Guided Tours and Experience Tourism in Venice: the island of Sant’Erasmo

Become the protagonist of your visit... What if in Venice one could find cultivated fields and orchards? Do you think it is possible to find examples of sustainable agriculture in the Lagoon? And would it be interesting to take a closer look at all this on an unusual guided tour, focusing on experience tourism, slow and respectful of the specificity of our Lagoon?

The Island of Sant’Erasmo and the Doges’ Vegetables Gardens

In the Northern Lagoon, quite close to one of the port mouths of the Lido island, we can find an island called Sant’Erasmo, dedicated, as the Italian name suggests, to St. Erasmus.
Here, where nature has been preserved almost untamed, the microclimate is definitely unique: the breeze from the sea guarantees mild winters and cool summers.
It has always been considered an ideal place for agriculture: in fact, the fruits and vegetables needed for the Doges’ meals would be grown on this island, in great variety. Moreover, the specific salinity of the ground, permeated by the brackish water of the Lagoon, used to give, and still gives, a particular taste to the vegetables.


During one of our guided tours in Venice and in the Venetian Lagoon we would really like to show this island to our guests. It would be great to take a pleasant walk unexpectedly surrounded by greenery, or to go for a bike ride, to admire the different panoramas and views that this island offers.

Experiments of eco sustainable agriculture

But as soon as we reach Sant’Erasmo, we really must meet a special couple. We are talking about Ilaria and Savino, who run a farm that produces organic fruits and vegetables following the important philosophy of agroecology.


This philosophy is based on respect for the natural environment.
All chemicals are banned: it is the environment that has to be preserved correctly, in order to allow the natural growth of fruits and vegetables.


For example, you do not weed out those plants that allow the proliferation of ladybugs: these insects, in fact, get rid of the parasites that can damage the crops.
Hawks prevent pigeons and other birds from eating the seeds in the fields. In the orchards special trees are planted, the so called nitrogen fixers, that help the growth of the fruit trees…


You can never get tired of listening to Ilaria and Savino as they explain all this! It is fascinating! Visiting the vegetable gardens and the orchards with them is a unique experience!

 

Farmers for a few hours…

Our guided tour has not yet come to an end…
Would you like to pick some ripe fruits or vegetables and eat them right away, after having washed them?
And wouldn’t it be interesting to give your own contribution to the growth of these fields by planting some seeds or little plants? We really adore herbs… but also zucchini, Brussels sprouts, carrots and artichokes are pretty good!


Mind, however, that there are proper fruits and vegetables in every season. Eco sustainability also means that all of us should chose what the earth can give us in a natural way, season after season.


At this point we can sure ask Ilaria and Savino to give us a taste of what they grow… what about the jam produced with the fruits of their orchards? They are simply divine! Our favourite? The apple and cinnamon jam!


We will be waiting for you to live an unusual, unique and unforgettable experience in the Venetian Lagoon!
Ciao!
Contacts: info@guidedtoursinvenice.com

You might be interested also in the following Experience Tourism adventures: 

Experience in Venice: the regatta Vogalonga

The Carnival Grand Ball

If you are interested in guided tours of the islands of the Venetian lagoon, hereunder some links: 

Guided tours of the Venetian lagoon both by boat and by bike (youtube)

Guided and photographic tours of Burano island Venetian lagoon (youtube)

Venetian lagoon: a special visit of Torcello island: art and nature  (youtube)

Venice specific tours: liberty architecture and decoration on the Lido island