When you're named in honour of a god you must endeavor to be worthy of your title. It should be expected that you are magnificent and splendid, breathtaking and awe-inspiring. For not every town gets to name itself after Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.
Nettuno lies on the western coast of Italy facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. A beautiful stretch of golden sand lines the coast with only a harbour interrupting this seemingly infinite boundary. The clear shallow waters will beckon you in for a swim and once you've immersed yourself and experienced the warm currents flowing beneath the gentle waves you'll struggle to find a good enough reason to leave.
To help you get an idea of just how pretty Nettuno beach is, here is some drone footage I captured during my stay.
Beautiful, don't you think? But you must resist the enchantment of the sea because Nettuno is so much more than an alluring beach...
Behind the beachfront is a coastal road. On one side of the road, there are shops, bars, restaurants, and, of course, the world's best gelaterias offering more flavours than Willy Wonka's wallpaper. On the other side of the road, there are market stalls selling all kinds of unique and interesting souvenirs. In keeping with Italian lifestyle(or it could possibly be law), every 100-meters-or-so you'll come across a coffee bar where you can get yourself a traditional Italian espresso strong enough to wake a volcano. Boosted by this legal-high you can now power your way up the hill to discover one of Nettuno's finest features...
Nettuno's Old-Quarter, the Borgo Medievale
Forte Sangallo is a wonderfully preserved medieval castle that was built way back in 1503. Situated a few hundred meters north of Nettuno's Borgo area it keeps watch over this beautiful ancient town. As you stroll up Nettuno's high street a semi-circular wall made from old stone appears out of nowhere and as your eyes follow the structure you realise you're looking at one of the turrets which make up the corner piece to the beginning of Nettuno's originally fortified town.
Follow this old wall up the road and you come to an archway which may as well be a time portal. Once you pass through the arch you're transported back to ancient times.
Tarmac is replaced with cobblestones and the spacious upright buildings that stand outside the old wall no longer exist. Narrow streets lined by tall romantic buildings lean towards one another like kissing giants.
Spotted between this labyrinth are small courtyards where houses have been turned into little restaurants, each serving unique homemade recipes. Continue your journey through the old streets and you'll enter the town's main piazza.
Here you will find Nettuno's best gellatoria(IMO) and more restuarants serving traditional Italian cuisine fit for the gods. To miss out on the superb food and/or desserts should be considered a form of sacrilage. Just take a look at what's being served and tell me you could resist...
Seafood caught from Nettuno harbour then served on your plate the very same day!
And, of course, there are the classics! Have you ever tried Suppli? If not, my only advice is don't get carried away, because these cheesy morsals will fill you up fast! And then you might not manage a full pizza...BACK AWAY FROM THE SUPPLI... It's for your own good.
Being in Nettuno's Borgo area is to be inside the beating heart of Italy. Nettuno is loud with animated conversation, a place where every human sense is spoiled. The smell of classic Italian food. The astetic surroundings. The soulful music spilling out from the bars and restuarants. All these things come together to create an atmosphere like no other and this ambiance is ingrained into every part of the town. So take a walk around and maybe it's a good idea to finish this tour where it all began, looking out to sea.
Neptune has truly been honoured by this town and I imagine that when he disguises himself amongst the mere mortals he too enjoys what the people of Nettuno have built for him...
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you've enjoyed the journey. Join me next time when I take you all on a tour of Velletri, another jewel of Italy!
Please take a look around the @pinmapple and #haveyoubeenhere community to take a look at some great travel blogs.
Until next time, take care!
All images and videos in this blog without a source link are my own.
