Beyond the festival glamour, locals swear by Blue Drop, the island’s neighborhood bar perfect for post-beach spritzes, while the historic Palazzo del Cinema continues its role as Italy’s Hollywood. It’s a treat to walk along the island’s long sandy beaches or bike around the island and observe the Belle Époque architecture. Bookmark Osteria Al Merca for exceptional fish dishes, and splurge at Adriatico Terrace for a fine dining experience (the beef tartare and tagliolini all’astice are musts).
Hotel Melià Venezia Lido opened for the summer 2025 season, super close to the water taxi station 60 rooms. With breathtaking vistas of the golden Adriatic sea and an intimate restaurant-bar concept in Gran Viale serving osteria classics done right, this up-and-coming entry into Venice’s hotel scene keeps up with the best of them.
Sant’Erasmo
Via line 13
Sant’Erasmo is known as the “Garden of Venice,” seeing as the island is home to Osti in Orto, dreamed up by Cesare Benelli, owner of Al Covo in Venice. The historic restaurant represents an agricultural project by 13 Venetian restaurateurs growing seasonal produce by following natural rhythms. This working farm island supplies many of the city’s top restaurants with herbs, vegetables, and the famous purple artichokes that are celebrated throughout the lagoon.
The flat landscape is the perfect landscape for those looking to get a little adventure in. Rent bikes from Camping Ca’ Savio and bike through the vineyards (stop by Orto di Venezia for white wine produced in the Venice Lagoon—they age some bottles underwater in traditional Venetian boats at secret lagoon locations) and vegetable plots to get a layout of the land. The island also features the 19th-century Torre Massimiliana fortress and the beloved Bacan Beach, popular with Venetians.
San Clemente
Via hotel shuttle
The entire private island houses San Clemente Palace (a Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards property for 2025), a luxury resort centered on a beautifully restored 12th-century Romanesque church (built in 1131) surrounded by six hectares of centuries-old gardens. Acquerello restaurant is all about modern Venetian cuisine, while the iconic Clemente Bar, adorned with Venetian mirrors, serves cocktails indoors and out. The resort’s outdoor pool, tennis courts, pitch-and-putt course, and Longevity Spa complete the offering. A complimentary shuttle boat runs regularly to St. Mark’s Square where guests can wander the Rialto in the morning before it’s crowded, then return to tranquility by the afternoon.
