keyitaly.com’s blog

The ‘Lido’ in the name says it all: Jesolo, on the shores of Veneto region as it curves around the northern Adriatic from Venice to Trieste, is all about the sand. The original town of Jesolo a few miles inland is now a minor addendum to the ten miles or so of manicured beach, with countless rows of sunbeds and beach umbrellas, and the attendant bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and, of course hotels. Each hotel has its own strip of beach (’stabilimenti’) with colour-coded sunshades (’ombrellone’) and loungers (’lettini’). Of course, charging for Italian beaches (rather than the hire of the sunbed) is technically illegal these days, though it would be a bold family who would wander down and park their towels amidst the regimented rows of sunbeds. There is in fact a small stretch of free beach close to Piazza Brescia, though this is not as well combed for litter as the pay beaches and there probably won’t be lifeguards.

You’ll find little in the way of history or culture in Jesolo, though why would you come here for that? You will find bikes to hire, ice cream parlours ‘gelaterie’, water sports facilities, showers to clean off after a day on the sand, play areas for the kids with softplay and climbing frames. And there are lots of shops selling flip flops, sunglasses, inflatable dolphins - the sort of stuff you need on beaches in fact. There is the Aqualandia theme park at the west end of the ‘town’, a number of mini golf courses, and family fun including regular shows and exhibitions, beach volleyball, windsurfing, sailing trips, and beach aerobic sessions. There are boat trips to Murano and Burano and to Venice.