San Felice Circeo

Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia

EgnokaSan felice circeoPublic domain
Alfredo AccatinoBorgo montenero CC BY-SA 4.0
IubilatedeoChiesa dell'Immacolata (San Felice Circeo)CC BY-SA 4.0
EgnokaMura ciclopichePublic domain
Hengist DeciusPorto di San Felice Circeo CC BY 2.0
PietroSan Felice Circeo - Torre Vittoria 02 CC BY-SA 4.0
PietroSan Felice Circeo - Urban squares 01 CC BY-SA 4.0
PietroSan Felice Circeo - Urban squares 04 CC BY-SA 4.0
Raboe001San Felice Circeo 2025 - - by-RaBoe 022 CC BY-SA 3.0
EsniomSan Felice Circeo, centro storico, Italia CC BY-SA 4.0

Seen from Anzio, the Circeo promontory looks like a woman lying down, identified with the sorceress Circe; from Gaeta it looks like an island, which in prehistory it was. The old town stands on its eastern side within the Circeo National Park, and the caves below include Grotta Guattari, one of Italy's oldest Neanderthal sites. Look out for the Torre dei Templari and the Capo Circeo lighthouse.

Highlights

Grotta Guattari, where remains of nine Neanderthals were found (IT)
Walks in the Circeo National Park
The Torre dei Templari in the town
Capo Circeo lighthouse, 3 km from the old town
Feast of San Felice Martire on 29 July, with a model boat in procession

Text adapted from Wikipedia (San Felice Circeo (IT), San Felice Circeo (EN)), Wikivoyage (San Felice Circeo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Population: 10,137

Things to see

Events through the year

Sagra del Canascione Food and wine · First week of January
Sanfeliceje Religious · Second Sunday after EasterLesser feast of the patron: Mass and procession, recalling the relics' arrival
Festa di Santa Maria della Sorresca Religious · Whit MondayPilgrimage from 6 am, about 14 km to the sanctuary by Lake Paola
Oily fish sagra Food and wine · Third week of JuneIn Piazzale Gianpaolo Cresci
San Felice Ranne Religious · 29 JulyProcession with relics and statue; concerts, games and midnight seafront fireworks
Feasts of the Assumption and Saint Roch Religious · 15 and 16 AugustMorning processions, concerts and markets by the sea, then fireworks
Feast of the Madonna di Loreto Religious · 10 DecemberDawn procession in the old town
Animated nativity scene Seasonal · Christmas seasonMoving figures in the Chiesa dell'Immacolata near the sea

Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.

Adapted from Wikipedia (San Felice Circeo), Wikivoyage (San Felice Circeo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Local food & wine

CanascioneDishCalzone filled with sausage, cheese, broccoli rabe and onion
ViscottaSweetEaster leavened sweet bread with citrus peel and aniseed, made over three days

Adapted from Wikipedia (San Felice Circeo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to sleep

3 places to stay within 3 km

B&Bs and guest houses 2
Hotels 1

Nearby member villages

Sperlonga · 28 km
Castro dei Volsci · 40 km
Pico · 46 km
Boville Ernica · 55 km
Nemi · 63 km