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

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A lap around Caorle and you can enjoy the full SUP spectrum between sea, lagoon and canals.

General information Caorle

• 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 motor boats in the canals, so it is best to paddle along the edge and keep your distance. On the other hand the Canale dell'Orlogio 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 the summer season.

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

For tourists there are enough chargeable but also enought 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

Tour

From the swing bridge on Strada Nuova, head north (out of town) along the Canale Saetta at the end of which you paddle right down to the sea and along the beaches of Caorle westwards to the Canale dell'Orlogio. Along 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 mesures 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 city. The parking lot located near 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 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 us. 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 begins. At the latest at the pier of the Spiaggia Levante the water gets deeper again and we paddle around the pier to stop shortly afterwards at the first beach bar that we come across. The Surf Bar is located at the very back of the 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 placed in front of the bar. Cool music and even cooler drinks will follow. Then we continue into Italy's afternoon sun. It's a good thing that the coast in front of Caorle is divided into three parts, so 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 stay about 200 m from the busy beach and still paddle in waist-deep water all the way to the church. In front of the pilgrimage church built in 1751, the swell increases, the water becomes much more shaky and we now pass under the promenade of Caorle. There are huge rocks in front of it and if you look closely, you will see hundreds of small black crabs crawling back and forth.

From here we go on to Spiaggia Ponente, the other beach of Caorle. A light tailwind from the east and the waves crashing in at an angle to the beach give us a small downwinder, which we take advantage of with pleasure. After almost an hour of paddling since our break at the Surf Bar, the heat is bringing us to our knees and we get off our boards in front of the breakwaters of Spiaggia Ponente. Here we cool off a bit in the 28° warm water and get a cool beer from the drinks vendor right on the water. That's good, because we need the last of our strength for the last few kilometers back into the town center.

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.

Cool music sounds from the passing motor boats and we take the first turn to the right to start the last leg of our tour. In the Canale dell'Orologio we pass small shipyards and boat fuel stations and after about two kilometers we see the first harbor entrance to the right. However, we paddle by it, because the canal into the center is 500 m ahead of us at the next turn-off to the right.

Done! To our left the single-lane swing bridge again, to our right the port entrance to the town centre. Of course we'll also head towards the harbor and paddle into the town's center between fishing boats and yachts and with our heads held high. This extra round definitely pays off if you want to experience the holiday destination from the perspective of the local fishermen and boat owners. We should have asked for money for the snapshots of the tourists along the harbor, then our dinner at the Ristorante da Buso would also have been payed 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.