Orientation

It’s pretty difficult to miss the ruins when you arrive in Ostia Antica. Signs direct visitors to a pedestrian bridge and over a busy road to Viale dei Romagnoli, which runs in front of the ruins and into the small town nearby. Once part of the excavation site, the major (and ancient) road of Decumanus Maximus cuts through the length of the massive area. Within the town, Piazza Umberto I, a peaceful medieval square, is filled with restaurants, cafes, and essentials like the post office and a pharmacy. The 15th-century Castello di Julio II towers above.

Lido di Ostia, on the other hand, functions almost as a suburb of Rome. Via Ostiense, which comes from Rome, becomes Via del Mare in Lido proper. In fact, roads change names pretty frequently, but any road that begins with Lungomare, like the Lungomare Paolo Tuscanelli, runs alongside the beach. At regular intervals, near piazze, the sidewalk juts out into the sea, presumably to provide scenic views without forcing visitors to pay beach entry fees. Slightly inland, Piazzale della Posta is filled with shops and cafes for browsing beachgoers.