The Best Day Trips From Rome, According to Locals Who’ve Done Them

Ostia Antica is one of the most incredible—and underrated—archeological sites in Italy. Much of the ruins date back to the 2nd century, when it was a prosperous port city with ships arriving from all over the Mediterranean and beyond. Wandering around the site, you can see the ruins of the forum, an amphitheater, an apartment complex, a bakery, a tavern, shops decorated with intricate mosaics, and the oldest synagogue in the Roman Empire. Plan to spend half a day here; you can see a good portion of the park in about three hours, but you’d need a whole day to see it all.