# The Lido, Venice > The Lido is the long, narrow island separating the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic, 15 minutes by water bus from San Marco. It's Venice's beach — about 11 km of sand — with Art Nouveau villas and the Palazzo del Cinema, home of the Venice Film Festival. The island and its public beaches are free. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/lido - City: [Venice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice), Italy - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 3 h - Opening hours: Open any time; swimming season June to September - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; paid lidos in season - Getting there: Vaporetto 1, 2, 5.1 to Lido S.M.E. ≈ 15 min - Beaches: ≈ 11 km of Adriatic sand - Film festival: Late August to early September - Time needed: Half a day by the sea - Getting around: Buses and bike hire - Coordinates: 45.41775, 12.37150 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 11 km** — length of the island and its beaches (source: English Wikipedia) - **1932** — the first Venice Film Festival was held here (source: English Wikipedia) - **Adriatic** — the Lido separates the lagoon from the open sea (source: English Wikipedia) - **Cars** — unlike central Venice, cars drive here (source: English Wikipedia) - **Malamocco** — an old village at the island's south end (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Lido The Lido is a sandy **barrier island** about **11 km** long that, with its neighbours, shields the Venetian lagoon from the open **Adriatic**. One side faces the calm lagoon and the city; the other has broad **beaches** and sea waves. The Italian word "lido" for a bathing beach comes from here. Around 1900 it became one of Europe's first fashionable seaside resorts, with the Moorish-style **Excelsior** and the **Des Bains** hotels and streets of **Art Nouveau** (Liberty) villas. Unlike central Venice, **cars and buses** run here, so it feels like a quiet seaside town of some fifteen thousand people. ## The beaches Beaches line almost the whole sea shore. Most are **paid bathing establishments** (stabilimenti) with rows of wooden **cabins**, umbrellas and loungers by the day or season, but there are **free public beaches** (spiaggia libera) too, such as in the north at San Nicolò and in the centre at the end of the main street. The sand is fine and the water shelves gently — good for children. The season runs **June to September**, when Venetians themselves come to swim, so it's calmer than the centre. In the far south, at **Alberoni**, there are dunes, pine woods and a near-wild beach, easy to reach by bike or bus. ## What to see - **Adriatic beaches** — paid lidos and free stretches. - **Gran Viale** — the main street from the landing to the sea. - **Palazzo del Cinema** — home of the film festival. - **Hotel Excelsior** — Moorish style by the sea. - **Art Nouveau villas** — on quiet streets. - **Malamocco village** — old, with bridges and canals. > **Cycle the Lido** The best way to see the island is by bike, hired by the Santa Maria Elisabetta landing. Flat paths run along the lagoon and sea; in a couple of hours you can reach Malamocco and the Alberoni dunes. Cycling is banned in central Venice — here it's welcome. ## The Venice Film Festival Since **1932** the Lido has hosted the **Venice Film Festival**, the world's oldest. Every late August and early September, directors and stars walk the red carpet at the **Palazzo del Cinema** on the Lungomare Marconi, competing for the Golden Lion. Some screenings are open to the public with ordinary tickets; the rest of the year it's a pleasant seafront walk. ## How to get there 1. Vaporetto 1, 2 or 5.1 from **San Zaccaria** to **Lido S.M.E.**, about 15 minutes. 2. San Zaccaria is by the [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) and [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs). 3. From the landing to the sea, 10 minutes along the Gran Viale. 4. Buses and bikes get you around the island. ## Is the Lido worth it? Yes, if you're in Venice in summer and want a swim or a break from the crowds: it's the only big beach near the city, reached on an ordinary water bus. It's especially easy with children thanks to the sand and gentle shallows, and out of season it's lovely for a bike ride past villas and sea. The ride back offers a fine view of San Marco from the lagoon. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Buy a vaporetto pass - [ ] Pack swimwear and a towel - [ ] Find a free beach or rent a cabin - [ ] Hire a bike by the landing - [ ] Check the film festival dates ## Venice on the water: compare and choose Islands, canals and beaches in Venice rated by YesGo. - [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside - [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Grand Canal](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/grand-canal) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; water bus paid - [Gondola ride](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/gondola) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Paid, per boat - [Accademia Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/accademia-bridge) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [San Giorgio Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/san-giorgio-maggiore) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; tower paid - [Murano](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/murano) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; museum paid - [Giudecca](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/giudecca) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Lido di Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/lido) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free - [Peggy Guggenheim Collection](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/peggy-guggenheim) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid - [Ca' d'Oro](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/ca-d-oro) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Burano](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/burano) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free - [Torcello](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/torcello) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; cathedral paid ## A day by the sea The Doge's Palace in the morning, the water bus to the Lido, beach and bikes, then San Giorgio Maggiore at sunset. 1. [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid 2. [Lido di Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/lido) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free 3. [San Giorgio Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/san-giorgio-maggiore) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; tower paid ## Don't mix it up The Venice Lido isn't Lido di Jesolo — a separate mainland resort an hour away. The Lido is the island right across from Venice. ## Tips - 15 minutes by water bus. - Free beaches exist. - Bikes are the best way round. - Film festival in late summer. ## Questions ### How do I get to the Lido from Venice? Vaporetto 1, 2 or 5.1 from San Zaccaria to Lido S.M.E., about 15 minutes. ### Are there free beaches on the Lido? Yes, public stretches in the north at San Nicolò and in the centre. ### When is swimming season on the Lido? June to September. ### When is the Venice Film Festival? Late August to early September, at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido. ### Can you cycle on the Lido? Yes — hire bikes by the landing and ride the flat paths. ## How we checked Geography and history from English Wikipedia. Lido prices and season dates are approximate — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Venice Lido; Venice Film Festival --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.