Beat the Roman Heat: Two Riverside Parks Your Kids Will Love

Did you know Rome now has two fantastic free riverside parks where children can play, splash and cool off?

Better still, they're just across Ponte Marconi from each other, making them easy to combine into one brilliant family outing. Both are on the cycle path down the river or around a €15 taxi ride from the historic centre.

Parco Marconi

If your children love spinning, running and ziplines, this is probably the better choice.

The park has a nice playground, a fun zipline, plenty of green space, a café and lots of room for children to burn off energy.

There's also a small spray area beside the café, which is sometimes turned on during hot weather. We wouldn't visit just for that, but it's a lovely surprise if you happen to catch it working.

Best for:

• Playground lovers

• Zipline

• Café stop

• Bikes and scooters

• Picnic by the river

Tiberis

Tiberis is the better choice if your children simply want to cool off.

The highlight is a large shallow paddling pool, perfect for younger children (around 1–7 years) to splash, play and escape the heat.

There are also cold outdoor showers, so older children and adults can cool down too—a thoughtful addition during Rome's increasingly hot summers.

The park also has a splash pad, although its operating hours seem to be unpredictable. We'll update this if we're able to find out the schedule.

Best for:

• Younger children (1–7)

• Free paddling pool

• Splash pad

• Cold showers for older children and adults

• Relaxing by the river

You don’t have to choose one, you can visit both.

Start at Parco Fluviale d'Affaccio Marconi for the playground and zipline, then stroll, cycle or scoot across Ponte Marconi to Tiberis for a paddle and a cool-down.