Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Inquisitor in 1492. Tours must be pre-booked with the Museo Ebraico (
Click here
) in
Cannaregio.
MALAMOCCO
( Lido)
Pass over Ponte di Borgo to explore the canals and
calli
(lanes) of a less over-
whelming lagoon town, with just a few churches and a Gothic
palazzo
(mansion). A mini-
ature version of Venice right down to the lions of St Mark on medieval facades,
Malamocco was actually the lagoon capital from 742 to 811.
TOWN
PINETA DEGLI ALBERONI
( ; Lido)
Right at the southern tip of the island the Alberoni pine forest slopes down
to the Lido's wildest, most scenic beach. These enchanting dunefields are the stuff of
Shelley's poems and Byron's early- morning rides.
Kentish plovers, rare bee-eaters and a plethora of marine birds fish in shallow sea
pools. Out of season, the forest and beach are virtually deserted, while in summer tanned
volleyball players leap about the dunes. The majority of the beach is open to the public,
but if you feel the need for a restaurant and sun-loungers, head for the
Bagni Alberoni
(
PINE FOREST, BEACH
041
73 10 29;
www.bagnialberoni.com
; Strada Nuova dei Bagni 26; umbrella/sun-lounger/deck chair €8/7/5;
8am-mid-
Lido)
. To reach Alberoni, take bus A from the
vaporetto
stop.
night Jun-Sep;
;
LIDO BEACHES
All Lido beaches are to be found on the seaward side of the island, easily accessed from the
vaporetto
along the
Gran Viale. In May 2012 they were awarded Blue Flag eco-accreditation (
www.blueflag.org
)
, and their shallow
gradient makes them ideal for young children and even toddlers.
There are only three 'free' beaches open to the public: the
spiaggia comunale
accessed through the Blue Moon
(
Click here
) complex, the San Nicolò beach to the north and the Alberoni beach at the southern end of the island.
The latter is the most scenic.
The rest of the shoreline is occupied by
stabilimenti
: privately managed sections of beach lined with wooden
capannas
(cabins), a relic of the Lido's 1850s bathing scene. Many of them are rented by the same families year
in, year out, or are reserved for guests of the grand hotels. The
stabilimenti
also offer showers, sun loungers (€6 to
€9), umbrellas (€11 to €16) and small lockers (€18.50 to €28). Rates drop a few euros after 2pm.
Pellestrina
Stretching south of the Lido and repeating its long, sinuous shape, Pellestrina reminds you
what the lagoon might have been like if Venice had never been dreamed of. The 11km-is-
land is home to three tight-knit fishing communities - San Pietro in Volta, Porto Secco
