Chioggia: The Unspoiled Little Venice
Chioggia, Italy is a seaside town and fishing port south of Venice. Like its bigger neighbor, its historic district located on an island in the lagoon has canals and narrow alleys. But the similarity ends there as Chioggia has a distinct character of its own. Expansive beaches are close by, fresh seafoods are readily available, there are no huge tourist crowds so it is a great place to relax, laze around on the beach and feast on some gelato.
Best Time to Visit
Ideal weather hits Chioggia between mid-April and mid-June. The town becomes busier in months of May, July and April when a jump in tourist arrival occurs in time for events like the Chioggia’s Fish Festival, a celebration of the town’s fishing industry that has been happening in July since 1938. For 10 evenings, the town’s historical center is converted to an al fresco restaurant where people can savor some fantastic seafood. For this reason, prices for Chioggia hotels will be a bit expensive but the increase is pretty reasonable.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Most hotels in Chioggia are found in the Sottomarina beach area. The Grande Hotel Italia is in an ideal location right by the port while Smart Hotel Mediterraneo is a 2-minute walk from the beach. Among the places worth visiting in town are the wide Beach of Sottomarina, the 11th century Cathedral of Chioggia with paintings by Giambattista Tiepolo and Alessandro Tremignon inside and the interactive treasury of zoology, the Museum of Adriatic Zoology Giuseppe Olivi.