Venice Lagoon by Kayak - After a couple days in tourist-clogged Venice, it was an absolute treat to board an early morning vaporetto for Burano where I met my guide Filippo at the vaporetto stop. Together we strolled through the quiet and colorful streets of Burano to the local rowing club. After a briefing on Burano, the local fishing community and the award-winning Buranese gondoliers, we launched our kayaks and set off on our tour of Burano, Mazzorbo, and Torchello, traveling through tranquil canals only reachable by kayak and with a local guide. While we did not see flamingos on this trip, we did see a number of bird species and wild goats as we glided through marshes and down the Torchello canal that Hemingway dubbed "Paradise."

Venice Lagoon by Kayak - After a couple days in tourist-clogged Venice, it was an absolute treat to board an early morning vaporetto for Burano where I met my guide Filippo at the vaporetto stop. Together we strolled through the quiet and colorful streets of Burano to the local rowing club. After a briefing on Burano, the local fishing community and the award-winning Buranese gondoliers, we launched our kayaks and set off on our tour of Burano, Mazzorbo, and Torchello, traveling through tranquil canals only reachable by kayak and with a local guide. While we did not see flamingos on this trip, we did see a number of bird species and wild goats as we glided through marshes and down the Torchello canal that Hemingway dubbed "Paradise."

A pleasure balm - The whole journey was a delight, with the opportunity to know the reality of a part of Burano, essentially fishery, away from crowds and immersed in Nature. Highlight the extremely welcoming form, the natural sympathy and all the historical and informative framework that Filippo provided us, made all the difference. For me it was wonderful, thank you!

Cool off from the Venice crowds in one of Hemingway's most sacred grounds. - This tour was unlike anything you can find in Venice and led by a very capable, kind and considerate guide. He was born, raised in a waterman household and has returned to work in Burano after many years as a water guide, so has a very deep connection to the ecology and made us feel safe. We took the early morning ferry to Burano leaving from the Venice Nove station near the hospital. It left at 8:10 and got us to the dock before 9. We didn't realize at the time how special it was to see Burano empty before the crowds descend. Each house is painted a vibrant color and surrounded by long grass and wildflowers, it feels Caribbean and fun. Filippo met us at the ferry and toured us through town to the charming Burano boathouse. We learned that the tail of every gondola in Venice represents the Rialto river plus its six major boathouses. The Burano boathouse rowing teams are very famous for consistently winning major races throughout history. We were able to catch a four-person team stand-up rowing in unison. It is amazing to see their wooden boats up close and realize the connection back to the more touristy gondolas you see in Venice. Kayaks are stored in the same boathouse and an attendant helped carry them to the ramp launch. You do about two hours of rowing through the wetlands and farmland, and see how the fisherman operate. Our favorite section was Hemingway’s backyard and called the paradise canal. There were baby swans at the entrance and gorgeous wildflower fields surrounding. Mid tour you will really feel yourself relax in the quiet and the beauty. Filippo surprised us at the end with a short, animated video of each stop on a map interspersed with photos he took of us. This was a special gift to be able to share the experience with the rest of our family back at home. The boathouse has a locker room with very clean showers, bring a towel and change of at least bottoms. Post tour we ate at an exception restaurant owned by Filippo’s family called “Primo” (middle of town, left side as you face the biggest church). We wanted to support him further no matter the quality, but the food was absolutely exceptional and worth every penny. You can tell it’s where the local families like to go for special meals and was not all tourists. We stopped at Murano on the way back to Venice, but Burano was our favorite.

Great authentic local & fun outing! - Awesome experience! Filippo is a very personable guide who can authentically speak about the local history, environment and culture. Length of tour (2.5 hrs) is just the right length, felt like we got some time in nature, learned a lot, and had a great time! And you *can* get to Burano by 9 a.m. from Venice on the 8:10 #12 from Fondamente Nove! Highly recommend this.

booked at short notice (due to suitable weather conditions) received a prompt reply! meeting point easily accessible and - it is a very special experience to experience the beautiful nature of the lagoon in all peace and quiet, with an excellently organised nature guide!

Wonderful, beautiful and not to be missed! - This is truly the best way to experience the islands of Venice! Felipo taught us so much about the history of the area and the environmental issues they are facing AND led us on a once of a lifetime kayaking trip around Burano, Mazzorba and Torcello! A fun and easy trip for beginners or experienced kayakers.

Kayaking in Burano - This was the highlight of our visit to Venice. To see pristine nature and get the history of Venice and Burano directly from a native of burano was amazing. Phillips was friendly, knowledgeable and laid back. Our group was a mix of no kayak experience and someone who owns a kayak and we all still had a wonderful time. Highly recommend this tour.

Wonderful - Fantastic tour of natural parts of the lagoon away from mass tourism. Filippo was a great guide, knowledgable, friendly, and accomodating. Glad we did a kayak taster session before our holiday, so we could just jump in and go. Lifejackets included.

Travelers beware and avoid this one. - I found this online and thought that it would be a safe and enjoyable experience with the backing of tripadvisor but how wrong was that? I paid in full using my credit card while still in the UK. My booked appointment was cancelled the day before I was due to take part but a new time was offered so I continued with the new time. I met the provider of the activity but there was not a single kayak or any boat of any description in sight which made me start to feel suspicious and this was correct as I was asked for an additional €60 in cash before I could progress to see a kayak. After a long debate in which I explained that I had paid in full and didn’t wish to pay more money in cash I had to walk away and have now taken this up with my Credit card provided to retrieve my payment. Tourists beware that these people work in the Venice area and will financially hurt you if you are not prepared. I got a better kayak experience that I found in person for one fifth of the money in the same area only days later.