Cavallino is the long strip of sand and farmland between Jesolo and the Venetian Lagoon, and it’s busier than you might think.
This guide covers what Cavallino Venezia actually is, the landmarks worth your time, the beaches, cycling routes, where to eat, and how to reach Venice by boat.
What is Cavallino, Venice, and why should you stay here?
Locals simply call the peninsula il Cavallino. It’s a narrow strip between the Adriatic and the northern Venetian Lagoon.
The Sile river separates it from Jesolo to the north-east, and Punta Sabbioni sits at its south-western tip. This area belonged to the City of Venice until 1999, when Cavallino-Treporti became a municipality in its own right.
The name is usually traced back to the horses the Venetians once bred here.
- Location: Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto
- Coastline: around 15 km of sandy beach with Blue Flag status
- Tourism ranking: fifth in Italy for overnight stays, behind only Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence
- Accommodation: roughly 30 campsites, plus apartments and holiday homes
- Main road: Via Fausta (SP42), which runs the full length of the peninsula
Top attractions and landmarks in Cavallino worth your time
The peninsula guarded the lagoon entrances for over a century, so you will find forts, batteries and lighthouses among the vegetable fields.
- Faro di Piave Vecchia: the black-and-white striped lighthouse at the mouth of the Sile actually stands on the Cavallino side of the river. The first tower went up in 1846 under Austrian rule. It was destroyed in the Second World War and rebuilt between 1949 and 1951, and today it rises 48 metres.
- Forte Vecchio: the Austrians built the fort at Treporti between 1845 and 1851 to control the Porto di Lido, the main channel into the lagoon.
- Batteria Vettor Pisani: a First World War battery in Ca’ Savio, named after the Venetian commander who defeated the Genoese fleet in 1380. It’s restored and houses a tourist office at Via Vettor Pisani 40.
- Lio Piccolo: the oldest settlement on the peninsula, where archaeologists have found mosaic floors from Roman houses. In 1889, the Mekhitarist Armenian Fathers bought the hamlet of Lio Piccolo and built the bell tower that still stands.
- Treporti village: the village of Treporti spreads over small islands joined by bridges, around the 17th-century Church of the Holy Trinity.
Which are the best beaches in Cavallino-Treporti?
The sand runs almost unbroken from Punta Sabbioni to the Faro. Alongside the Blue Flag, the coast holds the Bandiera Verde, awarded by Italian paediatricians to child-friendly beaches.
| Beach area | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Punta Sabbioni | Mixing beach days with Venice | Ferry terminal close by, more local feel |
| Ca’ Savio | Dunes and pine woods | Less built-up, WWI battery nearby |
| Ca’ Vio | Families | Wide, gently sloping and well equipped |
| Ca’ Pasquali | Campsite holidays | Several large campsites back onto the sand |
| Marina di Venezia | Resort-style facilities | Hosts the Beach on Fire fireworks in late summer |
| Faro area | Walks and sunsets | Next to the lighthouse and the Sile marina |
Outdoor activities and nature trails around the lagoon
There isn’t a hill anywhere on il Cavallino, so it’s easy to explore by bike. A cycle and pedestrian path of around 20 km links Cavallino with the Punta Sabbioni lighthouse, and quieter lanes cut inland along the canals.
- The coast route: Faro di Piave Vecchia to Punta Sabbioni, about 15 km one way, mostly on dedicated lanes.
- The Lio Piccolo ride: head through Treporti, follow Via di Portosecco and the canal, then turn into the lagoon at Osteria dal Pupi. The road ends among farms and agriturismi.
- Birdwatching: the salt marshes and fish farms of the northern Venetian Lagoon attract herons, egrets and, in spring, flamingos.
On a clear evening you can see Venice across the water from Lio Piccolo. But we suggest you bring insect repellent.
Where to eat in Cavallino: local dishes and restaurants
The sandy, salty soil still produces tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus and jujubes, sold at weekly markets in Treporti, Ca’ Savio and Cavallino.
- Castraure: the first, tender buds of the purple artichoke, only around in spring
- Sparasea: the local green asparagus
- Fritto misto: mixed fried seafood, on almost every menu
- Spaghetti alle vongole: made with lagoon clams
Book ahead in July and August, especially at the agriturismi on weekends.
How to take an easy day trip from Cavallino to Venice
This is where Cavallino Venezia is a good option compared to the rest of the coast. Park at one of the paid car parks in Punta Sabbioni and you’ll be at San Zaccaria, a few minutes from St Mark’s Square, in about half an hour.
| ACTV line | Route | Approx. journey time |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Punta Sabbioni to San Zaccaria (direct, not daily) | 25 to 30 minutes |
| 14 | Punta Sabbioni, Lido, San Zaccaria | 35 minutes |
| 12 | Treporti, Burano, Torcello, Mazzorbo, Murano, Fondamente Nove | 75 minutes end to end |
As of 2026, Venice charged day-trippers aged 14 and over €5 (booked at least four days ahead) or €10 to enter the historic centre between 8:30 am and 4 pm on 60 peak days from 3 April to 26 July. As Cavallino-Treporti is a separate municipality, staying here doesn’t count as an overnight stay in Venice, so you’ll need the QR code on those dates. The city is now discussing a fee of up to €30 from 2027.
Day trip checklist:
- Check the access fee calendar and book at cda.ve.it if needed
- Buy a 24-hour ACTV pass if you’ll make more than a simple return trip
- Use line 12 for a quieter afternoon on Burano and Torcello
- Note the last boat back before you leave Punta Sabbioni
Plan your stay near Cavallino with Agenzia Lampo
Il Cavallino is full of Blue Flag beaches, forts, lagoon farms and a half-hour boat to St Mark’s in one short stretch of coast.
Agenzia Lampo has holiday apartments in Lido di Jesolo, just across the Sile from Cavallino, so the beaches, cycle paths and the Punta Sabbioni ferry are all an easy trip away. Pick your dates and book your stay today!
