The Riviera of Ulysses: Italy's stunning coast connected to The Odyssey

Tucked between Rome and Naples, this beautiful, under-the-radar coastline has deep ties to The Odyssey and is a quieter, more authentic alternative to Italy's overtouristed seasides.

From Terracina, the Italian beach town where my family is from, you can see a mountain promontory that seems to rise from the sea. It is squat and jagged. My father has always said it looks like a witch's profile as she floats on the waves.

It's visible from various points throughout the coastline, a roughly 43-mile (70km) stretch that hugs the Tyrrhenian Sea and runs between Rome and Naples, threading through several seaside towns. We can see it from mountaintops or from the beach. Each evening, it glows in stark relief against the sunset, no two ever alike.

On the map, the mountain is called Monte Circeo (Mount Circeo). But throughout this micro-region of Italy – known as the Riviera di Ulisse (Riviera of Ulysses) – we call it la Maga Circe (Circe the Sorceress). It is, we say, where Circe turned Odysseus's men into pigs.

Homer's ancient Greek epic The Odyssey has fascinated for nearly 3,000 years. Its most recent homage, Christopher Nolan's new film adaptation, is making it the buzz of the season. But on this under-visited Italian coast, we're reminded of the myth every day.

How a myth becomes reality

The Odyssey is so intrinsically Greek, it may surprise travellers that several of its best-known episodes are closely associated with Southern Italy. From Sicily to just south of Rome, numerous city names and geological features have Odyssean backstories.

In Book 10, "The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea", Odysseus's ship arrives in the Land of the Laestrygonians before sailing to the isle of Aeaea, where he encounters Circe.

When to go: High season (June-August) hums with events and vibrant beach culture, but September-October offer mild, sunny days and fewer crowds. 

How to get there: Regional trains arrive from Rome and Naples – shuttles to Terracina depart from Monte San Biagio-Terracina Mare and Priverno-Fossanova. In summer, catch ferries to the Pontine Islands from Terracina and Formia.

Where to stay: Hotel Aurora in Sperlonga, Centosedici in Terracina. Many hotels and restaurants close in off-season (September-May).

There's no evidence that Homer ever visited Italy – or even existed himself. But by the time the Ancient Greeks reached Italian shores in 750BC, his poems were popular among the colonising sailors, says local archaeologist Lorenzo Ceruleo. "All seafarers were afraid of unknown seas. They increasingly associated recently discovered places with these myths. Something they could associate with what they knew reassured them."

Monte Circeo was cast as Aeaea, while Terracina became the Land of the giant, cannibalistic Laestrygonians. Linking Aeaea to Monte Circeo wasn't a leap: in ancient times, much of the promontory was underwater. Plus, the "island" itself was home to a Roman harbour village called Circeii. It was, says Ceruleo, an irresistible conclusion.

The area's turquoise seas and rugged grottos do seem mythical – it's easy to imagine giants hurling rocks from the ochre-coloured cliffs. Such geographical links eventually became political, says Ceruleo, particularly for the Romans. Tying places to Odysseus and other mythical figures helped establish prestigious ancestral connections – useful when legitimising the new Imperial order. The Roman poet Virgil repurposed these identifications in The Aeneid, his epic about the founding of Rome.

Ceruleo emphasises: "The myth of Circe belongs to the poem's literary........

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