How good are the Lido (Venice) beaches?
 

Are they sand or stone? Are they large or small? Are they clothing optional? Are they really gorgeous?

Went 10 years ago so info may be outdated...

Lido de Jesolo

sand
large
some topless
nothing special (but I live in CA so am used to beaches)

Thanks, saps! Has anyone been there more recently? I suppose they are still sand and large!!!:)

We were there about 5 yrs ago... they were nothing special at all.... water was pretty brown. I thought it compared to Texas's beaches. But, if you're craving a beach, Lido has them!

Beaches are sand and not very nice (compared to Long Island, nver mind the Carib). The water is often dirty and if the weather is good the beaches can be mobbed - except for hotel beaches - for which you have to stay in the hotel.

Not something I would ever do.

I guess we were lucky when we were there a couple of years ago. Spent an afternoon on the beach and it was lovely. Water was fine--didn't look dirty to me. Maybe it has something to do with different tides at different times of the year.

I know the beaches are not gorgeous in a Caribbean kind of way, but still seems like it would be enjoyable. If you stayed at a hotel that had their own beach? I'm imagining more what Rufus describes.

I'm still waiting for someone to answer the clothing optional question. That seems kind of unlikely, no?

IMO if you are looking for any sort of "surf" you may be very disappointed with the Lido in Venice.

Depending on your own defintion of gorgeous I would hazard a guess and say no even though I don't KNOW your definition!

We stayed on the Lido 3 years ago and used one of the hotel beaches most days in the late afternoon. The beach itself was just OK, nothing special. The water was brackish during our stay, so we didn't go in very much at all. Don't remember seeing anybody without a bathing suit on- LOL! Anyway, if I had to do it over, I'd skip the Lido and stay in Venice.

I don;t recall any clothing optional - seems unlikely in the center of a city - but like almost any beach on the continent thre will be some women topless. (Esp if it's early September and the film festival is in town - the starlets will do ANYTHING for a photo.)

And I didnt mean the water waw dirty - as in floating trtash tat you see in some of the canals - but not clear and clean. And there are no waves of any sort (at least to someone used to the North Atlantic).

I might try it next time. I've been to Venice twice staying in the Doroduro, which I loved. But the idea of sunning with a cocktail on a beach lounge in front of my hotel is very appealing. I don't go in the water, so that doesn't matter... it's those italian waiters, umbrellas and stripped awnings I'm after. Is that a correct fantasy or way off base?

Dorsoduro(?) sorry can't spell today

I hope the water was at least brackish--it is on the sea which is naturally salty. Though I wouldn't stay overnight on the Lido either--the Caribbean has much better beach resorts.

Lido de Jesolo isn't the lido that most people refer to across the lagoon from Venice. It's 45 minutes to an hour north of Venice and is on the open sea.
http://www.jesolo.it/content.asp?L=3&IdMen=287
It wouldn't be an easy commute for sightseeing in Venice.

I'm keen on beaches; (East, west and southern coasts of Australia; Hawaii; West coast of USA; European beaches near Biarritz; etc) I even LIVE on a beach near the Great Ocean Road. The Lido is a definite dud beach, and previous posters have indicated why.

Suze,

I think you might find what you're looking for at the beach in front of The Westin. But even that one doesn't compare favorably to beaches I've visited almost anywhere else.

Thanks for all your replies. I was hoping I could combine a re-visit to Venice with some beach time, but I see that that is not really such a great idea. I'll make different plans now. You are all so helpful!

As kybourbon has pointed out, Lido di Jesolo is not the Venice Lido - it's a totally separate beach town on the mainland.

As Rufus has sort of pointed out, brackish = slightly salty water, as found in river estuaries. Isn't that what you'd expect, Weadles ?

I've never seen anyone totally naked on an Italian beach, although I daresay they are specialist naturist beaches tucked away, but I've occasionally (not frequently) seen women topless.

I've only stayed in Venice proper; but quite fancy the idea of staying at the Lido, sightseeing in the morning & lounging on the beach in the afternoon. In fact if I were only going to Venice, say for a week, that's what I'd do. What I tend to do is have a tiring week in Venice followed by a lazy week elsewhere.

Most of the Lido of Venice beaches are also on the open sea--at least the ones the tourists flock to. They face the Adriatic Sea.

Most of the beaches that one thinks of as Lido beaches are across from the hotels such as the Hotel des Bains. I've been to one of these and there was nothing wrong with it. But you can also take a bus to the Albinoni beach which IS clothing optional and mostly-from what I observed-gay. It is also full of dunes, and very pleasant. I enjoyed my day there, and, if you have time, would encourage you to make the trek. The water was lovely. I especially remember the Canaletto sunset as I walked along the beach to the bus stop. Make sure you are aware of bus times, as you would not want to be stranded here. It is the "end" of the Lido, if I remember correctly.

By the way, as a Floridian, I know beaches.