Barge holidays in Venice

From Chioggia

Learning to navigate your boat from our river base in Chioggia is a unique experience. Not only will you be able to embrace waterway cruising as an alternative and incomparably enchanting form of tourism, but you’ll also be able to take in one of the most famous cities on the planet, since Venice – La Serenissima will be easily and quickly accessible to you. Don’t delay – head to Les Canalous’ base in Chioggia!

Where are you leaving from?

When are you leaving?

Pick your route from Chioggia – the gateway to a bespoke waterway cruise

Chiog­gia is a fish­ing vil­lage at the south­ern edge of the Venice lagoon. Get lost in its pic­turesque streets before head­ing to our base, where we’ll teach you how to han­dle your licence-free boat. You’ll then be able to nav­i­gate from lock to lock and know how to react when cross­ing the region’s many move­able bridges. Don’t miss the oppor­tu­ni­ty to vis­it the Sot­toma­ri­na sea­side resort, which will have some­thing for every mem­ber of your crew. It’s just a few hun­dred metres from our water­way base and offers great swim­ming and fine lagoon beach­es. You’ll then be all set to begin your water­way cruise – get plan­ning your route !

From Chioggia to Venice or Treviso – a complete change of scenery

The wealth of water­ways this region has to offer, with the Pordel­lio, Por­tosec­co, Saccagnana and Cas­son canals, along with the Po and Sile rivers, means you’ll be able to put togeth­er an Ital­ian water­way cruise to sat­is­fy your every desire. Here, as else­where, you’ll suc­cumb to the charm of water­way tourism, as it takes you clos­er to the tra­di­tions and cul­ture of the regions you trav­el through. Vis­it­ing the local mar­kets will allow you to pur­chase some of the fish and seafood spe­cial­ties that have made this region famous, tak­ing them back with you to enjoy aboard. Alter­na­tive­ly, you’ll also have the option of leav­ing your house­boat to taste these Ital­ian spe­cial­ties in one of the many restau­rants along your route. Vis­it­ing the city of Venice is an absolute must, of course, with a Gon­do­la mak­ing a nice sub­sti­tute for your licence-free boat. There are also sev­er­al oth­er major sites in the region that are just as excit­ing to vis­it, start­ing with the his­toric city of Tre­vi­so, unless you pre­fer to enjoy the peace and qui­et of an excur­sion in one of the region’s nat­ur­al reserves.

discover the region with our photos

Venice Lagoon and its unspoilt nature

Venice Lagoon and its unspoilt nature

Venice Lagoon is the largest lagoon in Europe with a surface area of 550 km 2. Like La Serenissima herself, it’s a must-see site, whether as part of a waterway cruise or a more traditional holiday in Italy. The 3 mouths of the river make this a unique ecosystem, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To enjoy this unique setting to the full, you should prepare your excursion according to the tide times. You’ll then have the opportunity to discover more than 418 islands submerged by the waters, which emerge to the amazement of tourists. The canals make it possible to explore every detail, so head to Venice Lagoon and enjoy visiting the towns on its banks.
Venice Carnival

Venice Carnival

Venice Carnival was mentioned as far back as the 10th century and is now held during the 10 days preceding Ash Wednesday. During these 10 days, the city is decked out in all its finery, with shows and entertainment offered in all La Serenissima’s streets. Head for Saint Mark’s Square to admire jugglers and fire-eaters. The Carnival of Venice is also, and above all, about the costumes and masks. Wonder at the bautas, taborros and other Voltos, or you might prefer the traditional harlequin mask. There’ll be one highlight after another during the Venice Carnival – don’t miss the Flight of the Angel, which marks the beginning of the festivities, or the traditional Feast of Mary. The Venice Carnival is a real chance to get away from it all, so make the most of it!
Murano glass blowers

Murano glass blowers

Murano, the biggest and best-known of the lagoon’s islands, is located to the North of Venice. You’ll marvel at the Grand Canal, which crosses Murano from one side to the other, allowing you to admire the palaces and glassmakers’ workshops. Indeed, Murano has, for centuries, been the realm of glassblowers and glassmakers, who have contributed to Venice’s renown. Don’t miss the chance to contemplate this unique know-how, still perpetuated in the workshops today. Discovering the Murano glassblowers will also give you the opportunity to admire a masterpiece of Venetian-Byzantine architecture: Saint Mary and Saint Donatus Church, with its 3-nave basilica layout.
Venetian Gastronomy

Venetian Gastronomy

Whether on your houseboat or in one of the countless restaurants in Venice or Murano, the local gastronomy will take you on a real voyage of flavours. As with everywhere else in Italy, you can enjoy pizza and pasta, but the lagoon also has many other succulent discoveries in store. To whet your appetite, don’t resist the chance to indulge in cicchetti, the great little appetisers used to begin a meal in Venice and its surrounding region. You can savour the local shellfish or opt for the regional speciality of fritto misto, comprising fried squid, prawns and sardines. Bigoli is another Venetian dish – the traditional Italian pasta once again, served with an anchovy sauce.
Venice, one of the most romantic cities in Europe

Venice, one of the most romantic cities in Europe

Is it still valid to speak of Venice’s romanticism? As you take to a gondola along the canals winding through La Serenissima, or enjoy a stroll around Saint Mark’s Square, it still has a host of surprises in store for tourists. The city on the lagoon benefits from an enchanting climate and contains countless treasures to uncover, whether as a couple or indeed as a family. The Rialto Bridge will leave you with unforgettable memories, while the Doge's Palace will take you on a trip back in time. Every building in the city tells a story and transports you to another realm. The Campanile is another essential sight to take in during your visit to La Serenissima. For even more fun, organise your trip during the Venice Carnival, during when the city really comes alive.

suggested itineraries Tested and approved

Set off from Chioggia and navigate as your desires see fit, or follow our itinerary ideas:

One week
One way 160km - 5 locks 21h Chioggia > Venice (the lagoon and the islands) > Cavallino ou Portegrandi > Musile > Cortellazzo > Caorle > Bibione > Marano
Round trip 193km - 2 locks 27h Chioggia > Venise (the lagoon and the islands) > Trévise > Chioggia
Round trip 130km - 10 locks 26h Chioggia > Venise (the lagoon and the islands) > Padova > Chioggia
Two weeks
Round trip 240km - 6 locks 32h Chioggia > Venise > Jesolo > Caorle > Chioggia
Round trip 345km - 17 locks 42h Chioggia > Adria > Zelo > Governolo > Mantova > Castelmassa > Ferrara > Serravalle > (Boccasette) Chioggia