This stunning destination is just like Venice but without the crowds - here's why you should visit the Italian seaside town Chioggia

By visiting Chioggia you can enjoy more of an authentic, less crowded experience with a slower pace, while still enjoying the charm of canals and Venetian architecture. You will escape the overwhelming tourist hordes that flock to Venice.

Chioggia is significantly less touristy than Venice, allowing for a more relaxed and intimate exploration. Venice is currently struggling to deal with the disproportionate number of visitors cramming into the city, and so why not visit the alternative destination Chioggia.

It is already quite popular with tourists from Central and Eastern Europe for its quaint centre and the close-by sandy beaches of Sottomarina. The New York Times placed it at the top of its annual “52 best places to visit in 2022”–the list focused on sustainable destinations, away from overtourism.

The city was also in the running to become Italy’s 2024 Cultural Capital, a title that was ultimately thrown Pesaro’s way. Chioggia is known as la piccola Venezia –little Venice.

You can visit the famous Chioggia fish market between the Piazza del Popolo and the Canal Vena, right in the middle of the island. The fish market on Canal Vena is a retail market, open every day in the morning. It is supplied by the nearby wholesale market with fresh fish brought in that morning from the fleet of 400 fishing boats that operate out of Chioggia, making this the largest fish market in the entire Adriatic employing 8,500 people and turning over 800 million euros each year.

You can also take a leisurely stroll along the length of Canal Vena with its nine bridges from Porta di Santa Maria to Piazza Vigo which provides most of the photo opportunities. Then you can back along the Corso del Popolo is where you'll find all the bars and coffee shops under the long portico.

It is a hidden gem located in the southern part of the Venice Lagoon with colourful boats and ancient Venetian palaces. So, if you want to escape the crowds but still get that Venice feel, head to Chioggia this year.