Venice smaller islands

Burano and Torcello

Torcello. It is one way to escape the throngs of tourists. A nice boat ride there, then walk down to the small church. It’s so peaceful.

Certosa is good for a picnic.
A visit to the Lazzaretto Vecchio is interesting if the Archiological Society is running tours, or to the Lazaretto Nuovo as an alternative.
Poveglia is seriously spooky, abandoned since about 1970 and very overgrown; I took some good b&w atmospheric photos there.
San Clemente had an insane asylum, now has a museum.
Vignole, forget it, nothing to see and the trattoria is closed for winter. The main industry is the erection of No Tresspassing signs.
The Armenian Monastery on San Lazzaro degli Armeni is special.
The Bar Tedeschi on Sant’ Erasmo is OK for a snack, it is near Forte Maximillian.
Mazzorbetto, if the Venice Scout group are serving lunch, gets you to a fort that never fired a shot in anger. Maybe if hostilities were opened against Torcello there might have been gunfire.
Murano we find a bit ho hum.

OK, we’ve had enough time in Venice to visit these various islands. For a visitor with less time, it would be Mazzorbo, Burano and Torcello. If you visit Burano, get off the vaporetto at Mazzorbo and it is a ten minute stroll through a vineyard and vegetable gardens over the Bridge to Burano. From Burano, you can then take the vap to Torcello. I am told that the Torcello cathedral is undergoing restoration, so the mosaics might not be visible. However the Torcello campanile is worth climbing, the internal structure is beautiful.

If you are taking a vap from Burano back to Venice, the line can be very long and you might not get on the first boat. But if you walk back to Mazzorbo, they have to let you board.

I think colorful Burano is a must see IF you get moving and take the earliest boat possible. It's peaceful and beautiful BEFORE the throngs arrive. Take Peter's advice about the Vap.

I was disappointed in San Michele, the cemetery island, because I was expecting wonderfully sculpted monuments. Not. Just standard issue metal markers with photos. Don't really recommend a trip there unless you want to leave your old toe shoes on Stravinsky's grave.

Great question! We were in Venice this past September and found our morning "escapes" to
1. San Giorgio Maggiore: Stunning views from the tower! 2. Burano: colorful, peaceful and gorgeous lace shawls, and reasonable Murano glass jewelry. 3. Torcello: Quiet, easy walk to the church- exquisite mosaics! Recommend the audio guide. 4. Lido- Film Festival weekend. Our main reason for Lido was to visit the cemetery of my husband's family dating back to the 1600's.

Another plus are the great photo opportunities!