Chioggia, Sottomarina - Italy

Chioggia and Sottomarina are located on the Adriatic Sea, south of Venice, where the Venetian lagoon meets the sea. The two towns are related but have quite different characters. Chioggia is the older town, built on islands and crisscrossed by canals and narrow alleys, while Sottomarina faces the sea and is the part mainly associated with swimming and beach life.

Chioggia has a long history as a fishing and maritime town. The old town centre is characterised by canals, small bridges, colourful houses and calli, the narrow alleys typical of Venetian towns.

Sottomarina is located on the other side of the long lagoon beach and is more of a seaside resort. There is a several kilometer long sandy beach with swimming facilities, restaurants, bars and various activities. The beach is divided between private beach areas and free beach areas. Sottomarina also has an older part with roots back to what was called Clodia Minor, while the modern seaside resort has grown up around the beach.

Between Chioggia and the sea is the lagoon, and along the coast are the historic Murazzi, the large stone walls that Venice had built to protect the area from storms and the forces of the sea. At Sottomarina there is also the Diga Sottomarina, which goes out to the sea and is a place where you can walk and see both the Adriatic Sea and the lagoon landscape.

The sea off Chioggia also has a special natural phenomenon called tegnùe – underwater formations that act as reefs and create habitats for many marine species. They are located a few kilometers from the coast and are an area for diving, among other things.

For a visitor, Chioggia and Sottomarina therefore become almost like two different environments in the same place: Chioggia for canals, fishing, history and city life, Sottomarina for the beach, the sea and the promenade.

The webcam is presented by I Love You Venice.

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