Unusual or off beaten path activity in Venice

Take a rowing class with the women of Row Venice - we did and it was super fun!

https://rowvenice.org/

I circumnavigated the city on foot. This took ALL day from dawn to dusk, and it was tricky to find the walkable routes closest to the water. I had to back track several times. But you get to see all manner of Venetian life, intimately, and dozens of small neighborhood squares. If a gondola ride is a must do, may I suggest you find one across grand canals from the train station that goes through the Santa Croce back canals. The gondolas near San Marco, are almost comical with so many operating at the same time.

Catch a vaporetto to Torcello and it's like you are in another world. Quiet, beautiful, historic. It's where the first Roman settlement was and where Hemingway hung out to write and drink.

Do you have to 'do' something? When I have some spare time, or want to see obscure or weird things, I go to Atlas Obscura website. Under the Places tab they have a map of the world with pins of the slightly wacky things they have written about. Zoom in to the Venice area and see what they suggest - and whether any of it piques your interest.

Of course, there are also less visited islands in the lagoon that are not Murano or Burano. San Giorgio Maggiore....just across the canal from San Marco. With a Palladian church and chapels it is well reputed (but you may be a little churched out by then). You can also climb the bell tower and the view of San Marco and Venice city would be a unique one.

Maybe you just want a 'beach day'. Lido is a long island with 11 kilometres of beach. You can rent a bike and ride around the island if the beach itself doesn't appeal.
2 less visited and with limited to no tourist facilities are Sant Erasmo, an agricultural island where a lot of the local fresh crops are grown; and San Michelle, the cemetery island. Not everyone's cup of tea, but you may have an interest in ancient and interesting tombs.

I don't have a current Rick Steves Italy guidebook at hand, but he used to recommend Venicescapes tours. I hope he still does. We did the full day "Story of a Mercantile Empire" that was fantastic. (We also did the more niche "A Most Serene Republic," which I recommend as well but only if your interests align with its content - ours did.) Both of these were private tours with the very knowledge guide and researcher who founded the Society. These tours are a little off the beaten path because more people don't have the patience for the in-depth look into Venetian history that they provide. But if you do have the patience, they are absolutely stellar.

HK, I was just about to post about Venicescapes, and saw your post. We did the "Story of a Mercantile Empire" last year, and were enthralled. At Michael's suggestion, we split the tour into two parts, three hours each on two consecutive days. Of all the tours they offer, only one didn't interest us. We're hoping to be able to return next year or the year after, and will definitely take another Venicescapes tour. Wonderful!

I agree with Francis! Venice is a wonderful place to just wander and get lost. My husband and I stumbled on a street where the canal had been covered over (sorry I don't remember the name). There was a beautiful park that we walked through and then we found a restaurant where almost everyone was a local. Of course, we sat outside and the tables were filled with families and the kids were running around and playing in the "street". And the food was great!

rowvenice.org definitely! Our host Laura races in the Regata each year so definitely was a good experience. We did the cichetti row. No matter, you see canals that you wouldn’t normally see as it takes place off the beaten track (canals).

Find the book, Secret Venice by Jonglez and Zoffoli. Intriguing sites, things to find all over the islands. We managed to work in a few of the secrets and I’m looking forward to another trip to find a few more. Makes for good wandering.

I also agree that the trip to Torcello is calming and worthwhile. The mosaics in the church are just as fascinating as those in St. Marks and Ravenna.

Enjoy!

I do love how I learn about other tours, places, etal on this forum. Have never seen anything about Venicescapes. Bookmarked and will be in our plans next spring. Thank you.

Another vote for Row Venice. I believe it's a 90 minutes rowing lesson (for for entire group) on the back canals, and costs about 110 euros total. Really a memorable experience!
Safe travels!

I agree with MariaF, the quick and easy vaporetto over to San Giorgio Maggiore was great right after dealing with Piazza San Marco and its crowds. Imho the best view of Venice from the bell tower, and very few people go over there.

Another special thing we did was Pallazzo en Musica. They perform (parts of) classic operas in an old mansion on the Grand Canal. A very unique and intimate experience, and a wonderful way to spend an evening in Venice. There was still plenty of time to wander afterwards.

Go to San Michelle and enjoy the leafy coolness as you walk among the tombstones, including some famous people. Then go to Burano and eat outside at El Gato Nero (make a reservation.) Bring bug spray.

Maybe kayaking is your thing.
Venicekayak.com finds them.

Love all these great ideas!!! Hubby and I kayak almost every weekend so rowing or kayaking is perfect for us.

We are also traveling with two teachers so an in depth tour might be right up their alley.

I have used Atlas Obscura in the past while traveling in US but never thought to use it abroad. Thanks for the reminder.
❤️❤️❤️❤️

You could visit the island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Lazzaro_degli_Armeni

I can think of two things - one is far off of the beaten path and the other is not so much.

First the far off of the beaten path suggestion. I've never done this but there are pink Flamingos that live in Venice's lagoon. I understand that you can take a boat to Lo Piccolo and then rent bikes to ride and go see them. https://en.venezia.net/lio-piccolo-pink-flamingos.

Also, there is a free rooftop terrace with amazing views of the grand canal in a department store by the Rialto Bridge. Although it is free to go to the terrace, you must make a reservation at...https://www.dfs.com/en/venice/service/rooftop-terrace

The Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a small palazzo best known for its external multi-arch spiral staircase known as the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Have you ever climbed it? You'll get an interesting viewpoint from the top. This is one of our favorite spots.

https://www.gioiellinascostidivenezia.it/en/the-jewels/scala-contarini-del-bovolo/

Take a long walk out to the Arsenal area, there is some nice green space, and few tourists go that way. You can actually walk along the water from St.Marks, it’s a nice wide path all the way.

The Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a small palazzo best known for its external multi-arch spiral staircase known as the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Have you ever climbed it? You'll get an interesting viewpoint from the top. This is one of our favorite spots.
https://www.gioiellinascostidivenezia.it/en/the-jewels/scala-contarini-del-bovolo/

We saw this staircase on one of our walks in Venice but I didn’t realize it was open to the public to climb — I would have loved to! Thanks Silas for the tip, will do on a future visit.

More great ideas! I got the book, Secret Venice, so I’ll be scouring it too.

@Accidental Southerner, you were lucky to happen upon the Scala del Bovolo!
It was a fun treasure hunt for us trying to find it.
We had an absolutely glorious sunny end of September afternoon at the top.

There's a youtube clip at this site that will give you an idea of the views and the experience:
https://www.visit-venice-italy.com/museums_venice/scala-contarini-bovolo-palace-venice-italy.html

The loggia on the second floor of the Scala del Bovolo leads to the Sala del Tintoretto where works from the IRE art collection (paintings, sculptures and objects) are exhibited. We found some interesting pieces during our visit.

Here's information about visiting, ticket cost, senior discount, etc:
https://www.todayinvenice.com/en/exhibitions-and-museums/museums/scala-contarini-del-bovolo/502/2018-06-27

Grazie mille!