Formia comes from the Greek 'Hormiai' meaning good anchorage and is mentioned by the great Roman poets such as Pliny, Horace and Cicero as being the land of the Lestrigoni who were the giants who met Ulysses.

Formia acted as a strategic barrier for the Germans in WW2 to block the roads to Gaeta and Itri. It fell on the 19th May 1944.

Itri is best known locally as the birthplace of Michele Pezza, a bandit nicknamed 'Fra Diavolo' who followed the fine line between brigandage and patriotism at the time.

The Appian Way passes close by and some parts of the old track are still visible.

Sperlonga is the most picturesque of the towns along the gulf of Gaeta and has the cleanest beach along this stretch of Lazio, the presence of 'Poseidon seaweed' adorning the rocky coasts is proof of this.