The Po delle Tolle, from Ca' Tiepolo to Barricata

Leave behind Ca’ Tiepolo as you take the road that follows the southern embankment of the Po di Venezia. On the right, you'll see the large expanse of land that is Donzella Island, with fields and crumbling farmhouses dating back to the great land reclamation programme. Once out of Tolle, take the main road to Ca’ Dolfin. The first major town to stop in will be Scardovari.

You can leave the main road by turning right, to pass by the Sacca degli Scardovari, a large stretch of water that flows into the Adriatic, famous for the breeding of mussels and oysters. Along the way, you'll see the 'cavane', a series of houses on stilts, used by fishermen and mussel farmers.

A short distance after the Sacca degli Scardovari, continuing along the main road, you will come to Ca’ Mello, a nature reserve and a favourite haunt of birdwatchers, who come here to observe diving birds such as ducks and cormorants, but also the graceful herons and white ibises. Take advantage of the roadside observation tower to gaze across the 150 hectares of marsh, to get an idea of what the land used to look like before it was reclaimed.

After this little detour, take the road back to Scardovari. At this point, take the main road to Bonelli, a reclamation village founded at the site of one of the pump stations built to regulate the supply of water from the river. Enjoy the view of the old houses once used by the reclamation workers and then keep going. The final leg of the tour takes you to Barricade, now the site of a tourist village and harbour for yachts. If you're lucky, you can take the pontoon bridge to reach the thin strip of sand on the outermost part of the coastline. Relax on the pristine beach, as you listen to the sounds of the sea and the sea birds that inhabit the dunes.