LE VALLI
(pellestrina-summer only)
This is a hidden treat and, as such, is difficult to get to. Le Valli is a restaurant and agriturismo on Pellestrina island. Pellestrina is an old fishing island, a thin slither, 11 km long, the lagoon one side, the Adriatic the other. Despite being in the middle of nowhere it is packed during the summer. Tables are scattered under big shady trees on the lawn or on a wooden terrace.
They serve baked capesante (small local scallop), a wonderful baccala mantecato (cod fish pate), and a delicate octopus salad, as well as stuffed mussels. You can order a “bis” for the pasta course, where you get a half portion of two pastas. Once we had a fantastic pasta with mussels and botarga (salt roe). Order a half litre of the house prosecco and you’ll have a fantastic lunch that, amazingly, does not cost an arm and a leg. Pellestrina is stunning, and you feel like you are lost both in time and space, as it’s like no other place, just floating there in the lagoon.
FAMILY FRIENDLINESS
This place is wonderful for children. There’s plenty of space for them to run around in the garden where they can play on the hammock or make friends with the chickens. There’s lots of shade from the trees. The toilet is clean with a big cubicle – but no changing facilities. Note that there is about 100 metres of road without a pavement to get to the entrance from either the ferry or jetty, so be careful with your kids along the street.
how to get there
It is quite isolated, only reachable from the mainland by a waterbus from Chioggia, or via two car ferries (mainland to Lido, a 14 km drive through Lido and then another car ferry from Lido to Pellestrina…phew). The best way, as everything in Venice, is to go there by private boat. You dock your boat in the water near the pier and a local man with an old wooden boat (and a very strong Pellestrinese dialect) takes you to shore. You then walk down a small dirt track between two small lagoons, until you reach the agriturismo.
To get there with public transport. First, take the waterbus to Lido (lines 14, 1, 5.1, 5.2, 6).
Just outside the waterbus look for the stop for bus number 11, towards Pellestrina (departs every 30 minutes).
-Number 11 will take you the whole length of Lido.
-The bus will then board the small car ferry, which will take you to Pellestrina (5-10 minutes).
-You can alight from the ferry by foot when you arrive at Santa Maria del Mare.
-Walk about 150 metres down the road until you see a small lane to the left, signposted Le Valli.
FAMILY GUIDE QUICK FACTS
High-chairs available: Yes.
Open afternoon/early evening: No.
Outdoor seating: Yes.
Space for prams: Yes.
Changing table: No.
Toilets: Good.
Address: Via dei Murazzi 1d, Pellestrina
Ferry stop: Santa Maria del Mare (line 11)
Phone: 041 527 9189
Closed: Winter (we’ll post an update when it’s open in 2019)