Hotel Paradiso
A relaxed stay on the Etruscan coast, where pine shade, sandy beaches and the history of Tarquinia meet.
We are a small, family-run hotel in Riva dei Tarquini, the pine-shaded stretch of coastline that belongs to Tarquinia. Rooms are air-conditioned and comfortable rather than elaborate, the kitchen cooks Mediterranean food for lunch and dinner, and the garden and terrace do the rest of the work on warm afternoons. The old town and its Etruscan sites sit a short drive inland, so days here can move easily between the sand and the history.
On the coast
Riva dei Tarquini is low, green and quiet, with umbrella pines running down toward long open stretches of sand on the Tyrrhenian.
At the table
Taverna Degli Etruschi serves Mediterranean cooking through lunch and dinner, with a bar, a snack bar and a coffee house on site.
Close to Tarquinia
The old town rises on a ridge just inland, keeping its medieval streets and some of the most important Etruscan painted tombs anywhere.
Pine shade, sand and a quiet corner of the Lazio coast
Mornings here tend to be unhurried. The light comes in soft over the pines, the roads stay quiet, and the beach is wide enough that nobody needs to hurry anywhere.
Hotel Paradiso works well as an approachable base for this part of the coast. It is a modest place rather than a resort, run by a family, close to the shoreline and within driving distance of Tarquinia's historic centre and the Etruscan heritage that made the town internationally known. Guests tend to settle quickly into a rhythm of sand and shade during the warmer hours, a long meal in the restaurant in the evening, and a short drive inland whenever they feel like swapping the beach for archaeology.
Nothing about the setting is grand, and that is rather the point. The buildings are low and sun-faded, the vegetation is Mediterranean scrub and oleander, and the sea is a few minutes away through the pines. It suits families, couples travelling slowly, and anyone who would rather spend the week reading in the shade than queueing for anything.
Simple rooms for easy-going coastal stays
The rooms are practical and unfussy, made for resting after a day spent along the coast or walking the streets of Tarquinia. Expect clean, comfortable accommodation where the essentials are properly looked after rather than styled for effect: cool air when the afternoon turns heavy, a private bathroom that works, and a window looking onto the garden.
The accommodation we offer is a Double or Twin Room with Bathroom. Each one has air conditioning and heating, a private bathroom with shower and bidet, a flat-screen television, a wardrobe for clothes storage, a mosquito net at the window and a view over the garden. Non-smoking rooms can be arranged on request, and free Wi-Fi is available in the hotel's public areas.
- Comfort
- Air conditioning for the summer months, heating for cooler weather, and a mosquito net at the window so it can stay open in the evening.
- Bathroom
- A private bathroom in every room, with a shower and a bidet.
- In the room
- A flat-screen television, a wardrobe with room for a week of clothes, and a view over the garden.
- On request
- Non-smoking rooms are available; please mention it when you get in touch.
Taverna Degli Etruschi
The hotel's own restaurant serves Mediterranean cooking and opens for both lunch and dinner. The atmosphere is relaxed and regional: a dining room where families take their time, children are entirely at home, and the evening usually stretches longer than anybody planned.
Through the day
There is a bar for a cocktail hour before dinner, a snack bar for the lighter moments between the beach and the evening, and a coffee house on site for the part of the morning that has not started properly yet. Breakfast is served in the Italian buffet style.
Eating outdoors
When the weather allows, meals move outside to the hotel's outdoor dining area, where the pines keep the air cool. Long lunches after the beach, a coffee in the shade, dinner as the light goes down: it is informal and easy, and nobody minds if it runs late.
Gardens, terraces and long afternoons in the shade
Much of a stay at Hotel Paradiso happens outdoors. The garden gives you somewhere green and quiet to start the morning, the sun deck and terrace are there for reading, drying off and doing very little, and the picnic area works nicely for informal meals with children in tow. Beach activity is listed among the property's facilities, so days can be organised loosely around the shoreline and the shade in equal measure.
Evenings are unhurried in the same way. People drift back from the coast, wash the sand off, and gather around the outdoor dining area while the pines cool the air. Nothing here is designed to impress anyone; it is simply comfortable, and most guests find that is exactly what they came for.
Practical comforts, plainly described
These are the details that usually decide whether a trip runs smoothly: where to leave the car, what happens if you are travelling with a dog, whether the family will be comfortable. Everything set out below reflects what the hotel genuinely offers, described in the same words we would use on the telephone.
- Parking
- Free public parking is available nearby, including street parking and accessible spaces. No reservation for parking is needed, and in most weeks of the year there is room without much searching.
- Getting around
- A shuttle service is available for an additional charge, and packed lunches can be arranged if you are heading out for the day rather than coming back at midday.
- Accessibility
- There are facilities for guests with disabilities, and the free public parking nearby includes accessible spaces.
- Housekeeping and arrival
- Rooms are cleaned daily, and check-in and check-out are handled privately rather than across a busy counter.
- Travelling with pets
- Pets are allowed on request, and charges may apply. Please tell us before you book so we can confirm what is possible for your dates.
- Families
- Children of all ages are welcome. The restaurant is used to family tables and the picnic area suits the meals that never quite make it indoors.
- Rooms and air
- Air conditioning runs in the rooms through the summer, and non-smoking rooms are available on request.
- Security
- The property has 24-hour security, which most guests notice only as the quiet reassurance of not having to think about it.
Tarquinia, the coast and the Etruscans
Riva dei Tarquini is the seaside face of Tarquinia: sand, pines and the broad Tyrrhenian horizon of northern Lazio. Inland, the town itself sits along a ridge, keeping its medieval streets, stone façades and views back across open countryside toward the water. The two halves of the place feel quite different, and having both within reach is much of the pleasure of staying here.
Tarquinia is also one of the most significant Etruscan sites anywhere. Its painted tombs and archaeological collections are internationally recognised, and they give a week on this coast a second dimension well beyond the beach. Using Hotel Paradiso as a base makes it straightforward to combine the two: coast and shade through the warmer hours, old streets and older history whenever you want a change of pace.
Two reliable places to read more before you travel, both run by the region and the town rather than by us:
Discover Tarquinia with Visit LazioExplore Tarquinia's Etruscan HeritageGood to Know Before You Arrive
A few practical points worth reading before you travel. None of it is complicated, but knowing it in advance saves the awkward conversation at the door. If anything here affects your plans, the simplest thing is to telephone or write to us and we will work it out together.
- Check-in
- Between 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Please let us know your expected arrival time in advance so somebody is there to meet you.
- Check-out
- Between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, which usually leaves time for coffee before the road.
- At the desk
- Photo identification and a credit card are required when you check in. There is no age requirement for checking in.
- Pets
- Allowed on request, and charges may apply. Tell us about your dog when you enquire and we will confirm the details.
- Children
- Children of all ages are welcome, in the rooms, at the table and in the garden.
- Parking
- Free public parking is available nearby and needs no reservation, so there is nothing to arrange before you set off.
- Shuttle
- A shuttle service is available for an additional charge; please ask about it in advance rather than on the day.
- Wi-Fi
- Free Wi-Fi is available in the hotel's public areas.