This stage of the Green Tour offers two fascinating experiences. In the first part, after seeing its springs between Casacorba and Vedelago and pedalling along its meandering and lush course through the March of Treviso, all the way to Jesolo on the coast, we see the Sile river off at its mouth in Cavallino. In the second part, with the help of inland navigation, we go island hopping around the Venetian lagoon, along the narrow and long strip of land that separates the Serenissima and the Adriatic. From the beaches of eastern Veneto, we follow the shore, from Cavallino to Lido, then Pellestrina and finally arrive in Chioggia, the “Little Venice”, where we can already feel that the Po delta is close.

From the town of Jesolo (km 0.0) you follow the right bank of the Sile along via Cristo Re. The road is paved at first, but very soon turns into gravel and leads away from the town and into a pleasant green landscape. You then come to the Cavallino peninsula (km 9.2), very close to the river mouth, and pedal along the lagoon side, with possible interesting detours, for instance to the hamlet of Lio Piccolo. The popular beaches on the south side of the peninsula, however, are always close by and you can get there in no time. Once you get to Punta Sabbioni, the westernmost tip of the peninsula (km 23.8), you hop on ACTV (Venice's waterborne transport service) line no.14 and cross (km 30.3) over to the north of Lido, in Riviera Santa Maria Elisabetta, the “in” part of the island. It can also be reached by ACTV ferryboats and water buses from various points of Venice, for instance from Saint Mark's square or the Tronchetto car terminal (see actv.avmspa.it for ACTV timetables and services.

Once you get off the boat in Lido, you can ride on past the Palazzo del Cinema, the main venue of the International Film Festival (km 32.2). After that, you carefully ride along the Murazzi seawall (km 33.4) with a view over the Adriatic, until you come to Malamocco (km 37.0), a picturesque village where you can enjoy wine and titbits in one of its bars. After this pleasant stop, you ride on to the southernmost tip of Lido, Alberoni, where you hop onto another ferryboat (km 41.5), ACTV line 11 to Pellestrina.

After getting off at the northern dock of Pellestrina, Santa Maria del Mare (km 42.9), you get back on the saddle to pedal south along the tranquil island, skirting the hamlets of San Pietro in Volta and Pellestrina. Before crossing over (km 52.1) on ACTV line 11 again to reach today's destination, Chioggia, you might want to check out Ca’ Roman, on the southernmost tip of the island, a precious nature reserve.

In Chioggia, you get off the water bus at the northern dock of Ponte Vigo (km 57.2). That is the end of this Green Tour stage – you can now relax and visit this small town on the Lusenzo lagoon, with its popular seaside resort of Sottomarina, and enjoy its famed fish restaurants and bakeries.

Possible detours

• From Jesolo you can follow regional cycle touring itinerary I3 Via del Mare eastwards to Caorle and the Bibione lagoon, then cross the Tagliamento river in Lignano, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. This route from Bibione to Punta Sabbioni is also signposted as GiraLagune.

• From Cavallino (Punta Sabbioni) and Lido you can take the ACTV water buses and ferries to Venice, for instance to Saint Mark's square or the Tronchetto car terminal (see actv.avmspa.it for ACTV timetables and services).

• In addition to regional itinerary I3 Via del Mare, which is the continuation of the Green Tour towards the Po river delta, Chioggia is also crossed by regional itinerary I2 Veneto Loop, which follows the Bacchiglione river to Pontelongo, Bovolenta, Battaglia Terme and then, along the Battaglia canal, past the famous spa resorts of the Euganean Hills, all the way to Padua and beyond. You can find all the information on the Veneto Region's website, www.veneto.eu : Itineraries - Sport and Tourism – Cycle Tourism).
  
  

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