Lido Venice Beach Verified listing

Venice Lido (Lido di Venezia) is an island, usually just referred to as ‘the Lido’. It is the narrow strip of land which separates the central part of the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. Once just a natural barrier, the Lido is now Venice’s seaside. It’s also the origin of the word ‘lido’ as used in the English-speaking world to describe bathing establishments. The island was developed as a seaside resort at the beginning of the twentieth century, and has been popular for beach holidays ever since.

The Lido is Venice, yet not Venice. For residents, it’s a compromise between the practical mainland and the historic city. The atmosphere on the Lido is very different from Venice: there are leafy residential avenues, roads, cars, cyclists and pavements. Out of season it feels ‘normal’, with reasonably-priced shops and restaurants, and locals taking their children for walks. There are lovely views over the lagoon to Venice, and in winter and spring you may be lucky enough, on a clear day, to see the snow-capped summits of the Dolomites behind the city’s towers and rooftops. As summer approaches, the island’s hotels open for the season, streams of beach-goers cross from the lagoon-shore ferry stop, and there are ice-cream shops on every corner.