Circeo National Park, established in 1934, protects a remarkable strip of coastline about 20 km south of Latina: the forested limestone headland of Monte Circeo, the coastal lakes (Laghetti di Fogliano, Caprolace, Monaci and Sabaudia), and the dune system that runs between them. The park is small by national park standards but varied — mixed Mediterranean forest on the hill, migratory birds on the lakes, and long beaches along the coast.
The town of Sabaudia (itself another rationalist new town, slightly more successful architecturally than Latina) sits inside the park boundary and makes the best base for exploring. Trails climb to the summit of Monte Circeo for views over the Tyrrhenian coast; the lakes attract flamingos and other waders in spring and autumn. The beaches on either side of Sabaudia are among the best in Lazio — wide, backed by dunes, and less developed than the Roman riviera to the north.