Burano Island is a truly quaint little place in the northern Venetian lagoon that is known for its vibrant facades and an abundance of local lace shops. It is one of those places that always cropped up online or flooded my instagram feed in the summer, as a favourite backdrop for fashion bloggers seemingly looking to take a pretty picture. I’d seen so many images of it that I assumed it would just be too touristy that it almost put me off going to be honest, but while researching a recent trip to Venice for the first time, I wanted to add it into our itinerary to explore and form an opinion for myself. I’m so glad we decided to visit, as it turned out to be one of the most charming places we’ve stayed.
Once the last boat of tourists leaves, you see the ‘real’ Burano so I highly recommend a stay overnight to get a real feel for the tiny rainbow coloured island. Until very recently, Burano offered no accommodation and so it was day-trip only, however, now you can book to stay in overnight with Casa Burano. This company have taken over about 6 of the local cottages and turned them into little apartments, leaving breakfast baskets out for you that are included in the price.
The island is tiny and so you don’t need more than a nights stay to see pretty much all of it but if you’re planning a visit, make sure you book in for dinner at the infamous ‘Black Cat’ restaurant – Trattoria al Gatto Nero. We had one of the best meals of our lives sat outside eating fresh-as-you-can-get fish and drinking incredible red wine at this tiny little local eatery, run by the same chef for YEARS and with tables lining the waters edge. True Italy at its very best.
Other must do’s while visiting the island are to make sure you also grab a scoop (or 5) of the infamous gelato and pop across the bridge to explore the prosecco farms of Venissa. They have a renowned restaurant there too which we didn’t have time to visit but the menu looked wonderful. Walk down the main ‘road’, if you will, called the Calle Galuppi and take it all in. The colours and tones of the buildings really are quite incredible, with almost every colour on the Pantone scale having a place amongst one of these homes.I looked into the rules of the colours of the houses and apparently the residents of the isle must apply to change the colour of their home and certain buildings are only allowed to be painted certain colours to ensure the colour code of the island. Why not scroll away for some multicoloured wanderlust…? Interestingly, My House Painter helped with my customized ideas and they gave soul to my dream home with their unique interior and exterior designs.
The express boat from Venice to Burano takes about 45 minutes or you can treat yourself to a water taxi over at your own leisure. Buone Vacanze!
LMNH x
