An often unknown fact to many tourists that visit Venice is that it has a beach. 7 miles / 11km of it in fact running along the Adriatic Sea!
Lido is an interesting place and very different to the main island of Venice but worth a trip out to if you have a few hours or a day to spare. Although there are many accommodation choices in Lido if you are there to visit Venice and are limited on time its not the best option to stay here.
Lido can only be accessed by boat via the Vaporetto (water taxis) with multiple options including the 5.1 from Piazzale Roma which takes around 30 minutes or Line 1 which is one of the busiest lines but is a great way to see the sights as it runs from Venice central station (Ferrovia) through the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge to San Marco and Piazzale Roma. It makes multiple stops and takes about 60 minutes to reach Lido.
As we visited Venice once in the summer when it was very hot it was a nice trip out to sunbathe and have a swim in the sea. Once you’re in Lido and if the weather allows a great way to get around is on a hired bike and there are many places to rent them in the little town which is just a short walk from the water taxi terminal. Through the town runs the grand viale, the main boulevard that connects the Vaparetto area to the main beaches and is about a 10 minute walk.
Lido is where most Venetian family’s go to holiday and escape the tourists and it has a laid back pleasant ‘residential’ feel about it. There are many many beach front areas to hire sunbeds and umbrellas so its just a matter of preference when you are there. The sea is calm and safe to swim in and there are areas that have lifeguards.