From Cavallino to the mouth of the river Sile
The area included between Cavallino and the Sile, enclosed by river, sea and lagoon, boasts rich agricultural landscapes and fine beaches. There is no lack of variety here: you pass from the tranquillity of the market gardens to the bustling Via Fausta, from there to the seclusion of the ancient Porte del Cavallino, the canal locks of Cavallino that connect the river to the lagoon. The itinerary offers several items of interest. The first is the historic village of Cavallino, originating in the early-medieval Equilium, where the rearing of brown-coated Venetian mares was passed down from generation to generation.
Today, the town of Cavallino ('pony') shows few significant traces of its past, apart from the parish church dating back to the 18th century and the square overlooking the lagoon, dominated by the small bronze horse sculptured by Barbaro from Burano in
1948. From the village centre, a walk alongside the Pordelio Canal, (whose name derives from par el lio, 'for the lido') and the Veneta Littoral, along which the rafts carrying wood to the Arsenale used to transit in Renaissance times; this leads to the lagoon landscapes of the Casson Canal and the Valle Cavallino fishing reaches, home to little grebes, little egrets and red herons.
The fish farms on the landscape are very picturesque: the fishing reaches of Valle Falconera and Valle di Musestre, for example, with the special architectural features of their fishing lodges, Casòn di pesca, and hunting lodges, Casòn di caccia,
clearly outlined; and the fish farms protected by rows of tamarisk.
Means of transport: on foot.
Route: the Locks of Cavallino (in the vicinity of the bridge that links the
Island of Cavallino to the mainland) - banks of the Pordelio river - historic village of Cavallino - Via Fausta - Via Del Fante - the bridge of Cavallino - the Locks of Cavallino.
Distance: about 10 km.
Estimated time: 3hours (not including stops).
Viability: the excursion leads along the bank of the canal, which is in part a dirt track; it then follows a stretch of Via Fausta, continues on sand to the edge of the beach, and ends on asphalted streets and unsealed lanes.
Points of support or refreshment: inns at the Locks of Cavallino; bars
and restaurants near the inhabited centre of Cavallino and at the basin at the mouth of the River Sile - the old Piave.
Suggested period: from April to November.
Clothing: comfortable and stout footwear is suggested. The excursion
area is windy in the intermediate seasons. Along the track there are very few shady areas.
Then, the embankments that enclose the fishing reaches on the lagoon side and the local bird life (terns, herring gulls, wild duck, and marsh harriers); the market gardens and the sandy beach dominated by an extensive pine grove; the mouth of the Sile, the lighthouse and the tourist boat marina, the riverside with its reed thickets, fishing boats and trawl nets - such a variety of different landscapes blending so remarkably into the different environments.
