Historically and architecturally it is the most interesting part of the lagoon.
Known for its islands, swamp and saltmarsh it is characterized by shallow water and narrow canals.
It is the part of the lagoon where you can find the main islands like Murano known for its glass factories (and the cemetery island of San Michele), the wonderful and colourful Burano , the ancient islands of Torcello and Mazzorbo but also St. Erasmo known as “the orchard of Venice” that together with the nearby island Vignole represents the “country side” of Venice. In this part of the lagoon there are also ancient, once strategic islands for the Serenissima as Lazzareto Nuovo and San Giacomo in Palugo. Between St. Erasmo and Burano there’s one of the highlights of the Lagoon, the old monastery of San Francesco del Deserto still inhabited by the Franciscans, and accessible just with private boats. In addition there are three ancient islands north of Torcello in the Park of the North Lagoon: S. Ariano, Cura who are now abandoned and the island of St. Cristina.
Among the natural beauties of this part of the Lagoon there are the salt marshes in front of St. Erasmo ideal for bird watching and the “North Lagoon Park” north of Torcello. In the west park of the North Lagoon you can find Lio Piccolo with its unreal landscape between sky and lagoon.
The tours you see below are just some examples, you can customize the tours following your preferences also during the tour.
