Venice Lido: A Humble Little Sandbar With Massive Appeal

If you are planning a trip to Italy, chances are the quaint little island of Lido is not on your itinerary. A short boat ride from Venice, it’s less known than the other surrounding islands that host glass-blowing or lace-making. What this island offers is plenty of charm and character, along with its never-ending sandy beaches. Once a year, American culture invades the tranquility with the Venice Film Festival, bringing the excitement and glamour of Hollywood for ten whirlwind days.

The Venice Lido (Lido Di Venezia) is a 7-mile-long sandbar consisting of three settlements and is home to about 20,000 residents. The north end is home to the Film Festival, a casino, and two Grand Hotels. The center was the first and, at one time, the home of the Doge of Venice. The southern end is home to the golf course. Buses run the length of the island along the main street. Much of the beach that rims the Adriatic Sea is private and belongs to the hotels for their summer tourists, but you can also find public beaches on the northern and southern ends. The Adriatic Sea, part of the vast Mediterranean, is clean and warm for swimming.

While staying in Venice, we took a short ride to the island on a Venetian public waterbus or Vaporetto. The atmospheric change was apparent immediately upon stepping off the boat in Lido. Compared to Venice, which is busier and hosts a larger tourist population, Lido is unquestionably more relaxed, with an easy island feel.

Our first stop was a small café where I recall observing a young boy as he rode up on his bicycle across from where I sipped my glass of wine on the patio. He looked as though he hadn’t a care in the world as he dropped his soccer ball and casually began to kick it around. After tiring of that, he lay face-up atop a nearby picnic table, closing his eyes and letting the afternoon sun warm his face. I was struck by the disparity between this carefree boy and a like-aged American boy and watched in awe as he seemingly fell into a deep sleep.

After a brief walk along the beaches, we took to the streets where the older Liberty-style hotels and apartment buildings line the paved pathways. The brightly colored flowers housed in long wooden boxes underneath the narrow windows further enhanced the appeal of the historic architecture. Cyclists wove their way in and out of the pedestrians on either pedal bikes or motorbikes as we moved through the center of town. The main shopping street is the Gran Viale Santa Maria Elisabetta, where we saw various shops, restaurants, and four-star hotels. This stretch is where countless tourists take a break from the beaches. Here, we stopped for a slice of pizza topped with locally grown vegetables and a dry Rosé at a casual outdoor eatery. The service in Lido is unmatched not only in the United States but also by their Venetian neighbors across the canal.

By chance, we found ourselves in Lido at the time of the Venice Film Festival. We were able to locate the festivities without any direction or signage by just heading in the direction of the big trucks and swanky cars winding their way through the leafy, shaded neighborhoods. Further evidence of the island’s simplicity. Up until just a few minutes before the red carpet event, only a handful of onlookers lined the runway, which is in stark contrast to such an event in the U.S. We sat at the provisional outdoor bar overlooking the sea, which was shared by both industry insiders and tourists, and watched the elite arrive at the famous Excelsior Hotel by private water taxi. With its old-school glamour and unbelievable terrace view, the hotel remained a hub of activity throughout the day.

As nightfall approached, we headed back to Venice on the water and under the stars. Our only regret is that we only had one day to spend at this incredible location. But I am certain that Lido hasn’t seen the last of us. I have considered returning to the island for an extended stay of a month or more in our retirement. I have seen some great apartments and condos on Airbnb that are quite reasonable if booked at a monthly rate. With its beaches, golf course, casino, and great restaurants (not to mention the easy access to Venice), there is plenty to stay busy with. Yet it seems that Lido would also be a perfect spot to do nothing.

Lido was only one stop on a much longer trip to the northern region of Italy that we enjoyed several years ago. I will be sharing the entire incredible adventure in an upcoming post.