A HIDDEN GEM IN THE VENICE LAGOON
The hidden gem of Chioggia is located in the southern part of the Venice Lagoon, a coastal town of small islands linked together by bridges. This delightful town is home to fishermen, colourful boats and ancient Venetian palaces.
Few tourists visit, or even know about this pretty little town, which has allowed it to be a peaceful haven. If you prefer going ‘off the beaten path’, ‘slow travel’, or ‘green tourism’ then you are sure to enjoy visiting Chioggia.
Chioggia was founded in 2nd century Before Common Era which makes it older than Venice. In the 6th century it was part of the Byzantine Empire,then became part of the Republic of Venice in 1380.
Currently it has 50,000 residents and lies 25 km away from Venice.
Here I’ll give you 8 reasons to visit Chioggia and why you should include it in your next trip to Venice.
Read my Ultimate Guide To Venice.
When you visit Chioggia you will immediately notice the small town vibe and natural beauty, unspoilt by mass tourism. Yes, there are fewer sights to see, no grand piazza and no gondolas to ride, but on the positive side, it’s much quieter and easier to walk around than Venice. You can’t get lost here and in a couple hours you can see the whole centro storico, the old city.Â
You’ll experience an authentic Northern Italian coastal village and appreciate the cultural aspects, talk to the locals, some of whom even speak English.Â
You may wish to take a small boat ride with a local to enjoy sights from the water as well, a beautiful way to get to know this part of the Venice lagoon.
Often considered a miniature Venice, it is much smaller in size and population, but has a similar feel with canals, bridges, alleyways and even historic Venetian palaces. Chioggia has a charming nature and is quite picturesque with its colourful buildings and turquoise water, even though it is somewhat overshadowed by its famous sibling.
However, unlike Venice, this city has cars and bikes, as well as boats to get around. And also unlike Venice it has less souvenir ships and tour groups.
With much fewer tourists and less people in general, it is never crowded, no long queues anywhere, and no problem getting around, making it a relaxing and slower paced, genuine Italian city to visit.
However, the tide of tourism may be slowly changing. Since 2021 cruise ships are no longer allowed to dock in Venice, hence are choosing to dock here and other nearby ports, as did our recent Viking cruise. However, this port is only small and limited in the number of ships it can accept.
For now Chioggia remains low key and off the tourist radar. You can stroll around calmly here, without bumping into hoards of people, which is why I enjoyed visiting this adorable little city.
Accommodation is considerably cheaper than in the centre of Venice. Food is also more reasonably priced. Therefore, you may wish to use Chioggia as your base to visit Venice and enjoy day trips to Murano, Burano, Torcello and other Venetian islands.
From here you can get to Venice and other places in the lagoon via water taxi, ferry and public transport.
To Venice by bus takes about an hour. Click here for details.
To Venice by train takes over an hour. Click here for details.
Accommodation in Chioggia
Hotel Grande Italia, on the waterfront.
Hotel Chioggia Airone, with a bar and pool.
Hotel Duomo Chioggia, in city centre.Â
La Chioggia Fronte Spiaggia, a 3 bedroom apartment near the beach.
Nova Taccheo in Chioggia, a small, newly renovated apartment.
Hotel Miramare Chioggia Sottomarina, near beach, with pool.
There are a number of historic landmarks and sites to see when you visit Chioggia and the ‘miniature Venice’ title is evident in the canals lined with boats, brightly coloured buildings, bridges crossing over canals and calli, narrow alleyways.Â
More specifically, these sites are reminiscent of Venice:
- Ponte Vigo, a smaller version of the Venice’s Rialto bridge with white lions.
- Canal Vena, a narrower version of the Grand Canal of Venice.
- Bell Tower of St James Cathedral, like St Marks’ Bell Tower.
- Vigo Column with winged lion of Venice on top, similar to the columns in St Mark’s Square.
Other sites to see:
- Several churches of byzantine, corinthian and ionic architectural style
- Clock Tower with oldest clock in the world (below) at St Andrew’s Church
- Piazza Vigo, the main square
- Corso del Popolo, the main thoroughfare
- St Domenic Church and bell tower, on its own island.
The long skinny island of Sottomarina is Chioggia’s beach resort, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Connected to the old centre by bridge, it’s just a short walk of about 15 minutes.
Sottomarina is the longest beach in Italy, with bathing areas and cafes lining the long sandy shore of 5.5 km in length. A popular destination with local Italians and other Europeans for seaside getaways, with a multitude of recreational and water sports available, accommodation and fun parks.
During Summer months of July/August the beaches are lined with umbrellas and sun lounges for rent, as far as the eye can see.
Mussel and oyster farms and the traditional fishermen’s stilt houses paint a picture of the lagoon’s fishing culture, the main industry here, and one of the fishing capitals of Europe. You can find out more about aqua farming and how seafood is cultivated by the local fisherman and even take a tour of the fishing waterways.
A passeggiata (stroll) along the breakwater is a must for the sea views.
Famous for its fresh seafood industry, Chioggia’s cuisine showcases local fish and crustaceans farmed from the Venetian lagoon and Adriatic Sea. A visit to the local bustling fish market displays all the freshly caught varieties.
One of the best reasons to visit is to eat at authentic Venetian ristoranti, trattorie or cicchetterie. There are no touristy establishments here, just genuine, good North Italian food.
A delicious array of local delicacies await, to be enjoyed with views of the canals.
Dishes to try include fish brodo, risotto alla pescatora, fritto misto (mixed seafood), bigoli in cassopipa (seafood pasta), sarde in saor (sardines), baked scallops, seppie in sugo (cuttlefish stew) with polenta, calamari e cozze (squid and clam dishes), and pumpkin gnocchi made from Zucca Marina di Chioggia.
Restaurants to visit
- El Gato, listed in the Michelin Guide
- Bella Venezia Restaurant, in Calle Corina
- Le Tegnùe Beach Restaurant, in Sottomarina
Fish festival
The fish festival is held in early July called La Sagra del Pesce, a food fair with outdoor entertainment that goes on for 10 days in Corso del Popolo. It’s a historic and gastronomic celebration that has been a tradition for 80 years. I was sorry to have missed out when I was here.
Tours of Chioggia and the Venice Lagoon
I recommend taking a tour of Chioggia to get the most out of it and perhaps a tour of Venice as well.
Pin it, please
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25 Comments
I’m a Chioggiotta living in the USA, Chioggia is wonderful! And the food, amazing! My people are charming and proud of their culture, Venetians don’t like us because they re afraid we’d take tourists away and always made fun of us. Chioggia is even great in cold weather, looking mysterious under the fog. Take part in the passeggiata from 5 to 7 pm . In the summer you can go to the beach in Sottomarina and have e relaxing day.
If you don’t like crowds don’t visit on Thursday mornings because we have the “Mercato ala zioba” *Thursday market” in our dialect, Great for shoppers, but it is crowded, Hope you get to visit!
I have never heard of Chioggia before but it sounds like a great base to explore the area.
When we get to Italy I will ahve to for sure chekc out Chioggia, The Miniature Venice! It looks and sounds like a wonderful place to visit 🙂
I really struggle to visit places that have tons and tons of tourists, so it’s fantastic to hear about a less busy place that seems similar! Thank you so much for sharing this gem.
Okay, this is on my radar. I’ve always wanted to visit Venice, but this looks equally appealing.
Italy is in our bucket list , never been yet but it looks an amazing place
Venice is such a beautiful city. I’ve been a few years ago and can’t wait to go back again. It is so charming and beautiful.
I’ve just discovered Chioggia, and it seems like a hidden gem. Although I haven’t been to Venice yet, considering its crowds, Chioggia seems like a better alternative. I’ll definitely keep this in mind for the future.
We haven’t had a chance to visit Chioggia. I think we’d enjoy this more than Venice, given its smaller size and less touristy atmosphere.
Love this. I have not heard of this place but I am definitely going to consider it now. Thanks for the great tips.
I took the boat trip from Venice to visit outlying islands but I don’t think it included this island. I guess I need to go back.
Wow. I had never heard of Chioggia. I am adding this to my next visit to Italy. Thanks for all of the great info. izzy
My family visited Murano and Burano while in Venice, but I wish we had made a visit here as well. Now I’ll just have to go back!
I preclude this by saying I love Venice, but I also loved Chioggia very much. We visited (by car) from Ravenna, it gives a much, much less crowded experience where places look a bit like Venice, but with 1/100 of the tourists. it is very compact and lovely to walk around, and I had one of my best meals in a random restaurant there. It does not compare with Venice in the amount of treasure it holds, so I would still recommend some of the Venice museums and Churches, but Chioggia is definitely better for strolling and cafe-hopping.
Love the idea of offbeat Venice- like Chioggia. If I ever get to visit Venice, I would choose to Chioggia as the base. It is such a nice break from the tourist crowds.
Chioggia looks amazing. I have been to Venice a couple of times but didn’t know about Chioggia. Definitely will want to stay a couple of days there when I get back.
Wow! I didn’t know this place existed in all honesty. Now I know I should visit whenever I make it to Italy!
How does the atmosphere of Chioggia compare to Venice, and what makes it unique?
Chioggia is much quieter, smaller and more intimate than Venice.
I’ve heard of Chioggia and its quite a gem, almost looks like a replica of Venice! When I was in Venice I missed it but now I have another reason to go back again and explore this gem and I bet it’s far less crowded than Venice. Saving this for my next visit.
I”ve not heard of this, but it would be worth a visit just for the food. Great ideas for the future.
Looks like a lovely part of Italy to visit- and with far fewer tourists! I’d go just for the food!
Chioggia sounds amazing. I have never heard of Chioggia before. I loved my trip to Venice and the food was amazing . If Id known there was a smaller less touristy version with cars I would have based myself out of Chioggia instead.
This is the first I’m hearing about this destination, from this blog! This looks awesome, it really seems like somewhere I’d LOVE to visit. I’ve pinned it for my next Italy trip. How was the food?
Hi Amanda, the food in Chioggia is delicious, especially if you love seafood.