Seaside resort in the province of Ferrara. One of the seven Lidos of Comacchio.
Porto Garibaldi is a picturesque seaside village with a small fishing port of ancient origins, colorful boats moored a few yards from the centre and fishermen busy in their daily work.
It began as a fishing port and the village grew around the port, becoming the first beach resort on this coast. The town is characterized by low-rise buildings that maintain the look of a fishing village along the navigable canal that connects Comacchio to the sea. The fishermen of Porto Garibaldi are one big family, returning early in the morning with a mob of hungry seagulls around their boats. These boats spend whole days and nights on the sea in search of the fish which are delivered in a whirlwind of voices and timeless gestures. This precious cargo is best tasted fresh in the numerous restaurants, or at home following the recipes of the locals who have always lived alongside the fish. Porto Garibaldi faces out to sea, but it is also at the mouth of a long waterway that runs inland as far as Ferrara.
Today, it is a popular beach resort and known for its excellent cuisine which can be sampled in numerous restaurants and beach clubs.
Boats leave from here in the summer for visits to the Po Delta and on fishing trips to catch mackerel and little tuna.
During the summer, motorboats leave from the small fishing port to visit the Po Delta and practice sport fishing.
Several traditional events are held on the canal port, including the Festa della Madonna del Mare in June with its traditional procession of decorated boats.
The Po Delta Park envelops Comacchio with its woods and lagoons: just outside the town are the Comacchio Lagoons themselves, which can be visited by bike or boat; to the north, Valle Bertuzzi (10 km) offers splendid landscapes at dusk, while the woodlands at Mesola and Santa Giustina (20 km) are ideal for a cool evening walk among the green leaves after a day on the beach.
Don't miss a visit to Comacchio, the "little Venice", an enchanting lagoon town: it's neat and unfeigned, endowed with a vitality that comes from a strong respect for its own history and for the environment that surrounds it.
