Sandwiched Between Venice And Trieste Is Italy's Lagoon Town With A Seafood Market That Hasn't Changed In Centuries

Tucked alongside the dreamy blue hues of the Adriatic, between Venice and Trieste, Italy's coffee capital and a top destination for 2025, is the charming Caorle. Once a fishing village shaped by the lapping waters of the Caorle lagoon and the Livenza river, today it retains a distinct maritime character with a bustling fish market and a harbor animated by fishing boats. Indeed, the town is somewhat similar to nearby Chioggia, functioning, for the most part, as a beach destination and a fishing port. And just like Chioggia, it boasts an attractive old town. There, you'll find colorful houses lining narrow streets, alongside historic churches and the wonderful, if slightly tipsy, cylindrical Campanile del Duomo di Caorle (the Bell Tower of Caorle Cathedral) towering above much of the town.
Most days, you'll see fishermen hauling boxes of fresh catch from their boats, which are sold via a traditional whispered auction, where commercial buyers whisper their bids to the auctioneer. But if you're hoping to fry a fish or two, then head to Caorle's Municipal Fishing Market, on Riva delle Caorline, which is open to consumers, early from Tuesday to Saturday (8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.). The produce is typical of the Veneto, with things like squid, clams, sardines, and cuttlefish for sale.

As you might expect, seafood restaurants are omnipresent in Caorle. And while the city centre has plenty to choose from, we suggest taking a quick jaunt just outside of the old town to Ristorante Duilio on Strada Nuova for sublimely cooked seafood and Venetian classics like Fegato Veneziana.

Caorle's old town is a compact maze of pastel-colored houses and petite squares. The big sight in town is the Cathedral of St. Stephen, a stone church with Byzantine elements dating back to the 11th century, paired with its distinctive 900-year-old cylindrical Campanile del Duomo di Caorle. The campanile is particularly interesting as a rare example of a round campanile, as most, like Venice's Campanile di San Marco, aka St. Mark's Bell Tower, are square or rectangular in shape. The view from the top loggia is astounding, with vistas of Caorle's pretty houses and an unobstructed view of the sunset. For an even more dramatic view, plan your trip for the second weekend of July to see the Processione della Madonna dell'Angelo, and the striking Incendio del Campanile, when red fireworks make the bell tower appear to burn from inside.

From here, a short stroll leads to the Church of the Madonna dell'Angelo, perched on a small promontory overlooking the Adriatic with a charming little campanile. Inside the church there's a statue of the Virgin Mary that is said to have been rescued from the sea by fishermen. Along the seafront, the Scogliera Viva (Living Cliff) showcases a series of stone sculptures created by artists from around the world, adding to the Adriatic eye candy on seaside walks.

Caorle boasts 11.8 miles (18 kilometers) of sandy beaches, making it a popular summer destination, and there are two main beaches (both with Blue Flag designations). Levante Beach to the east runs alongside the historic center with shallow waters ideal for swimming, and Ponente Beach to the west has wide swathes of golden sands flanked by a busy promenade.

The closest major international airport to Caorle is Venice's Marco Polo Airport, which is a 34-mile drive away. Buses run from the airport and take approximately one hour and 35 minutes to reach Caorle. As Caorle is close to Venice, it makes an ideal stop as part of a wider exploration of the Veneto region, perhaps after exploring with our guide to the 12 best romantic things to do in Venice. From Venice, the quickest route is by bus, which takes a little over an hour from Venezia Piazalle Roma. You can go by train too, with the direct train from Venezia Santa Lucia in central Venice to San Stino Di Livenza, and from there the bus, which takes around one hour and 26 minutes.

A bit of a hidden gem in Caorle are the old fishermen's houses known locally as casoni. The houses are built from reeds and rushes, giving them the appearance of quaint thatched cottages with surprisingly high pointed roofs. They sit scattered along the lagoon, and are most scenically reached via a flat cycling path that leads from the historic center along the coast, passing reed beds, canals, and birdlife along the way. 

For most travelers, Caorle represents something of a hidden gem in Veneto, traditionally, thanks almost solely to Venice, one of Italy's busiest regions. Other hidden gems include the wonderful little town of Chioggia, the other Venice in the Venetian lagoon, which has extremely similar architecture to Venice but on a much smaller scale. It's a great place to try Veneto cicchetti in a canalside restaurant and is easily reached from Venice's Lido via the vaporetto water bus.