Sottomarina North Tour

Level of difficulty 3 |  Gastronomy 3 |  Length 6.4 km |  Time 2 – 2.5 hours

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What starts off leisurely ultimately develops into a real paddling challenge. From the harbor, you make your way to the sandy beach with effort and enjoyment.  

General information

• Veneto tourist information
• Chioggia tourist information
• Chioggia Wikipedia
• Tour video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The western part of Sottomarina is home to the harbor and, together with the northern part of the headland, is therefore full of watercraft, which of course must always be avoided. Since fishing also takes place from the quays, it is important to paddle with foresight and keep a sufficient distance from the shore.

People also fish at the breakwater, and in summer the sea is full of swimmers, paddlers, and pedal boats. Therefore, keep a sufficient distance from everyone else and, when paddling near the shore, it is best to kneel or sit down until you reach the beach!

Please do not anchor the SUP at boat moorings, but always take it ashore after docking!

Dangers and risks

Anyone parking along the main road must be careful not to obstruct traffic or passers-by while preparing for the tour or walking to/from the launch point. Cyclists and moped riders also pass by very quickly here - often in groups and side by side.

The walk back from the beach to the parking lot goes through Chioggia's busy part of town called Sottomarina. Some sidewalks are narrow, so always be careful when carrying your SUP and watch out for traffic (lots of mopeds and bikes)!

The water accesses at the boat moorings near the parking lot at Isola dell'Unione should be approached with caution. You climb down about half a meter from the quay onto tiny wooden walkways, which consist of just a single slat and can sometimes be quite wobbly. Don't rush, and it's best to bring the board and paddler onto the water in pairs!

Extreme caution is required at all launch and exit points to avoid touching the shells on quays and boat moorings. These can be fatal for iSUPs if they cut into the board.

In order to keep the entry height at the quay as low as possible, and thus ensure greater safety and comfort at the start of the tour, it makes sense to plan the tour for the peak of high tide.

The slipway at Isola dell'Unione should be avoided, as it is simply too slippery to move around safely!

The waves are still acceptable along the harbor (western section of the tour), but once you pass the first lighthouse, there's no stopping them. Waves up to half a meter high crash onto the board from all sides in the north of Sottomarina, challenging your balance to the max and slowing your progress considerably. If in doubt, it's a good idea to wear a life jacket.

Due to heavy traffic, it is advisable to paddle close to the shore or just off the fairway. On the other hand, however, you should keep a safe distance from anchored boats and quay walls.

At the breakwater at the latest, you will encounter fishermen. It is therefore best to keep at least 30 m away from the stone embankment.

Keep a safe distance of at least 10 meters from the two lighthouses, as the water depth is shallower around both of them. In some places north of the breakwater, the boulders are only one to one and a half meters below the water level. Combined with the waves, this can cause injury if you fall.

Smaller accumulations of seaweed are also possible in the same area, which can significantly slow down speed if enough of it sticks to the fins.

In summer, the beach—and therefore the water—is crowded. Be sure to paddle with sufficient caution and kneel when necessary!

Stronger winds of up to 4 Bf may occur, which may interfere with tour planning or make the tour more difficult.

Directions

The journey to Chioggia is possible by every conceivable means of transportation. By car, for example, you can take the A 13 and the SS 309 to Chioggia from the south. From Venice in the north, you can also travel via the SS 309 and reach Little Venice in just under an hour.

Paddlers traveling by train, take a connection to Rovigo or Padua, for example, and from there continue by regional train to Chioggia (Sottomarina). Alternatively, there are long-distance buses from cities such as Venice, Padua or Bologna - often with a change in Piove di Sacco or Adria.

From Venice, there are also attractive private boat connections and public ferry connections by vaporetto (local water bus) across the lagoon (line 11 via Lido and Pellestrina).

The nearest airport is Venice Marco Polo (VCE), from Treviso Airport (TSF) Chioggia can be reached in approx. 1.5 hours by train or bus.

Parking

On the island of Isola dell'Unione, there are paid parking spaces with hourly rates of €1.5 and daily rates of €8 (as of 2025). The parking lot at the bridge Ponte dell’Unione is ideal, as there are shady trees and plenty of space to pump up, and you can start your tour right on the quay. You can also park along the main road for the same price, but with less space to prepare for the tour (sidewalk) and lots of traffic.

The Park Unione parking garage is located at the bridge Ponte Translagunare. Some of the parking spaces are outdoors and the prices are slightly higher than at the parking lots mentioned above.

Additional paid parking spaces can be found in the center of Sottomarina. Free parking spaces (marked in white) are usually limited to a parking time of 60 minutes.

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.

Tour

Start from the quay at Isola dell'Unione north of the harbor, turn right at the first lighthouse toward the breakwater, and from there turn right around the second lighthouse toward the beach.

Length

6.4 km

Time

2 – 2.5 hours

Start and landing

The best place to start is at the steps near the Ponte Isola dell'Unione.
Land at beach section 10 (Bagno 10 – Astoria Center) in Sottomarina.

SUP rental

Noleggio pedalò, canoe e sub da luca
Bagni clodia, 30015 Chioggia
Phone +39 (0)33 91948 700

Centro Astoria
Lungomare Adriatico 29, 30019 Sottomarina
Phone +39 (0)41 5540 576

Decathlon Rent Chioggia
Strada Statale Romea 309, int. 508
Parco Commerciale Clodì, 30015 Chioggia
Phone +39 (0)41 490256

On the beaches there are also SUP rentals without an internet presence.

Wake ride to the beach

Is today really Sunday? I'm traveling by car from the south and am amazed by the vibrant life along the route. The drive through the Sottomarina headland takes quite some time, as several roundabouts struggle to cope with the high volume of cars, bicycles, and Vespas, while I try to take in the surroundings with my eyes. Sottomarina, Chioggia's beach resort, stretches for five kilometers along the coast and has developed since the 1950s into a holiday hotspot comparable to spots such as Jesolo or Lignano.

Today's tour, however, will only take me along the northern end of this peninsula, the historically new part of Sottomarina. On the small island of Isola dell'Unionen between Chioggia and Sottomarina, I discover an ideal parking lot where I can park my car for the whole day for only eight euros (as of 2025). The parking area offers enough space to unpack and prepare, and I find access to the water right next door on the quay.

Since the water level is quite low even at high tide, I climb onto the board via the mini wooden walkways of the jetty. So first, carefully lower the SUP into the water – ideally with two people – then climb just as carefully onto one of the hopefully stable wooden slats. As boats are constantly passing by, the waves regularly lap gently against the quay and can make for a wobbly start. So I first paddle to the left on my knees and head for the bridge Ponte Isola dell'Unione, at the end of which there is a small staircase that can also be taken to start the tour. It is definitely the safer option.

I always paddle on the right and try to keep enough distance from the anchored boats so that I am not pushed towards them by the waves coming in from the side. The wonderful salty air mixes with the smell of fish and fuel, an olfactory sensation that I have always associated with southern destinations.

The view to the left towards Chioggia is also a delight, where the towers of the churches of San Giacomo Apostolo and San Domenico rise above the rooftops of the lagoon town. Straight ahead, I look out over the vast Venetian lagoon and am sure I can see the foothills of the Alps on the hazy horizon. I repeatedly acknowledge the boaters who slow down because of my presence, and at some point I begin to enjoy surfing the wakes.

With increased paddle frequency, I let myself be propelled forward by the water along the quaint and charming house facades of Sottomarina, and I am surprised that I don't seem to attract much attention as a paddler here. Along the entire tour, I encounter three canoeists, but that's it for paddlers here in the lagoon. Instead, passenger ships from local providers pass me at regular intervals. The selection is large, but they all seem to have the same prices and generally offer the same services – one-hour trips to the surrounding area.

I do this on my own, using my own muscle power, and enjoy flowing into the Porto Touristico San Felice marina and taking a trip across the calm waters. It's incredible to see the yachts moored here! Then I continue out on the fairway, paddling quickly towards Forte San Felice and Castello della Luppa. Both are fortresses from different eras and mark the northwestern end of Sottomarina.

As the vegetation is increasing and the fairway is moving a little further away from me into the lagoon, the cicadas are now beginning to drown out the roar of the engines. You should paddle around the quay with the small lighthouse at a safe distance of at least 10 m and be prepared for more unstable conditions.

Here, on the northern section of the tour, the difficult, maybe even grueling part of this rather short route comes into play. Although the fairway passes dozens of meters to my left, I am now confronted with diffuse and strong waves that only allow me to move forward inch by inch. To make matters worse, these waves are sloshing back from the quay of the unsightly industrial plant to my right, making it impossible to paddle smoothly and continuously with an iSUP.

With the end of the breakwater a kilometer ahead of me, I feel like I'll have to keep paddling forever. Two water landings give me refreshing breaks that I wouldn't have allowed myself otherwise. They also convince me to paddle part of this stretch on my knees.

As soon as I reach the breakwater, the water turbulence subsides a little, but I still keep at least 30 meters away from the rock embankment to avoid the fishing lines. The fishermen themselves sit in their folding chairs along the Diga Sottomarina, waiting for their next big catch, while I know that the next big wave will catch me soon.

The waves here can reach heights of up to half a meter. Due to this section between the two lighthouses, this tour is only recommended for experienced stand-up paddlers. Beginners will often end up in the water and will not enjoy paddling this part of the trip.

After turning around the lighthouse Faro Rosso Chioggia, I finally reach calm waters again and glide past the bilancias—the large fishing nets. On the breakwater there are fairly new and modern-looking fishermen's huts, which are equipped with these giant nets, some of which are also used for gastronomic purposes.

I'm surprised that something like this also seems to work on a beach. Well, there are plenty of fish and crabs on beaches too. If you wade out a hundred meters, you're sure to stumble across crabs the size of your hand. But don't worry, they're usually just as scared as the people stepping on them and scurry away quickly.

The closer I get to the beach, the more stand-up paddlers I see on the water. Finally, I can glide along faster again and let my gaze wander. I look for the lifeguard tower with the number 10, because that's where the ideal end of the tour is for me. I let myself drift energetically toward the sand and then jump off the board into the warm water. It's hard to say which is warmer—the air temperature or the water temperature?

Here at the beach section of the Astoria Center, I continue straight back to the parking lot through Sottomarina's streets on foot. If you don't stop somewhere for a drink or ice cream, the return trip with the SUP under your arm takes about ten minutes (800 m). It's an entertaining end to the tour that is easy to accept.

Alternative: Of course, you can skip the harbor and just paddle around on the beach. However, this is much less interesting and more monotonous. If you want to extend the northern route into a full-day tour, paddle south along the entire Sottomarina beach and circle around it via the Brenta River and past the island of Borgo San Giovanni. This south tour adds another 12 km.