The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Marcel Proust
Venetian Riviera: Exploring Venice, Caorle and the Adriatic Coast
After more than a decade of Eurocamp Holidays (see our past itineraries below), we were excited to add another chapter to our family’s story exploring Italy’s Venetian Riviera. We spent five nights at Union Lido Mare on the Cavallino peninsula before moving to Pra’ delle Torri near Caorle. Although we’ve travelled the Adriatic many times over the years, these five-star Eurocamp parcs were completely new to us and gave us a fresh perspective on a coastline we thought we already knew.
We chose these parcs very intentionally because they offered two completely different rhythms. Union Lido would be our base for discovering the Venetian Lagoon, while Pra’ delle Torri would become our place to slow down and settle into everyday life on the Adriatic coast.
Part 1:
Our days from Union Lido had an energetic cadence by design. Because of the resort’s proximity to Ca’Savio and Punto Sabbioni, both popular departure points for boat tours to various destinations, we found ourselves exploring the lagoon as a collection of places, each with its own personality.
One day might lead us through the glass furnaces of Murano, watching artisans shape glowing glass with techniques passed down for centuries. Another would find us wandering Burano’s colorful lanes, where fishing boats still bob outside brightly painted homes and seafood remains at the heart of daily life.
Some evenings we stayed in Venice long after the day-trippers had departed, when the crowds softened, the canals reflected the evening light, and the city seemed to breathe again. Knowing we could always return to the beach, our holiday home and the comforts of Union Lido made it feel wonderfully unhurried, even in the height of July.
Union Lido itself became part of the experience rather than a place to stay. We have visited Eurocamp parcs across the continent, but this was our first opportunity to experience one of its flagship Adriatic resorts during peak season. It gave us a fascinating look at how a large, bustling parc operates when families arrive from across Europe and the world, and yet there is still a family-run fruit stand down the lane and new gelato flavors to tempt us around every corner. This is our favorite part about Eurocamp. It provides much more than accommodation; it is a village that feels intuitive and easy to settle into quickly so the holiday can begin!
Part 2
At Pra’ delle Torri, our pace shifted exactly how we hoped it would. Our days became slower and simpler. We found ourselves lingering in Caorle’s weekly markets, browsing little galleries and family-run shops, stopping for peach and salted dark chocolate gelato on warm afternoons, and ending evenings over small plates or cicchetti, as fishing boats returned to the harbor. Sometimes it was a bowl of spaghetti alle vongole; other nights, simple grilled fish with olive oil, lemon, and a glass of local wine. There was nowhere we needed to be. From sports activities and evening entertainment at the resort to roadside sun-drenched melon stands, we easily settled into the rhythm of the coast and let the days unfold.
What surprised us most was how this journey helped us understand the lagoon itself. For perhaps the first time, we connected the islands, the glassmakers of Murano, the fishermen of Burano, the barrier beaches of Cavallino and the waterways that have sustained life here for centuries into one story. We had never expected to find that kind of perspective in the middle of peak season, but approaching Venice from the coast rather than making the city the entire destination changed everything.
So, after so many years returning to the Adriatic, we think we finally understood what Proust meant. Sometimes you simply need to look long enough at somewhere familiar to see the world that was there all along with new eyes.
