There are many beaches around Rome, the official and nearest one is Ostia Beach.
Most of the beaches surrounding Rome are well connected by public transportation and easy reachable in one day trip.
Let’s start with Ostia!
Ostia Beach it’s the cheapest choice among all the beaches in the outskirts of Rome. Don’t expect a beautiful sea, it’s not the best in Lazio region, it is pretty dirty sometimes but still a nice escape from the city.
Ostia is well connected with Rome by Ferrovia Ostia Lido (timetable here, simple metro/bus ticket), a low cost train which starts in Porta San Paolo, near Ostiense station and beaside Piramide metro B station and ends in Ostia passing through station of Ostia Antica. Bike allowed on the train. Read here.
After visiting Ostia Antica (which is included in Roma Pass) could be a nice choice to end the day with a dinner on the beach and/or a night out in one of the many clubs where it is possible to dance barefoot on the beach (remember last train is at 11.30 PM, don’t worry the first one of day after is 5.30!!!)
From the Lido centro station station it is possible to walk to Ostia city centre and arrive at Pontile della Vittoria (a white wharf from the 40’s) always full of people as it is one of the most famous meeting points of Litorale Romano. This stop is good for a walk, to have an icecream or a cocktail on the beach, to eat in one of the many reataurants on the sea or go clubbing in summertime.
If you want to stay on the beach sunbathing we suggest to stop at Colombo (last stop). Take a bus to Tor Vajanica (070) and stop when you find the view you like at one of the 7 gates on this stretch of coastline. These beaches have for background beautiful sand dunes that stretch for tens of meters and are covered mostly by dense vegetation: tamarisk trees, arbutus, heather, juniper and mastic.
The “gates” are nothing more than accesses to the sea and are numbered from 1 to 7bis, representing the sea of the people of Rome, available to those who can not afford or simply do not want to rent an umbrella or a chair and stay free sunbathing wherever they want. The gates, which are free beaches, have five kiosks (on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th), which provide refreshments and services. Choose a number of the gate, keeping in mind that the higher numbers are generally full of young people.