Caorle is a fishing village with colourful houses, a thousand-year-old cylindrical bell tower and a sanctuary on the rocks. Behind it lies a lagoon of canals and reed huts, in front kilometres of beach. It is one of the best-loved resorts on the northern Adriatic, an hour from Venice.
Why visit Caorle
The old town
The heart of Caorle is a tangle of narrow lanes, little squares and houses painted red, yellow, blue and green, like the villages of the Venetian lagoon. In the evening the squares fill with families, ice-cream parlours and fish restaurants.
The Cathedral and the cylindrical bell tower
The eleventh-century Cathedral of Santo Stefano stands next to one of the symbols of the town: the Romanesque cylindrical bell tower, with its conical spire, visible from all along the coast. Inside is a precious altarpiece in gilded silver.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Angelo
At the end of the breakwater, on the sea, stands the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Angelo, much loved by fishermen. According to tradition the statue of Our Lady came from the sea, and every five years, in September, a procession carries it by boat along the coast.
The Scogliera Viva
Along the seafront promenade that links the centre to the sanctuary, the boulders of the breakwater have become an open-air museum: the Scogliera Viva (“living reef”), with sculptures and paintings by artists from all over the world.
The beaches
Caorle has two large beaches of fine sand, Spiaggia di Levante and Spiaggia di Ponente, with shallow water and well-equipped beach clubs. They are ideal for families with children.
The surroundings
The lagoon and the casoni
Behind Caorle stretches a lagoon of canals, salt marshes and fish farms. The casoni, the old fishermen’s huts made of marsh reed, can be visited on foot, by bike or by boat. Ernest Hemingway, a guest in these lagoons, described them in his novel Across the River and into the Trees.
Venice
In about an hour by car, or by seasonal buses and boats, you reach Venice for a day among St Mark’s, the Rialto and the islands.
Concordia Sagittaria and Portogruaro
Inland, Concordia Sagittaria preserves the remains of the Roman city of Iulia Concordia and a cathedral with a Romanesque baptistery. Not far away, Portogruaro has an arcaded centre and mills on the River Lemene.
Bibione and Lignano
Further east along the coast are the large beaches of Bibione and Lignano Sabbiadoro.
| From Caorle to… | Approximate time by car |
|---|---|
| Lagoon and casoni | 10 minutes |
| Concordia Sagittaria | 20 minutes |
| Portogruaro | 25 minutes |
| Bibione | 35 minutes |
| Venice | About 1 hour |
When to go
The beach season runs from June to September. May and September are ideal for walks in the lagoon and bike rides along the coastal cycle paths. In December the old town lights up for Christmas, with a nativity scene and lights along the lanes.
Where to stay
The Casa per Ferie San Giuseppe is run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and aims to be more than just accommodation: a place where everyone finds peace and human warmth, where time slows down and the beauty of the sea invites you to find your balance again. It is the ideal base for a seaside holiday with your family or group, with the village of Caorle and the lagoon close at hand.
