Starting from
Saint Augustine (an area situated approximately 10 kilometers from Civitavecchia, down the coast road towards Tarquinia), a striking feature is the almost two kilometers of sandy beach: thanks to this feature, even with the presence of numerous bathers, especially in the high season, all find sufficient space to meet even the most varied needs (
from playing football to organizing tournaments, as well as volley ball or beach volley, or just lay down on comfortable beach beds or on the sand).
For those who want to enjoy the sun and the sea far away from crowded beaches, the last beaches that appear in the direction of Tarquinia are an excellent solution; in fact, since there are no bathing establishments, these are "uncontaminated" and offer a beautiful and very suggestive scenery, where it is possible to witness a very suggestive sundown. Furthermore, almost the entire Saint Augustine coastline possesses a characteristic which is worthwhile mentioning: since the water is particularly shallow, it is possible to walk various meters out to sea (from the shore to 50 meters out to sea, the water level never exceeds one meter in height), so that even less expert swimmers can take a relaxing dip without danger..
Behind the Saint Augustine area, there is approximately 6 kilometers of
reef coastline which terminates at the extreme end of the Port of Civitavecchia (the Mattonara area) called "
La Frasca". This is without doubt the most
suggestive coast of Civitavecchia, formed by a scale-like rocky expanse which, incessantly carved by the tides, forms a series of inlets and bays where mostly children enjoy fishing for numerous reef animals (crabs, prawns, eelpouts, small mullets, burdocks, rock fish, hermit crabs, etc.) that populate the water holes located here and there in the area.
In this regard, the
ancient Roman fisheries that are found in this area, mostly near the Mattonara, are even more suggestive: one can still see the walls that surround the tubs that graze the surface of the water and which, still today, are used for the purpose for which they were built, ensuring a continuous change of water through communicating channels. It is here in these tubs, more than in the bays and inlets, that visitors can view an incredible variety of sea flora and fauna and, in particular one see the incredible
poseidons appear where the current created by the channels is strongest.
"La Frasca" is ideal for
scuba diving, with its beautiful seabed which, thanks to its rock nature, forms a perfect natural habitat for the numerous species of fish, shell fish and crayfish.
Lastly, one must note the beautiful
pine forest that dominates the coastal hinterland as well as the efficient camping facilities it houses, which is an important contribution to the ever increasing flow of tourists which each Summer confirm the attractiveness of this location.
Leaving behind, for obvious reasons, the port area of Civitavecchia one reaches the "Pirgo", a recently discovered beach area that spreads out right in front of some of the most beautiful buildings in Civitavecchia. From the moment the beach area was built and fitted out, the "Pirgo" became a huge success, with numerous visitors, both in the day time and at night, and not just for its pebble beach but also for the
extraordinary square that emerges from the center of the sea and that can be reached by a marvelously built
wharf that begins at the beach itself. The architectonic feature of this square, its wonderful lighting and the innumerous shows of various types that animate the summer nights, make Pirgo one of the neuralgic points of the
Civitavecchia Summer.
Continuing down towards Rome, parallel to the Aurelia, there is a coastal area called "
Ideale" (or Ideal) where there are mainly
pebble beaches, and the particularly high waves that form on this shore at high tide encourage a fair amount of
surfing activity.
The area of
Marangone, that follows Ideal and has its own characteristics, closes the wide coastal stretch of Civitavecchia.