Roman Coastaline State Nature Reserve

With an extension of almost 16,000 hectares, between the Marina di Palidoro, in the Fiumicino area, and the beach of Capocotta, in the Rome municipal area, the Roman Coastline State Nature Reserve represents an area of great natural and cultural interest.

The environment boasts many different Mediterranean shrub species - pine forests, mixed woodland, dune vegetation and river environments – together with large cultivated areas and important historical and archaeological sites, precious evidence of ancient civilisations and the link with the Tiber River and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Reserve is also home to an Environmental Education Centre which organises, among other activities, educational initiatives for adults and children on the themes of sustainability and ecology.

Many are the attractions and sites worth visiting inside the Reserve, including:

• The Castel Fusano Pinewood, a green and thick pine forest which can be easily reached by the train to Ostia (departure from Piramide and EUR Magliana), Castel Fusano and Cristoforo Colombo stops. From here numerous itineraries enable visitors to explore the cool pine forest, on foot or by bicycle. Also inside the area is the Chigi Castle, whose medieval structure was modified over the centuries assuming an original eclectic style, and cannot be visited inside as it is inhabited by its owners.
  
  
• Among the itineraries is the short but beautiful Via Severiana: a 9 km walk along the route of an ancient Roman road which once linked Ostia to Terracina. Conceived to transport lime from the Lepini mountains, it became a strategic artery for the development of trade to the south and was studded with the residences of nobles and emperors. From the Castel Fusano railway station, it is easy to follow the clearly visible remains of the road which extends as far as the boundaries of the Castel Porziano Presidential Reserve. The return journey follows the same route.
  
  
• The Dunes of Castelporziano and Capocotta, which extend for about 7 kilometres along the southern boundary of the Reserve, constitute a delicate and rare ecosystem characterised by coastal dunes, various animal species and typical vegetation, a major function of which is to protect the dunes. Acknowledged as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) and Special Protection Area (SPA), the dunes are fascinating to experience in every season, but it is in spring that the landscape becomes extraordinary: the beach is covered in colourful flowers and offers unexpected views.
  
  
• The Mediterranean Habitat Centre in Ostia, managed by the LIPU (Italian League for the Protection of Birds), is a protected nature reserve featuring a 20-hectare lagoon.