Celebrate the dazzling sights of Venice’s islands, part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage site designation, from the comfort of a private motor launch. Begin your cruise along Canale della Giudecca, a broad waterway just south of Venice’s central islands, and reach the tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where you’ll see its sensational Palladian church, whose red-brick-and-marble campanile pierces the sky. Pass the small islands of San Servolo and San Lazzaro, a former leper colony that’s now home to an Armenian monastery. Follow the coastline of the Lido, a strip of land that separates the Venice Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea, and enter a wide canal that runs between the island of Sant’Erasmo, the largest in the lagoon, and lush Le Vignole. Admire the fabled island of Murano, a name that conjures up images of the delicate glassware that has been handcrafted here since the 13th century. Behold the historic Arsenale shipyard and the island of San Pietro di Castello, whose stately church, once Venice’s main cathedral, is a white-marble wonder with its own attractive campanile. Revel in Venice’s oft-overlooked gems on this relaxing and illuminating journey over the city’s serene waterways.
