The Other Lagoon

Your journey begins in Chioggia aboard a topa — a traditional flat-bottomed boat restored by your host, Damiano. Known as “Little Venice,” Chioggia has long lived in the shadow of its famous neighbor — but with its own traditions and tempo. As you glide down Canal Vena and under low bridges, daily life in the lagoon unfolds from a water-level view: fishermen docking, laundry hanging above the canals, neighbors chatting across boats. Damiano, who lives here, shares the rhythm of his hometown and points out the markers of its past and present. From Chioggia, the topa crosses open water toward Pellestrina. Mussel farms stretch out across the lagoon; wooden stilt houses rise above the tide. Pellestrina sits on one of the barrier islands that protect the lagoon from the Adriatic — a working village shaped by water, with a low skyline and painted facades that glow under the sun. The return route traces slower canals with wide lagoon views.

This private lagoon experience, offered exclusively through Fernwayer, brings you to the still-authentic villages of the Venetian Lagoon. It offers a rare view into the daily life of Chioggia and Pellestrina — two working villages still shaped by tides, boats, and long-held traditions. You’ll travel by topa, a quiet, maneuverable boat once common across the Venetian Lagoon and now mostly gone. Its shape lets you slip through narrow canals that larger boats bypass, offering close-up glimpses of places. Damiano is from Chioggia and knows these waters intimately. He shares stories of the villages and their people from memory and lived connection. You’ll pass mussel farms, stilt houses, and painted facades, but also see how locals move through their day: ferrying goods, tending boats, talking across canal banks. It’s a perspective only possible with someone who belongs to the place. The pace is unhurried — a calm drift through places where the lagoon’s living culture is intact.

Damiano Bosetti offers a fresh, lesser-known way to experience the Venetian Lagoon, guiding guests through Chioggia and Pellestrina — towns that carry much of Venice’s feel but are decidedly less crowded and preserve the authentic life of lagoon villages still lived in by their residents rather than overrun by tourists. His aim is to show these places from a local perspective—"Move Like a Local" is his guiding motto, reflecting his firm belief that the best way to discover the lagoon is to travel at the pace and in the manner of its residents. Damiano prefers private, personalized outings that deliver intimate, authentic moments for his guests aboard a vintage, fully restored topa, the traditional Venetian lagoon boat.

A camera, a hat, sunscreen, and a windbreaker.