Italian seashore and beaches are different from their Californian or NorCal counterparts in that…read morethey are developed, equipped with recliner beds under the sun umbrellas, cantinas and bars serving cocktails and beers... Bagni Vittoria (Italian for Beach Vittoria), on Lido di Ostia seashore, same as Victoria Beach Bar, a bar on the beach, offers lounging on the sand on recliner beds under the sun umbrellas, with a cocktail or a beer; or listen to the music while seating on the patio furniture on the deck... Relaxing suntanning or romantic evening with the music, it's your choice!

We went for the day and rented a bad. This place is beautiful and is mostly filled with members but…read morethey all guest. The steak was ok but was not cooked the way I requested it. The menu was entirely in Italian and the wait staff couldn't translate (I couldn't use google because the WiFi was not working) i must visit if you are near by.

This morning, we decided to take a break from the city and go to Ostia beach…read more From the Porta S. Paolo Metro station (next to the Pyramid) in Testaccio, we took the FC2 train to Cristoforo Colombo station (the end of the line) to Lido di Ostia. Cost: EUR 6,00 for 2 people. After a 15 minute walk past numerous private beach clubs, we arrived at the V Lounge Beach. We were greeted by white polo uniform-dressed employees in front where they explained the lounge beach's offerings. For EUR 24,00 admission, we were assigned two beach chairs on the sand close to the water. Note: If you are *not* a "member" of the club, you will not be allowed access to the swimming pools. Unlike resorts in Mexico or the US, beach chair towels are not provided. So, bring your own or you can return to the front entrance and ask to rent towels, as we did. Cost: EUR 6,00 *and* they will hold your identification/passport as added security deposit. We did not eat at their restaurant, so it's hard to say if the food was good, but we did see that it was set up as a buffet. I did stop by the cantina by the beach for a fresh juice of carrots, apple, pineapple, and melon, which they kindly juiced fresh for me. (They do not have other green vegetables besides carrots, celery and fennel). Cost: EUR 3,00. The security person kept many of the beach vendors off the property and was kind enough to provide me with the Wi-Fi password. Overall, it was a nice day at the beach, but V Lounge seemed a bit pricey for the offerings and the service (aka friendliness) you might be accustomed to in other countries.

If Ostia town is crammed with well-crafted but pricey beach resorts, there's a superior option…read morewhich is actually free beyond the dunes of Castel Fusano. Eight gated beach areas, with free changing rooms and bathrooms, and the possibility to rent umbrellas and deckchairs, known as the Cancelli, comprise an ideal alternative. The eighth Cancello, known as Bud Beach, is by far my favourite. Boasting an extensive free beach area, this beach is ideal for groups of friends and families. Bring your own umbrella and towel and it's practically a free day out. Cancello 8 also has a charming bar area with swings round the edge (for adults!). The bathrooms are prrtty clean and the atmosphere is relaxed. When the sea's clean there's nowhere better to be.

We visited Santa Marinella Beach on our visit to Roma so we could get a flavour of beaches in Italy…read moreand to split up our week of Roma sightseeing. Planning it out we were looking at Ostia Beach at first but after reading the online info we decided to take the plunge and take the train from Roma-Trastever station to Santa Marinella. The train ride was supposed to take 45 min but with a delay on the track it was almost an hour. We arrived at Santa Marinella Station and it was evident while on the train that there were other beach goers heading the same way. We got off the train and it was literally a five minute walk to the beach. When arrived there it was classic European style (need to rent a parasol and lounger chair). We paid 30 euros for 2 chairs and a parasol. Some may think this is expensive (I did) but it's the norm at most beaches and totally necessary. The beach was mainly visited by Italians with a few foreigners. You arrive, head down the stairs and look for the beach attendants. A guy spoke english so it was no problem to pay for a chair rental. Just down from the beach chair rental was a cantina bar which sold espresso-cappacino, drinks, ice cream and snacks. A little further down was another cantina which sold pizza, another espresso bar and panning sandwiches. Public restrooms were relatively decently clean and not too stinky. Over some speakers played Bob Marley then some easy listening Wham. The Parasol's are colour coded so you can figure out where you are at. The beach goes around in a half moon shape with the public beaches on both sides. We were there on a 32C day with little clouds so taking a parasol was a must! The sand was so hot to walk on! The water was nice and I would think in the 78 - 80F range. The beach was busy for a Monday but not overly crowded. On the weekend I would think it's quite busy! A wonderful beach experience that we were so happy to do for the day! Totally worth it and would do it again in a heartbeat!

Date of Visit: Friday, 1 July 2016. We took a train from Termini to S. Marinella station for 4,60€,…read morewhich took about an hour. We arrived around 15:00 in the afternoon. This beach is about a 5-10 minute walk from the S. Marinella train station. It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be for a Friday. Seemed like it was mostly Italian and some tourist that go to this beach. Once you see the rows of umbrellas, you find one of the workers and you can pay to use the umbrellas and chairs (this is a weird concept for me since we don't usually have these things in Hawaii). My friends and I ended up paying for two umbrellas for about 15€ and we just put our towels and bags under it. There seems to be a lot to do around the area, but I personally did not look around too much. There are a few places nearby to grab a bite to eat or drink. There are also people that sell handbags and inflatables on the beach, which was also an interesting sight. Overall, it wasn't a bad first experience. The major factor was the public transportation for that particular day was a mess, so please anticipate such delays as Italian public is always unpredictable.

Very much surprised nobody's reviewed this restaurant before - it's top 3 on Trip Advisor for Ostia…read moreLido, and it's no coincidence. I love the ambiance of this place, you're eating by the beach in a setting that seems ready to host a wedding or a gala, but without being too hoity-toity. Excellent for aperitivo and for dinner, I went with friends and colleagues to enjoy the seafood, which is really the way to go, in spite of the meat offerings. The mixed seafood appetizer is surprisingly diverse and comes in generous portions, that alone is a meal. Leave some room to mix and match with some fried calamari, which came out nicely light (sign that the oil used is clean) and soft (probably soaked in milk overnight). The entrees were delicious, but probably too generous in terms of portions - I would usually complain about the opposite when it comes to seafood, so, really, not an issue, but you also want to leave some room for dessert. The ricotta, chocolate and pear "semifreddo" was a pleasure to look at, and even greater pleasure to indulge in. Good wine selection, menu with bold choices, not the most central location in Ostia but within a famous beach resort. And, quite affordable, all considering, so a solid five stars worth coming back during the good season.