The beach just below Sperlonga, on the left as you face the sea, is called the Spiaggia di Levante.
That’s where we were headed next.
A meandering path led us out of the labyrinth of shaded alleys and into the sunshine.
A sun-dappled spot on the way down. Notice the green door?
Out here in the sun, the flowers were abundant.
I can only imagine how beautiful Anngelica’s garden was.
The beach was as lovely at eye level as it had been from above. Its designation as a Bandiera Blu beach was truly merited. Since 1998, the beaches of Sperlonga have been awarded the European Blue Flag, signifying unspoiled sand and pristine clean water, along with naturally preserved marine flora and fauna.
From the beach we had a clear view of the Truglia Tower that sits at the base of Sperlonga. Once serving to protect Sperlonga against attack by sea, it is one of the many lookout towers that dot the entire Tyrrhenian coast.
The Truglia Tower.
First built in 1532 (with a couple of redo’s after destruction by invaders), the Truglia Tower rests on the remains of a much older Roman lookout tower. Today, it is a marvelous piece of architecture.
But our route was taking us in the opposite direction — we were aiming for a point in the distance: Tiberius’ grotto.
We had a ways to go before we reached the grotto. But what a lovely walk!
I could barely discern the grotto at the far end of the beach where it started to make a curve, a darkened shadow against the rocky promontory that jutted out into the sea. Between the grotto and us was a long stretch of velvety, golden sand.
No doubt you have to fight for one of these chairs during summer.
Further down, we passed a boat resting on the sand. Lido Rocco — Rocco Beach — was painted on its side. I’m not sure why since we were still on Levante Beach. Regardless, I liked it for the fact that one of our two dachshunds is named Rocco. (Sperlonga’s mayor is also a Rocco. Maybe it was his boat.)
As we moseyed our way along the sand, a water bomber entertained us off shore, making practice runs. Zooming down to the water’s surface, it skimmed along, scooping up a tankful, then took off again.
Partway into the air, the plane released its load back into the sea, then returned for another round. We were fascinated.
Can you believe that sky?
Contrasting against the blue, the rich greenery at the edge of the sand seemed almost tropical.
We came upon an intriguing collection of flags:
U.S.A., Italia, Europe (from what I can tell), and Serbia/Montenegro
Before we knew it, we had reached the far side of the beach. Tiberius’ grotto was just ahead.
Look how far we’ve come. You can see the Truglia Tower on the far left. That’s Sperlonga on the hill.
But how to get in? A high, metal fence ran around the entire perimeter of the grotto and surrounding ruins, including the side facing the sea. A couple of people were poking around inside so we knew there had to be a way.
Off to the left, I noticed a small dirt road that led away from the beach. Surely that was the way.
Gino decided he wanted to stay on the beach and swim. I’ll choose ancient ruins over water any day, so I struck off down the little road. Tossing a glance back, I could see him sitting on the sand, already removing his shoes, most likely anticipating a refreshing dip in that delicious-looking water.
A few feet down the road, I came upon a small sign indicating this way to the museum. No doubt that’s where I’d also find the entrance to Tiberius’ grotto.
Melinda Trips 2012: Greece and Italy 