Italian coast of the Gulf of Venice

The northern Adriatic Coast of Italy, comprising the long stretch of shallow lagoons and indented coast between the Po Delta then the ports of Venice and Trieste, has more harbours and marinas per mile than any other part of the Italian peninsula and thus merits its own section. Nothing, of course, rivals the experience of sailing into the lagoon of Venice in one's own yacht, but the whole coastline is a rewarding cruising ground, with spectacular birdlife and some of the most beautiful landscapes to be found anywhere in the Mediterranean. However, the area has some of the highest tides in the Mediterranean, which can be an important factor in the approaches to some of the harbours, is prone to fog at times and can experience vicious and unpredictable thunderstorms, especially during the late Summer.

Also, this part of the coast two additional hazards for cruisers to contend with: firstly it is mostly shallow and many of the harbours have depths at the entrance of between 3.0 and 5.0 metres, which means they cannot be entered or exited in strong onshore winds; secondly, the Italian appetite for seafood means that large stretches of the coast are littered with lobster pots and mussel rafts. A night passage along this coast - especially under motor - would be courting disaster unless at least five miles offshore.