Visiting the Santa Maria Elisabetta Vaporetto Stop
In a city surrounded by water like Venice, you do not take the bus or the subway. You board the vaporetto. These iconic water buses navigate the Grand Canal, stopping at most islands along well-defined routes. While lines 1 and 2, which glide past palaces and under the famous Rialto bridge, are the most recognizable, the lines serving Lido island offer a comprehensive tour of the city. This scenic ride makes the Santa Maria Elisabetta Vaporetto Stop an essential transit point.
A terminal for iconic routes
Located about ten minutes from Venice, Lido island functions as both a stylish beach resort and an architectural landmark, featuring Art Nouveau mansions and the murazzi, 18th-century stone embankments built to protect the lagoon. As the home of the Palazzo del Cinema and its world-famous film festival, the island provides a dramatic backdrop for the Santa Maria Elisabetta terminal, which serves as the primary gateway to the city center. Known locally as SME, this stop is where you board lines 5.1 and 5.2 for some of the most scenic views of the Serenissima. These lines loop around the outer edge of the city, traversing the Cannaregio Canal along the way. This route provides a full perspective of the city from the water. You can also reach this stop via lines crossing the Saint Mark's Square basin or from Piazzale Roma, which passes through the Giudecca Canal. With departures every 15 minutes, the Santa Maria Elisabetta stop, which also provides access to the beaches of the Lido, offers a perfect starting point to experience every side of the city.
This vaporetto stop is located on the island of Lido, which is far from the center of Venice. We walked along the east coast of the island in the late afternoon. For those who are more athletic, bike rentals are available. We were able to enjoy a magnificent sunset while taking the last vaporetto of the day. A place to visit if you are tired of shuffling around with the other tourists in the heart of Venice.