BURANO ISLAND, VENICE

Fri August 23, 2019

Perhaps the cutest and most instagrammable island, the Venetian lagoon Burano was first established by the Romans, famous for Burano lace and bold colored homes. Burano is 7 km (4 miles) from Venice, a 40-minute trip from Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) by a Venetian water bus/vaporetto.

When I first saw a picture of colorful Burano many years ago, I immediately knew that I want to experience everything and stay at least one night in this colorful Venetian lagoon. As an organized person I am, I always make a research about the destination I will visit, but it was difficult to find a travel guide for Burano. So, this time I trust my gut and booked Casa Burano for two nights. I loved how peaceful the evenings are on the island, when the tourists go back to Venice in the afternoon. Burano is surely a very romantic place for couples, where you can have a wonderful weekend getaway with your other half.

As there is not much to tell about this colorful island, I want to share a mini travel guide with few tips and suggestions for you.

How to get to Burano?

We travelled from Vienna to Venice by car, and parked at Punta Sabbioni, which is was the closest location to arrive on Burano island by a water bus. If you travel to Burano from Venice, you have two options: you can either take a ferry close to Piazza San Marco to Burano, or you can walk to Fondament Nove and take the vaporetto to Burano, which is a shorter journey. I would suggest you to buy a 24-hours pass for €20,-, which allows you to travel to more places. When you buy your ticket online and don’t want to use it immediately, make sure to let the counter clerk know not to validate the ticket for you. On the boat drive, you’ll have the opportunity to see the cemetery island of San Michele, Murano, Torcello and more small islands of the lagoon.

How long to stay?

If you want to have a romantic getaway with your partner and stay far from Venice crowd, one or two nights on Burano island are more than enough. But if you are planning to stay in Venice, then you can plan a half day trip on Burano (either in the morning or in the evening). Be aware that the restaurants close early, and you need to check the vaporetto schedule, so that you don’t have to stay on Burano island by accident.

Where to stay?

I booked Casa Burano, a cute boutique hotel at Fondamenta della Fescheria, facing all beautiful colorful houses and the canal. Casa Burano has lovely B&B rooms spread over 5 colorful houses, allowing locals’ experience of Burano Island. I loved the authentic experience of island life and how friendly the locals are. Just wander through the narrow streets, chat to friendly locals, eat in neighbourhood restaurants and watch the boats come and go across the lagoon.

Where to eat?

Burano has many good restaurants, and we have been to the best ones. I booked a table at Trattoria al Gatto Nero (“Black Cat Restaurant”) for dinner, which is one of the best restaurants on Burano island. Their kitchen offers delicious homemade pasta, fish and mixed seasonal seafood served with vegetables, always from the organic growing collections of the neighboring islands.

I was planning to go for lunch on the Venetian island of Torcello at one of Hemingway’s favorite hotels, Locanda Cipriani. In my opinion the best Cipriani in the world, but this time it was unfortunately closed. So then we choose Trattoria da Romano, which was a great choice for excellent Venetian cuisine. Trattoria da Primo e Paolo is another great local restaurant for lunch or dinner. Girani Caffè Venezia is good for breakfast or coffee and dessert break. For those who love Italian ice-cream, go to Gelati Prodotti Tipici for the best gelato.

What to see?

Piazza Galuppi is the main square of Burano, where the local restaurants and shops are located. We were obviously first looking to find Fondamenta della Fescheria to check-in at our hotel. After we went to Piazza Galuppi for a little stroll before dinner.

The picturesque canals are a must-see, as well as the Three Bridges (Tre Ponti) to take some lovely pictures. The wooden bridge connects three canals and three of the most colorful streets of Burano (Giudecca Via, Via San Mauro and Via San Martino Sinistro), with lot of souvenir shops, local restaurants and of course the iconic colorful houses.

A must see is also the lace museum, located in a gothic palace which nowadays is the Town Hall. For the romantic hearts looking for stunning sunsets over the lagoon of Venice, go to the Pescarìa Vecia. If you are interested to buy souvenirs and lace check the label carefully, because a lot of them are made in China.