Exploring Venice’s Waterways by Boat

​When visiting Venice, one of the most enjoyable experiences is getting around by water as a main form of transport. Built on a lagoon, the city has 150 canals, many of which are extremely narrow. The widest is the Grand Canal, which runs along landmarks such as the Basilica of St. Mary and the Doge’s Palace.

A majority of the canals are relatively shallow (around four to seven feet) and were initially constructed of tightly spaced alder wood stakes, which were driven through sand and silt into harder clay substrate beneath. Early builders placed wooden platforms on top of these stakes, and then stone, which served as building foundations. The sides of the canals were often reinforced by materials such as brick. Maintaining the canals is essential, and workers regularly dredge them and manually remove the debris that accumulates.

There are three basic ways of traveling the canals. Vaporetto are reasonably large motorized water busses operated by ACTV across 22 lines. The main line runs along the Grand Canal every 10 minutes. A Night Line operates 24-7, though with less frequency.

The second option is the water taxis, which are well-appointed motorboats offering spacious upholstered cabins. These are largely the province of tourists. The third option is a gondola, a traditional, flat-bottomed wood rowing boat little changed since the 11th century. Sleek, elegant, and steered using a traditional wood rudder, a gondola is ideal for those in search of a relaxed, unhurried passage through Venice.

Robert Palley

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