Holidays in Bibione

An introduction to Bibione

Mention the words 'Venetian Riviera' and 'beach resort' in the same breath and Lido Di Jesolo is the one that usually springs to mind. However, the Italians have let the cat out of the bag. Just east of Jesolo sits their favourite holiday playground - the pretty seaside town of Bibione. Star billing goes to the beach. Cue 11 kilometres of sink-your-toes-in sand that stretches out like a finger into the deep blue of the Adriatic. Add a trophy cabinet full of Blue Flag awards, a gently shelving shoreline and a pinewood backdrop and you're in for something special. But there's more to this place than just sands and scenery. The town itself came to life back in the 1950s. Nowadays it's home to lots of restaurants, bars and boutiques and summer evenings along the main street – the Via Orsa Maggiore – revolve around cappuccino-sipping and gelato-slurping. Close to the town you've got the Bibione Thermal Spa. Tucked in a forest with views across the Adriatic, it's a pleasure palace for the mind, body and soul with its saunas, Turkish baths and hydrotherapy pools. And it's not just for adults, children are welcome, too. Talking of which, not far away you've got a trio of family-friendly theme parks – Aquasplash, Gulliverland and the Punta Verde Zoo. On the cultural front, meanwhile, a short boat trip eastwards brings you to Trieste. Balancing on the border between Italy and Slovenia, this old Habsburg stomping ground is a jumble of terracotta roofs and Baroque domes. Head an hour or so in the opposite direction and you'll come to Venice. It hardly needs to be said, but the floating City with all its canals and fading grandeur makes for a daytrip and a half.

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