5 Reasons You Should Skip Rome and Head to Sperlonga, Italy, Instead

Updated on 8/7/2017 at 12:30 PM

It was my junior year of college when I jetted off to study abroad in London. I spent the semester running between my school's two campuses, one in the city and another in North London. After class, I would always take the long way home and often discovered gems like God's Own Junkyard on the way back to my flat.

Before I knew it, two months of exploring England was over and it was finally time for the moment my friends and I were waiting for since we had stepped foot into Heathrow Airport — Spring break. Back home in the States, we were used to a rather short week-long break that usually went by too fast. London knew just how to spoil us with a three-week Spring break. After a lot of long nights of planning, we traveled all over Europe to Italy, Greece, Ireland, and Prague. I had the time of my life, and by the end of the trip, I just knew I had to make my way back to Italy somehow.

I was captivated by the slow stroll of the Italians, the food, and the encompassing culture. Italy has a way of wrapping you in its richness and not letting go. A few more months had passed, and my time in London was coming to an end. I still hadn't traveled alone — which was one of my goals — and I hadn't seen any cities in Italy other than Rome and Florence.

I was six months into my study-abroad program, and I was dead broke. Truly itching to travel again, I knew I had to find the cheapest flight or it wasn't going to happen. My Skyscanner search led me to a $50 round-trip flight to Sperlonga, Italy, a little town in the Lazio region of Italy halfway between Rome and Naples. Here's why you should visit this gem!

It's Truly a Hidden Gem

When I stumbled across the flight to Sperlonga, I had never heard of the seaside town before. It's so small that its beauty often gets overlooked by Italy's most popular cities. Sperlonga is still so untapped by tourists that it will make you feel like you've discovered something new. With its beautiful slice of the Mediterranean Sea, fresh seafood, and undeniable Instagrammable charm, you will definitely fall in love.

It's Cheaper Than the Amalfi Coast

Only an hour and 30 minute train ride outside of Rome, Sperlonga gives you all the bang for your buck. The Amalfi Coast is far more visited, but it's also a lot more expensive. I stayed at Hotel Mayor for only 45 euro for one night with a continental breakfast included. When I found out the room had a balcony with a view of the sea, I was completely sold.

A last-minute accommodation booking in the Amalfi Coast would have cost at least triple that amount. When you're a budget traveler who's open to experiencing any new destination, it doesn't matter if that place is outrageously famous or not, you just go.

You're Avoiding the Tourists

Don't get me wrong, being a tourist is fun. However, being around hundreds of other tourists who are all trying to snap the same picture in front of the Trevi Fountain is just annoying. Remember when I said Sperlonga is an untapped gem? I meant it. When I was running around exploring the town, I never came across a huge group of tourists on a bus trip or anything like that. From the looks of it, I was probably one of the few travelers there. Restaurants, shops, and beaches were full of locals, and it felt nice to really experience Sperlonga in an authentic way.

The Gelato Is Fresh

Not going to lie, some of the gelato in Rome wasn't what I expected. Maybe it's because I visited a chain gelato shop, but it didn't live up to my expectations. I could smell the sweet smell of gelato from Dolce Gelato pouring into Sperlonga's town square from afar. My nose quite literally led me there, and I couldn't have been any happier. The flavors were bursting with freshness, and it tasted like it was handmade that morning.

It's Perfect For Solo Travelers

On my way to the beach, I stopped in small shops that lined the shore. Sperlonga is full of warm small-town vibes, where merchants seem to know customers by name. It has a very tight-knit feel, and that was necessary for me at that point in my travel journey. Later that night, I devoured traditional pesto pasta, drink a Peroni, and took in the cascading views from the seat of a local restaurant.

Not once did I feel out of place as a woman of color traveling on my own. Traveling solo gives you the capacity to think for yourself and follow your own itinerary and allows you to be free. For the first time in my life, I truly felt alone in the best way possible.