Chioggia

Paddleboarding

The question is probably where you can't paddle in the region. The paddling highlight is definitely a SUP tour through Chioggia's old town, where you can enjoy cute, narrow canals and lots of Italian flair. But there are also countless canals around the small lagoon town and the Brenta River, whose estuary into the Venetian lagoon boasts wonderfully calm waters.

If you dip your paddle in the lagoon west of Chioggia in the area of the kilometer-long access road, it will be hard to escape the majestic sight of the flamingos. Sottomarina's harbor, the west side of the seaside resort, is busy but definitely worth seeing. On its east side, there is the long sandy beach, which allows for extensive SUPing in a consistently calm sea.

You can combine the two on a Sottomarina North Tour. It is also possible to paddle north to the elongated island of Pallestrina, which protects the lagoon from high waves like a wall. In any case, expect boat, yacht and ship traffic almost everywhere.

Swimming

Sottomarina is Chioggia's own seaside resort, so to speak. It offers long, well-maintained sandy beaches on the Adriatic Sea, which are particularly popular in the summer months. In Sottomarina there are numerous lidos (bagni) with sun loungers, parasols, showers, bars and playgrounds. Access to the sea is shallow and child-friendly, and the water is usually clean and calm.

The water temperature rises to around 18-20 °C from May and reaches 27 °C in July and August. Public and private beach sections alternate, with many hotels having their own beach access. Lifeguards ensure safety in the high season, and there are also plenty of opportunities for windsurfing, pedal boating and stand-up paddling. There is an official kite surfing zone at the northern end of the beach. The kilometer-long beach promenade (Lungomare Adriatico) is ideal for walking and cycling and is a lively meeting place, especially in the evening.

In addition, the Isamar Holiday Village to the south has a large water park with eight swimming pools and three small slides. However, this water park is unfortunately only accessible to overnight guests and there are no day tickets for external visitors.

Worth seeing

The old town of Chioggia is characterized by narrow alleyways and canals, charming bridges and colourful houses. The Corso del Poppolo is the central shopping street with numerous cafés and stores. Here you will also find the impressive 17th century Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral and what is said to be the oldest tower clock in the world, dating back to the 14th century (Tower of Sant’Andrea).

The fish market is one of the oldest and largest fish markets in Veneto and is open daily. Fresh fish and seafood are sold here straight from the boat. The so-called mògnoli (fishmongers) offer their wares at around 40 stalls - but without any noise or crude slogans. The fishmongers of Chioggia are considered cultured and always present themselves with polite manners.

Chioggia has a number of museums that are well worth a visit. For example, the Museo Civico di Chioggia displays exhibits on the history, art and culture of the town. It includes archaeological finds, paintings and maritime artifacts and is located in a historic building in the heart of the old town.

There is a wide range of boat trips in the region. Whether it's Venice or the islands of Murano, Burano, Torcello or Pallestrina, such excursions are also ideal for exploring possible SUP routes in advance.