It’s easy to forget that Venice isn’t the only magical, slightly weird water world around. The Venetian lagoon is home to more than 30 other inhabited islands, one of which is Burano. The stuff of dreams, prettier than a Greek island, ‘charming’ wouldn’t even begin to cover it. An hour’s boat ride on the public water bus or vaparetto takes you to this quiet fishing island with a current population of about 2,800 inhabitants. Famous for lace-making and its brightly-colored fishermen’s houses, the doors of Burano are left open and laundry hanging outside on lines to dry add to the impression of a friendly and tight-knit community. I’d like to take credit for how well my photographs came out, but this island is just so damn cute that you really couldn’t take a bad picture.
The easiest way to get there is to take Vaporetto number 12 from Fondament Nove, departing every half hour. The Vaporetto also makes one stop on Murano Island so if you reach Murano from another part of Venice, you can transfer to number 12 at the Murano Faro stop. On the scenic 40-minute ride, you’ll pass the cemetery island of San Michele, Murano, Torcello, and small islands in the lagoon.
