Chioggia in Italy – ”Little Venice” with canals and beach life

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | Chioggia is a charming town in Veneto in northeastern Italy, with canals, bridges, fishing boats and old houses just south of Venice. The town is sometimes called ”Little Venice”, but has a much more casual and local atmosphere. We visited Chioggia by camper, walked along the canals, ate seafood and combined the city visit with beach life in Sottomarina.

What is Chioggia?

Chioggia is located in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, on the southern tip of the Venice Lagoon. Built around canals and bridges, the city is sometimes called ”Little Venice,” but has a completely different character than its famous neighbor.

There is still a vibrant local everyday life here with fishing, boats and a fish market, while visitors are attracted by the historic city center and the long beaches of nearby Sottomarina. We came here by camper after a visit to Valpolicella and quickly fell in love with the combination of city, canals and beach life.

Chioggia – Little Venice

As soon as you enter Chioggia, you realise why this city is called Little Venice. The whole town is built around canals, over which there are countless bridges. Many of the houses stand right in the water, and next to the houses are small boats tied to ancient wooden poles. What a wonderfully charming city!

Chioggia has ancient origins and is mentioned in documents as early as the 6th century. Over the centuries, the city developed through trade in salt and fishing, among other things, and in the 14th century it found itself in the middle of a war between the rival naval powers of Venice and Genoa.

Fishing is still an important part of Chioggia's identity, while tourism has gained importance. Many people combine the historic town with sunbathing and swimming on the long beaches of Sottomarina.

Things to see and do in Chioggia

Chioggia is not a city where you need to rush between lots of attractions. A big part of the experience is instead walking through the historic center, following the canals and watching the boat life. Here are some things you shouldn't miss.

Stroll along Corso del Popolo

Corso del Popolo is Chioggia's main street and runs through the historic center. Along the street are cafes, restaurants, shops and several historic buildings and churches. Feel free to sit at an outdoor terrace and watch the people go by for a while.

See the Canal Vena and the bridges

Canal Vena is perhaps the canal that most contributes to Chioggia's nickname "Little Venice". The canal is lined with old houses and boats and crossed by several small bridges. It's nice to just stroll around, walk over the bridges and discover the alleys on both sides of the water.

Visit the fish market

Fishing has long been important for Chioggia and the city's fish market, Fish Market, is one of the places where that tradition is still clearly evident. It sells fish and seafood from the Adriatic Sea, and even if you don't plan to buy anything, the market is worth a visit for the atmosphere.

Discover the harbor and fishing boats

Chioggia is still a lively fishing and port town, and around the harbor there are lots of boats of various sizes. For us, the boating was a big part of the charm – fishing boats, small private boats and houseboats reinforce the feeling of a town where life is still closely connected to the water.

Sottomarina and the beach

Sottomarina is located right next to Chioggia and is the area's major seaside resort, with a several kilometer long sandy beach facing the Adriatic Sea. The beach is wide and shallow and lined with bathing establishments, restaurants and other services.

It was incredibly hot when we arrived, so we decided to go for a swim straight away. It was our first real beach holiday in a long time! It was hard to lie in the sun, but it was even more enjoyable to lie in the water.

Seafood in Chioggia

While we were thinking about which restaurant to choose for dinner, we found the co-operative Sciabica, where fish and seafood were served as simple fast food at long tables. Absolutely perfect!

We each bought a portion of mussels along with fries and a liter of beer (served in a liter measure!) to share. Tasty and pleasant, and at a reasonable price tag too.

Finally, there is an evening picture and a film from this super cozy city.

Chioggia by motorhome

The old part of Chioggia is located on a small island, which is connected to the mainland Sottomarina. Along Sottomarina runs a long sandy beach and here are plenty of hotels, campsites and parking spaces.

When we visited Chioggia we chose to enter the campsite Parcheggio del Padoan, at Via San Felice 10, which was well located both for the beach and the town. From the parking lot it takes just under half an hour to walk into the center of Chioggia.

Video from Chioggia

Peter has also edited a short film from Chioggia which you can see here.

More to see in the neighbourhood

Do you want to continue your journey and experience more in this part of Italy? Here you will find more reports and tips:

• Venice
• Wine in Valpolicella
• Guide to Lake Garda
• Jesolo International – luxury camping