Venice: Walking the Lagoon and Islands
Let us be honest about geography first: Venice is a flat lagoon city at sea level, and there is no hiking here in the mountain sense. What there is, once you leave the historic centre, is genuinely good flat walking on the outer islands, where you swap alleys and bridges for open sky, sea walls and farmland. If you want real trails in the hills and the Dolomites, that is a day trip out into the wider Veneto, covered separately. This guide stays on the water.
Pellestrina and the Murazzi sea wall
The long thin island of Pellestrina, reached by vaporetto and a short ferry beyond the Lido, carries the Murazzi, the great 18th-century stone sea walls built to hold back the Adriatic. You can walk the top of them for kilometres with the sea on one side and the lagoon on the other, past fishing villages and almost no tourists. It is the closest thing Venice has to a long-distance path, roughly 10km end to end at an easy flat pace.
The Lido
The Lido is the lagoon’s beach island, and one of only two here where cars are allowed, so it feels ordinary in a way central Venice never does. The seafront promenade runs for miles of level walking, and the quieter southern end toward Alberoni has dunes and a small nature reserve. Rent a bike at the vaporetto stop if you want to cover the whole strip.
Sant’Erasmo, the garden island
Sant’Erasmo grows much of the city’s produce, and its flat lanes between vineyards, artichoke fields and orchards make for a peaceful few hours on foot. There is a single small beach, a watchtower, and views back across open water to the skyline. Bring water and a hat; there is little shade and few shops.
The Giardini and Parco delle Rimembranze
For green walking without leaving the centre, the Giardini della Biennale and the adjoining Parco delle Rimembranze in Castello are the largest public park in Venice, planted with mature trees and lined with the Biennale pavilions. It is the one place in the city you can walk on grass under shade.
On the water: kayak and the barene
The lagoon’s salt marshes, the barene, are best seen at water level. Guided kayak trips thread the shallow channels past bird colonies, and the northern lagoon around Torcello and Burano is a quiet, birdwatcher’s landscape of herons, egrets and, in season, flamingos. Book a guided paddle rather than striking out alone; tides and shipping channels are not forgiving.
Practical notes
Wear flat shoes that handle uneven stone and the odd wet patch, especially in the acqua alta months from late October to early March. The outer islands are exempt from the day-tripper access fee that applies in the historic centre on roughly 29 tagged days between April 3 and July 26, 2026 (verify on site).
Read more: the Venice nature spots guide covers the gardens and islands in more detail, the main Venice guide sets the lagoon in the wider trip, and for real hill trails see the Veneto hiking guide .