Lakes Near Rome for Swimming

The lakes near Rome where you can swim lie in several directions: Lake Bracciano to the northwest, Lake Albano to the southeast, Bolsena and Vico in Tuscia to the north, and Salto and Turano in Sabina to the northeast. Distances run from about 20 to about 115 kilometers (roughly 12 to 70 miles). This guide covers ten lakes, with access, costs as reported in our entries, and things to verify before you leave.

Not every entry says whether swimming is allowed. Where the information is missing, we say so: check the entry for the place or the official website of the municipality. For more day trips, see our page on day trips near Rome.

Lakes Near Rome Within Kilometers

These are the easiest for a day trip. All three fill volcanic craters, and two can be reached without a car.

Lake Albano

Lake Albano is in the Castelli Romani, about 20 kilometers southeast of Rome. Most of its shoreline falls within the territory of Castel Gandolfo. There is no entrance ticket: the shores are public space, with free beaches alternating with lidos and sports clubs along the northern shore.

By car, take Via Appia and then State Road 140 (Strada Statale 140 del Lago di Albano). By train, the Rome-Albano regional line runs from Termini, with a stop at Castel Gandolfo and a walk down to the water.

Lake Bracciano

Its shores belong to three municipalities: Bracciano, Anguillara Sabazia and Trevignano Romano. There is no ticket to see it.

The train is the FL3 regional line Rome-Viterbo, with stops at Bracciano and Anguillara-Sabazia. From Rome the trip takes a little over an hour, and you should check times on the Trenitalia website. By car, take Via Braccianese Claudia or Via Cassia bis, about forty minutes without traffic. Our entry does not list swimming spots, so verify them with the municipalities.

Lake Martignano

Lake Martignano is about 35 kilometers from Rome, inside the Bracciano-Martignano Lake Complex Regional Natural Park. You can’t drive to the shore: the last stretch is closed to private traffic and a shuttle runs instead.

For the 2026 summer season, the parking area indicated by the Municipality of Anguillara Sabazia is on Via di Ponte Valle Trave, at the intersection with Via dei Caputi. Published rates: five euros a day for a non-resident’s car, three euros for a half day, three euros for a motorcycle, seven euros for a camper. Residents pay less.

Lakes Near Rome in Tuscia: Bolsena and Vico

These are farther away, between an hour and a half and two hours by car, but they offer long stretches of shoreline. Leave early, because Via Cassia can slow down.

Lake Bolsena

Lake Bolsena fills the caldera of the Monti Volsini, in the province of Viterbo. It covers 113.5 square kilometers, sits at 305 meters above sea level and reaches a maximum depth of 151 meters. From Rome, follow Via Cassia: about 112 kilometers to Bolsena, between one hour forty and two hours.

The useful train stations are Orvieto (24 kilometers from the lake), Montefiascone Zepponami (16) and Viterbo (30), then you continue on Cotral buses. Our entry mentions free beaches.

On the Shores of Bolsena: Capodimonte and Marta

Capodimonte stands on a promontory on the southwestern shore, about 110 kilometers from Rome. Entry to the village, the lakefront, the beach and the harbor is free.

Marta is on the southern shore, about one hundred kilometers away: an hour and three quarters without traffic, leaving the A1 at Orte. This is where the lake drains into the Marta River.

Lake Vico Nature Reserve

The reserve covers the whole basin of the lake, between Caprarola and Ronciglione: 4,109 hectares at 507 meters, a little under an hour and a half from Rome. Entry is free. From the Ronciglione side you reach Punta del Lago and the equipped beaches on the southern shore. Via Cassia Cimina connects the two sides and has the scenic viewpoints.

Lakes in Sabina: Salto and Turano

Two reservoirs in the province of Rieti, both with free access. The first is closer to the highway exit; the second is more secluded and surrounded by villages.

Lake Salto

Exit the A24 at the Valle del Salto toll gate and you are on the shore in about ten minutes. The reference point is Petrella Salto, about 115 kilometers from Rome, with the hamlets of Borgo San Pietro and Fiumata, where beaches, rentals and restaurants are concentrated.

The lake itself is free and no reservation is needed. You pay for umbrellas and sun loungers at the seasonal lidos, and for canoes, pedal boats or boat trips, with price lists posted on site. Swimming is allowed only in officially designated spots.

Lake Turano

Turano is an artificial reservoir at 536 meters above sea level, about ten kilometers long, with a perimeter of about thirty-six. From Rome it takes just under an hour and forty: the A24 to Carsoli, then the provincial road to Collalto Sabino and Castel di Tora.

The lakeside municipalities are Castel di Tora, Colle di Tora, Ascrea and Paganico Sabino. Access to the water is free, except for loungers and rental canoes. It’s a good idea to call the restaurants in the villages ahead of time.

Other Lakes in Lazio: Posta Fibreno, Gricilli and San Benedetto

These three suit a nature outing better than a beach day. Our entries give no information on swimming, so check first with the bodies listed.

Lago di Posta Fibreno

It is in Posta Fibreno, in the province of Frosinone, at the heart of the Regional Nature Reserve established in 1983. The protected area covers 345 hectares, about 30 of them open water. Six marked nature trails run through it. Museum hours, guided tours and fees change from season to season and should be requested from the reserve.

Gricilli Lakes

These are small pools in the Pontine plain, in the municipality of Pontinia, at the foot of the Lepini mountains. They are not lakes in the strict sense: they are sinkholes fed by deep waters carrying sulfur, carbon dioxide and salts. From the road you can see pools of different colors. Not far away is the spring at Fontana di Muro.

Lake San Benedetto

At Subiaco, along the Aniene, the small lake is a stretch of river in a state-owned forest of the Monti Simbruini Park. You reach it on foot along a trail, and entry is free. The two nearby monasteries have their own opening hours, listed in the entry.

Villages and Reserves Near the Lakes

To round out the day, these entries describe places on the shores or nearby:

• Anguillara Sabazia: on Lake Bracciano; the station is in the countryside, a few kilometers from the village.
• Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano: full ticket 10 euros, also available online.
• Le Pantane di Trevignano: a natural monument with free entry; the wetland strip is not to be walked on.
• Bosco Macchia Grande: a Turkey oak forest between Bracciano and the Tolfa Mountains.
• Nemi: a village on the lake of the same name; the Museum of Roman Ships costs 5 euros for a full ticket.
• Montefiascone: Rocca dei Papi rises to 633 meters and looks over Lake Bolsena.
• Valentano: no train station; you get there on Cotral buses from Viterbo.
• Grotte di Castro and Gradoli: villages on the northwestern shore of Bolsena.
• Castel di Tora: on Turano, at 607 meters, free entry.
• Lungo and Ripasottile Lakes Reserve: 3,278 hectares with free entry, near Rieti.
• Laghetto dell’Eur: an urban lake in Rome, free entry, Metro B (EUR Palasport or EUR Fermi). The entry does not mention swimming.

Practical Tips for Choosing Among Lakes Near Rome

If you want to stay close to the city, head for Albano, Martignano or Bracciano. If you can give it a full day, pick Bolsena, Salto or Turano. Here is a comparison based on the data in our entries:

For Cotral buses, check times on the carrier’s website: service on the lines toward Tuscia and Sabina is limited. If you want to combine a lake with another destination, read Hill Towns in Lazio: Where They Are and How to Get There, Mountains Near Rome or Tivoli Day Trip from Rome: Hot Springs, Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa.

FAQ: Lakes Near Rome

What is the closest lake to Rome?

Lake Albano, about twenty kilometers to the southeast, in the Castelli Romani. You can reach it by train on the Rome-Albano line to Castel Gandolfo.

Which lakes near Rome can you reach by train?

Bracciano and Anguillara-Sabazia have a station on the FL3 Rome-Viterbo line. Albano is reached on the Rome-Albano line to Castel Gandolfo. For Bolsena, the useful stations are Orvieto, Montefiascone Zepponami and Viterbo, then you continue on Cotral buses.

Do you have to pay to get to the lakes?

Not for Albano, Bracciano, Vico, Salto and Turano: access is free. You pay for services such as loungers, umbrellas and canoes. At Martignano you pay for parking, at the 2026 rates published by the Municipality of Anguillara Sabazia.

Can you swim in Lake Salto?

Yes, but only in the spots officially designated as bathing waters. The seasonal lidos at Borgo San Pietro and Fiumata post their own price lists.

What is the largest lake near Rome?

Among those in our entries it is Bolsena: 113.5 square kilometers of surface and a maximum depth of 151 meters, about 112 kilometers from Rome along Via Cassia.