Venice and its islands in five days

What to see in Venice and its surroundings

Mazzorbo

We devoted a whole day to exploring three islands of the Venetian lagoon: Mazzorbo, Burano and Murano. The vaporettos leave from the Fondamente Nove quay in the north of Venice. We bought an unlimited “one day” pass which costs 20€ per person: there are machines by the Rialto Bridge.

So we got off on the small island of Mazzorbo and we were almost the only ones to do so! It is a good trick to avoid the “crowd” of tourists who head straight for the island of Burano. The two islands are linked to each other by a pedestrian bridge so you can easily get from one to the other.

Mazzorbo is a quiet island where there are orchards and vineyards as well as a few restaurants including a Michelin one (Venissa). We loved walking on this little island, to the sound of the cicadas, before joining the (very relative) bustle of Burano.

Burano

The island of Burano is the best known of the lagoon archipelago thanks to its colourful fishermen’s houses. It is definitely the most photogenic and photographed island! Burano is quite small so you go round it in a good hour: do not hesitate to take streets off the canals to find yourself alone. One of the most famous views on the island is the one from the Tre Ponti.

Murano

We finished our day discovering the islands of the Venetian lagoon with the island of Murano, known worldwide for its glassmaking art. Murano is reachable from Burano with vaporetto line 12 (Faro stop in Murano). Murano is a bigger island than Mazzorbo or Burano, so we could not explore all the neighbourhoods. If you want to include a visit to a glassmaker, allow a good half day or even a whole day to visit Murano. On our side, we had already seen a demonstration of a glassmaker’s craft on our first trip in 2012; so we did not feel the need to see another one.

We concentrated on the glassmakers’ canal where most of the artisans and workshops are. Here you have to know how to tell the difference between the island’s real craftsmen who offer genuine works of art and the sellers of glass trinkets. Heading towards the main canal, we took the Ponte Longo to discover another part of the island. We made our way towards Campo San Donato and the Basilica Santi Maria e Donato. Murano is an island with a lot of charm! It reminded us of the southern district of Venice, the Dorsodouro, with its tall houses in warm colours.

Our accommodation in Venice

We stayed in the San Marco district in a lovely flat unearthed on Airbnb for 407€ for the 5 nights. The living room looked straight out onto a small canal and onto the Venice music conservatory which let a few tunes escape! We can only recommend this flat located close to all the city’s must-see places, but quiet.
Remember to have change to pay the tourist tax to your host as it is often not included in the price of the accommodation.

Our favourite places to eat in Venice

• Arcichetti Bakaro: a typical little tapas bar in the Santa Croce district which offers good cicchettis at 1€ each.
• Rossopomodoro: good Neapolitan pizzerias in the San Marco district (eat in or takeaway, about 13€ for a pizza)
• Pasticceria Rio Marin: a small traditional patisserie which offers a very good homemade tiramisu to enjoy on the spot by the canal (between 2€ and 3€ a portion).
• Osteria Al Duomo in Murano: traditional Italian restaurant with a lovely shaded terrace (47.50€ for three dishes, the cover charge and water)
• Murano Gelateria in Murano: excellent ice creams on the island of Murano (3€ for 2 scoops)

What we thought of Venice

It is impossible not to love this island city that is unique in the world (provided you choose the right time for your trip)! We completely fell under the charm of Venice and the lagoon islands for the second time. Venice is not limited to St Mark’s Square or the Grand Canal. There is so much to discover in each of the city’s districts that you need several days to walk them. Besides, we were very lucky to rediscover Venice at a time when world tourism had not yet fully picked up again, even in the middle of July.
So we advise you to plan a trip of four or five days to enjoy both Venice and its islands, which have a totally different soul. The ideal thing would be to avoid the very high summer season so as not to feel swamped by the tourist wave.

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