21:00, with an aperitivo on board.
See the day
On the waterThe boat leaves Le Forna at about 10:45 and follows the coast past the Grotte di Pilato, Chiaia di Luna, Capo Bianco, Lucia Rosa and Cala Feola, with four swimming stops.
See the day
On the waterShort boat trip along the sea caves of Ponza sold by the island's travel agency.
See the day
On the waterA lakeside beach club on Lake Albano at Castel Gandolfo.
See the day
On the waterA cable wakeboard park on a flat-water lake near Rome, with a six-pole 320 metre Sesitec system, four carriers and eight obstacles.
See the day
On the waterA beach club on Lake Bracciano that rents dinghies, catamarans, canoes, stand up paddle boards, windsurf and wingfoil gear by the hour, and runs individual lessons and structure…
See the day
On the waterWindsurf courses at beginner, intermediate and advanced level at the Banzai beach club on the Aurelia at Santa Marinella.
See the dayEverything in this family that is not pictured above, nearest first. Same catalogue, same operators — only without the photograph.
Driving 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.
Ponza is an island: you get there by ferry, not by road, so there is no driving time to give.
Getting there
The day stays yours: you leave when you want, stop where you want, and come back when the light goes.
Affiliate link — you pay their price, never more, and they pay us. You book with Localrent, and anything about that booking goes through them.
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 PickupsLinks marked affiliate pay us a commission — you pay the operator's own price and we never take your money. How we rank