Lake Sabaudia (also called Lago di Paola) is a brackish coastal lagoon — long, narrow, and almost completely surrounded by the pine forest and dunes of Circeo National Park. A thin strip of beach separates it from the open sea. The water is calm and the shoreline mostly undeveloped, so the lake supports a remarkable concentration of waterbirds, particularly during spring and autumn migrations.
The northern end touches the edge of town and is the easiest place to walk along the shore. A road follows part of the eastern bank toward Mount Circeo, with several places to pull off and look across the water. Rowing teams have trained here for decades, and on most mornings you can see scullers moving along the flat surface against the backdrop of the headland.