Ostia Antica, Rome's Ancient Port

How to get to Ostia Antica from Rome

Take the Roma–Lido train from Porta San Paolo station, next to Piramide on Metro B. It takes about 30 minutes to Ostia Antica station and runs on an ordinary city ticket. From the station, a footbridge over the road brings you to the entrance in five minutes.

By car it's about 40 minutes from the centre via Via del Mare. Many tours from Rome combine Ostia with the beaches of Lido di Ostia.

What is Ostia Antica?

Ostia comes from the Latin *ostium*, 'mouth' — the town stood where the Tiber met the sea. A Roman colony was founded here in the 4th century BC, and under the empire Ostia became Rome's main port, receiving grain from Egypt and Africa, wine, oil and cloth. At its 2nd-century peak around 50,000 people lived here.

When the harbour silted up and the sea retreated, the town slowly emptied and was buried by sand — which preserved it. Today it's a vast archaeological park among umbrella pines where you can wander ancient streets for hours.

What to see

The main street, the Decumanus Maximus, runs nearly a kilometre through town, past the Augustan theatre, restored and still used for summer performances. Behind it is the Square of the Corporations, ringed by guild offices, each with a floor mosaic of its emblem — ships, lighthouses, dolphins, elephants, sacks of grain: an advertising brochure for Roman trade.

Nowhere shows everyday Roman life better: 4–5-storey insulae apartment blocks, the thermopolium bar on Via di Diana with its counter and shelves, public latrines with rows of marble seats, bakeries and mills. The Baths of Neptune have a huge black-and-white mosaic of the sea god in his chariot.

Highlights

• Decumanus Maximus — the main street through town.
• The theatre — Augustan, looking over the Square of the Corporations.
• Square of the Corporations — the guild mosaics.
• Baths of Neptune — the Neptune mosaic.
• Thermopolium on Via di Diana — an ancient bar.
• The Capitolium — the town's main temple on the forum.
• The latrines — marble public toilets in a row.
• Ostia Museum — statues and finds from the excavations.

Step by step

1. Metro line B to Piramide, then walk across to Porta San Paolo station.
2. Roma–Lido train to Ostia Antica — about 30 minutes.
3. Cross the footbridge to the park entrance — 5 minutes.
4. By car, about 40 minutes via Via del Mare; parking at the entrance.

Ostia Antica or Pompeii?

Pompeii is bigger and more famous, but it's 2.5–3 hours from Rome and packed in season. Ostia is closer and calmer, and better shows the apartment blocks and commerce of a big city. Short on time? Ostia makes a great half-day substitute. If you can, do both — they're very different.

Is Ostia Antica worth it?

Yes, for anyone who loves antiquity and wants to see how ordinary Romans lived, not just emperors. It's one of Italy's finest archaeological sites, half an hour from Rome and largely uncrowded. Catch a morning train and you'll walk 2,000-year-old streets almost alone.

Ancient Rome: compare and choose

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How to do it right

• 30 minutes by train from Piramide.
• Closed on Mondays.
• Little shade — bring water and a hat.
• Far fewer crowds than Pompeii.

Questions