What is the beach like? Is the water polluted so close to Rome. Does it have charm or does it just feel like a big port for cruise ships? We where thinking of staying for three reasons, close to airport, the ruins, a day on the beach for two teenage girls.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23650 posts
Just to be clear. Ostia Antica is the old city port for Rome that is a national park of semi restored/recovered buildings. Some compare it to Pompeii. There is no beach there. The beach area is in Ostia which is a few miles beyond Ostia Antica and, I think, it is called Ostia Lido (beach). That beach area is popular with the locals. I don't think any cruise ships dock there. Most cruises ships dock at Civitavecchia which is some distance to the NW.
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
Ostia Lido is Rome's beach town, long beach long blvd lots of people. Ostia Lido is all over YouTube
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
We spent a night there this past May and enjoyed it. The beach is great. All sand. We also thought it would be great place to bring teenagers, because there are so many others. Lots of nightlife. Here are some Ostia video clips and photos that we took. It's very popular with Italians, and we heard hardly any English at all. It's called variously Ostia Lido or Lido di Ostia. Ostia Antica was the ancient port city for Rome, back when it was on the water. The area has silted up over the last 2000 years, leading to the abandonment of Ostia Antica. Hence the ruins. Google Maps shows you the layout.
Posted by
Louisville, KY, USA
257 posts
There is also a nude beach in the area, if that's your preference.
Posted by
OP
portland, oregon, USA
148 posts
What is the best form of transporation to get from the beach town ( Lido Antica ) to the the ruins ( Antica Ostia ).
Posted by
Catadupa Alamere, CA
515 posts
FYI in Italian "lido" means "beach" so "Ostia Lido" or "Lido di Ostia" means more or less "Ostia Beach". "Antico/a" means "ancient" (similar to "antique") so "Ostia Antica" means "Ancient Ostia". I have no clue what "ostia" means but maybe it comes from the Latin word for oysters. I guarantee that noone at the beach will spring a pop quiz.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
The train is the simplest way to get between Ostia Lido and Ostia Antica (might also be called Ostia Scavi).