We found our beach club for the week: two umbrellas, four chairs at Blue Marine. Typically they rent by the day or by the month. We arrived late in the morning and were seated in the last row but were told we can move up tomorrow.

The water is clean and clear and super salty. There are beach clubs interspersed with public beach access. Restaurants on the beach, showers, etc.

At the public beach you can tell that some people leave their umbrellas over night. They are held in place by large rocks in case there’s a rare gust of wind.

The sand is scalding hot so you need to walk briskly to the water. There hasn’t been a cloud in the sky.

While we were all still sleeping, D started his day at the basketball court. A workout and then a father and son showed up, and another kid, so they were able to play two on two.

Breakfast were delicious peaches from the market we walk by on the way to the beach. Lunch was pizza margherita for Miss M and a calzone for Paul from the beach club. D and I grabbed sandwiches from the food truck next to the basketball court: hot sausage, broccoli rabe, and mozzarella in a thick bread pocket toasted for me, and a similar sandwich for D but with prosciutto and mozzarella.

Dinner at Ristorante Tirreno with a beautiful view of the water. Miss M had spaghetti with red sauce, D had bolognese, Paul had fried shrimp and calamari with a side salad, and I had calamari stuffed with baby calamari and cheese and breadcrumbs, also with a side salad.

After dinner we got off the main drag and walked up, and up, and up, to the area 400 feet above the sea. Reminds me of Positano but without the crowds. White washed walls leading to alleys of bars and shops selling shoes, clothes and gelaterias.

At the highest point is opened up to a large square with hundreds of people milling about, views over the beach, bars and music playing, kids running around. There was a very modern looking church – Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo — with a basket of food at the chancel available to those who are hungry.

We stopped at a bar in the main square for some aperol spritzes, D had a coke, and later Miss M had a stratchietella gelato on a cone.

As we walked back down the stairs to sea level, people are still eating their dinner (at 11pm) and tons of kids are running around. But it’s the end of a full day one in Sperlonga for us.

Sperlonga