Best beaches & best places to swim in Venice

Venice, of course has loads of amazing places to visit. From the Canaletto paintings, the Dodge’s Palace and the elegant Palazzos that run throughout the city. There is a secret part to Venice that most tourists miss or don’t even consider, swimming. Yes, swimming we are not talking about swimming in the grand canal.

There are also really great beaches throughout the lagoon!

Although many of the older Venetians do remember a time when they used to jump in and swim between canals and islands. Talk about extreme. Well luckily today in Venice, you can easily rent a traditional handcrafted Venetian boat and travel in style to visit the swimming spots in the Venetian lagoon where the locals go.

There are also really great beaches throughout the lagoon where you can easily reach with a waterbus. Or as the locals call it a Vaporetto. Here is a list of our top 5 best places to swim in Venice!

The top 5

Here’s our Selection of the top 5 best beaches and best places to swim in Venice, Italy.

5. Isola della Certosa

A really interesting spot, and actually super close to San Marco square or Fondamenta Nove. You can easily reach this unique island by taking the waterbus 4.1 or 4.2 from San Zaccaria or from Fondamenta Nove. Certosa is Venice’s premier marina. The island is host to sail boats and motorboats from all over the world coming to Venice. Besides the wonderful marina, the island also has a coffee bar, a lovely restaurant, kayak rentals known as Venice Kayak, handcrafted Venetian electric boat rentals from Classic Boats Venice, amazing wood oven pizza made in a small truck on the back of the island, paths, historical sites and more. Certosa is wonderfully green and beautiful. You can walk around the island and enjoy jumping into the water from the pier on the back of the island. It is also a great place to have a picnic.

4. Punta Sabbioni

A very underrated beach on Cavallino. You can easily reach Punta Sabbioni from Lido. Punta Sabbioni in Italian means “Big Sands Point”. It is a long and wide sandy beach, with lots of natural space. When you arrive by waterbus you can rent a bike to get to the beach, take the bus directly opposite the waterbus station or simply walk on the wonderful nature path that will lead you directly to Punta Sabbioni. Along the way there are many places for camping if you have your own camper. This makes it a very convenient location for many people who want to camp but also want to see Venice. The beach itself is very clean. On good days in the winter the spot has also been known to have a few good waves making Punta Sabbioni a hidden surf spot as well. Surf in Venice? You know it!

3. Spiaggia del Bacan at Sant’Ersamo

An amazing place where you will most likely be the only tourists there. Not the easiest place to reach without a boat. But try renting an electric boat from Classic Boats Venice to reach this Venetian favorite. A popular spot with locals, that come with their boats and anchor near the island. The beach itself is absolutely unique and you will never experience anything like this if you were to go to the main beach in Lido. The beach itself is located on the large island of Sant’Ersamo. The island is roughly the same size as Venice, but has only around 550 people living on the island. The island serves as the farm for Venice with its lush green and vibrant farms, this beach makes it the perfect spot to escape the crowds in Venice. Spiaggia del Bacan also boasts few splendid tourist sites like the old fort, Torre Massimiliana and the delicious restaurant on the beach called “Al Bacan“. Both places easily reachable by foot.

2. Alberoni Beach in Lido

A wonderfully cool beach in Lido, with a laid-back reggae hippie vibe. Nothing but positive energy at this beach hangout. You can rent a Cabana, umbrella and beach chairs. There is a volleyball court, shower and full bathrooms located on the beach. You can also bring your own towel and umbrella if you do not want to rent equipment from the beach. The beach is famous as being the location for the film Death in Venice. You can reach this delightful beach by taking one bus from the bus terminal in Lido directly across from the waterbus terminal. The beach also has a fantastic restaurant, with great staff and food. There is also a wonderful beach lounge/bar that makes unique cocktails and sometimes live bands play on the beach.

1. Lazaretto Nuovo

Lazzaretto Nuovo Secret Canal. This is a hidden spot even for Venetians. If you want extreme isolation and are looking for something more romantic, than this is the spot for you. This spot is difficult to reach and can be a little tricky to navigate through. But you can take the waterbus to the stop Sant’Erasmo Capannone and swim near their as well. If you would like to get to the spot, we recommend renting a boat from Classic Boats Venice in Certosa. The great thing about this spot if you use a private boat, is to anchor away in a historical area far, far away from the sounds of tourists. Located right next to Lazaretto Nuovo, which has its own special history, this spot is amazing at sunset. A photographer’s dream. While you are anchored in this natural oasis you can also see the rare mix of birds that congregate throughout the lagoon of Venice undisturbed. Truly an idyllic spot.

Now that you know where to visit, don’t be afraid. Bring a bathing suit and enjoy the lagoon. Some of the most memorable moments the truly adventurous tourists have are out in the lagoon swimming with the locals. We hope to see you out there!

Image Credits: Brunella in Venice, Wikiloc