The Lido: after a few days sightseeing and immersing yourself in the culture of Venice, it’s a good idea to enjoy some pure relaxation and there is no better way than to head for Lido. Lido is a narrow island that protects the Venice lagoon from the open sea.

Many people come here to do nothing but enjoy the beach and soak up the sun, but you’ll also find the place lined with hotels, restaurants, shopping streets and plenty of cafes serving mouth-watering ice creams, as well as lots of stylish people hanging out. The Lido is easily reached by a 15-minute ferry trip from Venice from where it is no more than a short stroll down the main street to the beach.

There is an interesting glass museum located in the centre of the island which is worth a short visit. Once you’ve seen enough glass there are also some churches worth seeing, in particular Basilica di Santi Maria e Donato, known for its stunning mosaics. Murano is easily reached by boat and there are a number of different stops on the island.

Burano: can be reached in around 45 minutes by boat from Venice and is most recognisable for the local custom of painting houses in bright colours. This tradition creates a wonderful relaxed feel to the place; the houses are generally fairly small so you are faced with a kaleidoscope of yellows, pinks, greens, blues and many more colours.

Torcello: while Burano and Murano are probably the most famous of the Venetian islands, Torecello is also well worth a visit and benefits from not being as popular as those two and so is much quieter. There was a time when this was the busiest settlement in the Venetian area, but a number of conflicts and the impact of malaria slowly saw Torcello’s population and importance diminish.

It is however, a lovely place to spend a day with plenty of greenery and some wonderful churches with excellent mosaics, as well as pleasant cafes and restaurants. Torcello is a short boat ride from Burano and few people are disappointed at making the time to visit.