Circuit of Caorle

Level of difficulty 4 |  Gastronomy 3 |  Time 4 - 5 hours

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Around Caorle there are great opportunities to explore the hinterland on extended tours along the countless canals. However, the seaside resort itself also impresses with its unique town center full of small, winding alleyways, beautiful churches and an almost endless range of stores and restaurants.

General information

• CaorleCard
• Caorle Wikipedia
• Veneto tourist information
• Caorle tourist information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Bathers, passenger ships and boats always have priority. The reed landscape should not be entered away from the accessible areas in order to protect the animal and plant world.

Dangers and risks

In the Canale Saetta there are water plants at the start of the tour, which can get caught in the fins, reduce your speed and thus increase your paddling effort.

There are many motorboats in the canals, so it is best to paddle along the edge and keep your distance. On the other hand, the Canale dell’Orologio is largely bricked on the way back to the start (coming from the west). In connection with its narrow width, this means that boat waves are thrown back strongly from the edges and the water sometimes becomes very lively and uncontrollable. If unsure, it is best to kneel on the SUP when boats are approaching!

Along the promenade between the two beaches (Lungomare Venezia) there are rocks that require a safe distance.

Directions

Caorle can be reached by any public transport imaginable.

The nearest train stations are in San Stino di Livenza and in Portogruaro.

The nearest airports are in Trieste, Treviso and Venice. Of coure, public transport from abroad can be found especially during summer.

From the west, for example, you can drive straight ahead on the SP 54 to the free parking lot at the northern central roundabout. If you come from the north, take the SP 59 to the roundabout and parking lot.

Along both routes you wll also find regional busses.

Parking

There are plenty of paid and free parking lots near the center.

SUP Rental

Circolo Nautico Porto Santa Margherita
Strada Sansonessa 83, 30021 Caorle
Phone +39 (0)336.829581

Circolo Nautico Base a Mare Derive
Via Salita dei Fiori 1, 30021 Caorle  
Phone +39 (0)336.829581

Surf & Watersports by Giorgio
Pra delle Torri
Phone +39 (0)335 6694383

Surf & Watersports by Giorgio
Lido Altanea
Phone +39 (0)335 6694383

Tour

From the swing bridge on the Strada Nuova northwards (out of town) along the Canale Saetta. At the end of the canal, turn right down to the sea and along the beaches of Caorle westwards to the Canale dell’Orologio. Follow the canal back to the start.

Length

15 km

Time

4 - 5 hours

Start and landing

Swing bridge on the Strada Nuova.

From the hinterland to the beach

Basically, Caorle offers three great SUP tours. The hinterland circuit runs north of the city via the Canale Riello and the Livenza River. The beach circuit of the same length, which leads from the hinterland to the sandy beaches of Caorle, is also around 15 km in length. If you do without the small detour into the city center, the tours are about 1.3 km shorter. The big circuit is a combination of both routes and measures 23 km without a visit to the harbor in the city center.

We board at the cute swing bridge on Strada Nuova, under which boats line up on either side of the canal. The bridge is roughly the same distance between the two large parking lots at the entrance to the town. The parking lot near the Aquafollie Water Park is chargeable, the Parcheggio auto e camper on the opposite side of the canal is free of charge.

We opt for the free car park, especially since the footpath to the tour start is about the same length from both car parks. Although there is no pavement between the two roundabouts coming from the free parking, it is possible and permitted to walk along the Strada Nuova roadside. Shortly before the swing bridge we turn right and immediately find a great entry point at the boat docks. Then the tour starts.

We start northeast in the direction of the Canale Saetta, past the soccer stadium on our right, and try to avoid the aquatic plants so they don't get caught in the fins and brake. Once the rattle of the swing bridge is behind us, the surroundings become completely quiet, and we paddle alone through Caorle's hinterland while not only enjoying the silence, but also admiring the occasional appearance of old, typical Italian houses and farm buildings. On the right above the canal there is a cycle path, which seems to be very popular.

During the trip, the boat traffic increases noticeably and the architecture of the houses changes. Suddenly, ancient looking thatched huts appear to our right. The casoni (fishermen's huts) that can be found in the lagoons on the Adriatic coast are mostly brick, but their steeply sloping roofs are covered almost to the ground with reeds. You can hardly get enough of the cute buildings and plots of land.

There used to be many fishermen and tons of fish, especially eels from the lagoon waters. Lagoon fishing is now mastered and operated by only a few here. The industrious gentlemen still catch several dozen kilos of fish every day.

We are quickly approaching the sea and due to the increasing boat traffic and the resulting waves we remain on the right bank of the canal. At some point it leads right into the much wider Canale Nicesolo, which runs from the north (left) down to the sea. Here, too, we stay close to the shore, but at the same time we have to be careful to stay in the fairway so as not to get stuck in the sand. To our left we see the foothills of the nature reserve Vallevecchia and to the right Caorle's Spiaggia Levante.

At the latest at the pier of the Spiaggia Levante the water gets deeper again, and we paddle around the pier to stop shortly afterward at the first beach bar we come across. The Surf Bar is located at the very back of Spiaggia Levante beach and given the heat, refreshment among surfers now sounds like a good idea.

The SUPs are simply pulled across the beach and deposited in front of the bar. Cool music and even cooler drinks follow. Then it's off into the Italian afternoon sun. It's a good thing that the coast off Caorle is divided into three parts - the two beaches and the old town. This means that there are always prominent intermediate destinations for orientation and the route remains varied.

First, we paddle along the beach to the picturesque Church of the Madonna dell’Angelo. We keep about 200 m away from the busy beach and paddle to the church in water no more than waist-high. In front of the pilgrimage church, which was built in 1751, the swell increases, it becomes much more choppy, and we now pass under Caorle's promenade, which has rocks in front of it. If you look closely, you can see hundreds of small black crabs busily crawling back and forth on them.

From here we head to Spiaggia Ponente, Caorle's other beach. A light tailwind from the east and the waves coming in at an angle to the beach give us a little downwinder, which we make the most of. After almost an hour's ride since our break at the Surf Bar, the heat brings us to our knees. We descend again in front of the breakwater at Spiaggia Ponente, cool off in the 28° water and get a cool beer from the drinks vendor right by the water. That's good, because we need the last of our strength for the last few kilometers into the town.

The breakwater (Frangiflutti Fiume Livenza Caorle) at the end of the beach has been in our sights since the pilgrimage church of Madonna dell'Angelo, and we now have to go around it to the right to get onto the Livenza River and from there into the Canale dell’Orologio. Fishermen and tourists have stationed themselves on the pier and the 400 m long path out to the sea invites you to go for a walk. We, on the other hand, are a bit concerned about the current, because the Livenza flows into the sea and does not allow a paddling break unless you want to be pushed back to the sea by its smooth current

The motorboats passing by play lively music, and we take the first turn-off to the right to start the last stage of our SUP tour. In the Canale dell'Orologio, we pass small shipyards and boat filling stations, and after about two kilometers we see the first harbor entrance on the right. However, we paddle by it, as we can only reach the center 500 m later at the next junction to the right.

We made it! To our left is the single-lane swing bridge marking the starting point of our tour, to our right the harbor entrance to the town center. Of course, we head for the harbor and paddle into Caorle between fishing boats and yachts with our heads held high. This extra lap is definitely worthwhile if you want to experience the town from the perspective of the local fishermen and boat owners. We should have asked for money for the tourists' snapshots along the harbor, then our meal at Ristorante da Buso would have been paid for in advance.

This tour demanded a lot from us, but it gave us a lot more: variety, deep and beautiful insights into the hinterland, holiday feeling and a slight sunburn. The sunburn will be forgotten soon. Our impressions of Caorle remain.

Alternatives: The area around Caorle can be explored via various canals in the hinterland. For example, the starting point in town is at the swing bridge. The 15 km long hinterland circuit leads north of the old town over the Canale Riello and the river Livenza. The big loop is a combination of the Caorle circumnavigation described above and the hinterland loop and measures 23 km without a port visit in the town's center. It runs from the swing bridge to the beaches and then up to the Canale Riello.