Location: Venice
Top Things to do in Venice
The 10 Best Islands in Venice, Veneto
With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.
Restaurants in Venice
1. Giudecca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 614 reviews
Giudecca is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, in northern Italy. It is part of the sestiere of Dorsoduro and is a locality of the comune of Venice.
Reviewed By Oakandco - Birchington, United Kingdom
Less than five minutes on a vaporetto and you can flee the maddening crowds of San Marco and find yourself on a little oasis of calm - with, arguably, the best ground level views in the whole city. Granted, there's not a lot of life on the island of Giudecca, but if you're pondering where to stay, heavily entertain the idea of being here. Not only is it peaceful, but you can sit at one of a number of cafes and restaurants eating a meal a few euros cheaper than on the 'main islands' and be perched about a foot (literally) from the lapping waters of the Giudecca canal (which means you too can gasp at the ridiculous size of the cruise ships as they make their slow progress too and from the terminal further up the canal). Your view? Across the canal to the main square...truly beautiful at night on a warm late summer's evening. In addition to a number of vaporetto stops, perhaps most crucially there's a supermarket which sells bottles of prosecco for 4 euros and limoncello for even less. Almost, on its own, worthy of making the trip.
2. San Michele
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 342 reviews
Venice's cemetary island since the 1800s.
Reviewed By wilsonx6
We were told about this place and wanted to go and see it. We took the water bus from Venice. It is just so tranquil and calm and offers a very rare and curious insight into how locals celebrate their loved ones.
3. San Francesco del Deserto
4. Isola di Sant'Erasmo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By Flynn59 - Worcestershire, United Kingdom
I'd long wanted to visit Sant'Erasmo , much taken by tales of tranquility and fields full of the fruit and vegetables I'd seen in the Rialto market . I'm very glad I finally got there. An easy 30 minute Vaporetto ride away ( Line 13 from Fondamente Nova, hourly services all day and night ) there are three alternative stops but we took the first stop, Capanonne , from which it is an easy ten minute walk to the island's only hotel ( Il Lato Azzurro - see reviews ) where you can hire bikes to tour the island and, just past that, the Bar Tedeschi for a drink or meal overlooking a small beach. There is an interesting fort ( opening times vary - check ) and also a small town with a shop and church. The joy of the island is its unhurried calm and whether on foot or bike, a tour of the deserted roads is a wonderful change from the bustle of Venice. You will see fields full of vegetables; views across the lagoon to the towers of Venice in the distance and bird life galore and a picnic is an obvious option. A gentle bike tour of the circumference of the island will take a little over an hour on flat roads with barely a motor vehicle in sight.
5. Isola del Lazzaretto Nuovo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
6. Torcello Island
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,892 reviews
This small island is a bit off the usual Venetian path, but it’s worth seeing. Its Santa Maria Assunta church houses impressive mosaics, its bell tower offers great surrounding views—and it’s home to Locanda Cipriani, a well-regarded restaurant and hotel that played host to writing legend Ernest Hemingway .
Reviewed By ARSNY - New York City, United States
Took a vaporetto to Murano FARO (not the main Murano stop) in the morning and from there to Torcello (via Burano) (we did Burano and Murano on our return). the crowds all get off at Murano and very few go to Torcello When you get off at Torcello- spend a few minutes checking the timing of the return vaporetto - this will tell you how much time you have/can spare (need 1 hour or so) the walk to the Church is about 10-15 mins and you pass by a small bridge that has no low walls on the sides to prevent you falling off (only one of the two such in Venice) The main (and possibly only) attraction in Torcello is the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta - this has beautiful mosaics esp the one over the exit of the main church. If you could imagine a pictorial guide for the commoner to leading a good life and staying away from evil/hell- it explains it all. There is an entry fee (cash only- no CC) Do the audioguide (short ~ 45 mins or so) for a detailed explanation esp of the mosaic over the exit. Photography is forbidden inside the church. Bathrooms are outside and cost Euro1.50
7. Isola San Secondo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
8. Isola delle Vignole
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 2 reviews
