I had arranged for a car service to pick us up in Castel Gandolfo, and take us to our next destination, Sperlonga.  I did that because it was the quickest way to get there, without having a car of one’s own.  If you do have your own auto, or choose to hire a taxi, the drive will take you approximately ninety minutes.  By train, one has to return to Roma, then catch another train to Sperlonga, which makes your travel time closer to three hours.  We chose the quickest way possible for us — a car with a driver!  We arrived in Sperlonga, an hour and a half later, stress-free, and ready to go!As we usually did, we rented an apartment right on the beach, for our stay in Sperlonga.  But, the place was not really suitable to be hosting guests, and we quickly booked a room at the lovely Albergo Marconi, located right at the edge of the Historic Center of town.  The Albergo Marconi is a family-run establishment.  The rooms are a nice size, and ours had a lovely view of the sea!  It was also a perfect location for exploring the town, on foot.   The weather on our first day in Sperlonga was a mixture of sun and clouds, with the clouds dominating the day.  Still, we had a lovely time, discovering this new place!  The Gelateria Dolce Gelato has delicious gelati!  It was also only steps away from our hotel, which made me a very happy man!The Historic Center, or Old Town, of Sperlonga rises up on the end of Monti Aurunci.  Most of the beach, and seaside establishments, are located in the newer section of the city, below, at sea level.  The large piazza/parking lot, that is Piazza Fontana, is the center of life, for the lower section, or newer part of town.  Surrounding the square are restaurants, pizzerias, gelaterias, hotels, etc.  Steps at the eastern edge of the piazza lead down to another, lower section of the square, finally ending on the beach.This being the end of October, it was off-season for tourists.  This meant that it was basically the two of us, and the locals.  It was wonderful!Sperlonga is a popular summertime getaway for Romans who don’t mind the two-hour drive.  The beaches here are wide, sandy, and clean.  Not only is Sperlonga listed as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, but it is also included in the International List of Cittaslow — cities with very high quality of life, for their inhabitants.  It is very obvious why the town has made its way onto both lists, especially as one begins to climb the road to the old Historic Center. 

Next up: exploring more of the Centro Storico of Sperlonga!

Note: this blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please check out our archives for more on other Italian destinations, such as Palermo, Otranto, Bari, Roma, and Milano.  Grazie!