This is a rare opportunity to see the lagoon island of Burano as its inhabitants do, rather than just day-tripping in to photograph the brightly coloured houses and fishing boats for Instagram. The first (and still, in our opinion, the best) place to stay on the island, Casa Burano is an albergo diffuso of 13 rooms and suites, spread over 5 traditional houses. Staying here means you live right amongst friendly locals, and have an authentic experience of island life, after the tourists depart for the day; utterly enchanting, in case you were wondering. Wander the cobbled streets, chat to friendly locals, eat in neighbourhood restaurants and watch elderly women weave intricate lace tablecloths. We also loved seeing boats come and go across the lagoon in the glorious morning light.
The accommodation itself is gorgeous: minimalist in style, with quirky design pieces and artisan furnishings. You can book a room or an entire house for a group (the biggest sleeps 8), and each house has a cool, communal area with comfy chairs and a kitchenette for teas and coffees. Should you want a bit of spoiling, just walk across the wooden footbridge to Mazzorbo island, where sister hotel Venissa awaits, with its gourmet restaurant and contemporary osteria. Perfect for those who want something more original than a hotel stay.
Highs
- Burano itself, and living amongst locals: meeting them and experiencing authentic day-to-day life
- Beautiful rooms, with a clean, minimalist palette and excellent beds
- Fantastic value
- Michelin-starred dinners at their sister hotel, Venissa, located on the neighbouring island of Mazzorbo (accessed via a footbridge)
- Just a 40-minute vaporetto from the centre of Venice, so day trips couldn't be easier
Lows
- No meals are served, no cooking facilities and only a few Burano restaurants remain open at night (even less out of season); but Venissa isn't far away
- During the day, the island does get busier with tourist groups. Make the most of the calm mornings and evenings
- We felt an in-room information pack would be helpful
Best time to go
Casa Burano is open all year. Venice itself is very busy in the summer months, as is Burano during the day. In our opinion, spring and autumn are the best times to visit the region, for warm weather and fewer tourists. That said, winter is incredibly atmospheric, and locals say November has a magical quality of light rising from the lagoon.
Our top tips
Book a boat tour and go fishing for soft-shelled crabs on the lagoon with local fishermen. Or take a photography tour of Burano with a local professional. Reception at Venissa can arrange both activities.
- Boutique Guesthouse
- 13 bedrooms
- Restaurants nearby
- All ages welcome
- Closed: 7-31 Jan
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
Rooms
The 13 rooms and suites are spread over 5 Burano houses, each with a gorgeous, colourful facade. But while they may be authentic on the outside, we doubt many locals have such chic interiors. Scandi-minimalist in style, they're mainly white and an ode to design pieces: Arclinea desks, Moroso chairs, Bolzan Letti beds, to name a few. Spacious bathrooms have colourful tiles, rain showers and Fregonard toiletries; larger rooms get a tub too.
The sofa areas in the Suites can fit an additional 2 guests so they're good for families - or for a longer, romantic stay. We particularly liked the one we saw, with an exposed-brick wall and hideaway snug up a flight of stairs. Junior Suites are a bit smaller, with an in-room desk area, while Superior Rooms are perfect for 2 guests. Views are of the bright, colourful houses and busy waterways - totally captivating - and several rooms have a patio area with table and chairs.
The ground floor of each house has a communal living area, with tea-and-coffee making facilities and a couple of dining tables. We loved their mosaic-style floors, and thought they would be a good place to relax with a drink in the evening and chat to other guests.
Features include:
- Bathrobes
- Hairdryer
- Minibar
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Burano has a couple of decent cafes and bakeries for breakfast, but you're better off crossing the footbridge to Mazzorbo, then walking through the vineyard to Venissa's Osteria Contemporanea (approx 10 mins). Here a continental buffet of homemade bread and croissants, creamy natural yoghurt, jam and cake await (extra charge).
Dinner is offered at the Osteria too, and it's all affordable and very good, with a daily changing degustation menu (4 courses, closed on Thursdays in winter). We ate here and were wowed by a cuttlefish dish with a pumpkin cream and black squid ink.
Be sure to treat yourself to at least one meal at Venissa's more formal restaurant, which has a Michelin-star. The food is incredible, with offerings like soft-shelled crabs, baby squid and eel freshly plucked from the lagoon.
There are various other restaurants for dinner on Burano. Many close early so plan ahead.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Coffee maker
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Visit Burano's lace-making shops and museum; if you're lucky, you'll see elderly women mid-creation, weaving and knotting. They're passionate about passing the tradition down to the next generation
- Take time to chat to locals, many of whom have fascinating life stories. You may meet Carmellina, who has worked in the family bakery since the age of 8; her circular bussolà cookies are the stuff of legend. Or Bruno, who spent his working life blowing glass on Murano, then retired and is now a gardener at Venissa
- Vaporetto boats glide from Mazzorbo to Murano, famed for its tourist-friendly glass workshops, as well as Torcello and Venice itself
- Spend a day in Venice and return as the tourists are leaving Burano. We loved wandering the labyrinthine cobbled streets, stopping off at galleries and St Mark's
- Tour local Prosecco vineyards with a guide from Venissa and taste the hotel's incredible wines
- The golf course on the Lido is said to be the best in Italy. It’s easily reachable by vaporetto from Mazzorbo
- Cross the bridge and stroll around Mazzorbo. It’s completely untouristy, without a single shop, but the views are sensational as the sun goes down on the lagoon
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Birdwatching
- Boat trips
- Cycling
- Museums / galleries
- Private guided tours
- Shopping / markets
- Traditional cultures
- Wine tasting
Kids
Families are welcome and will love the relaxed, independent vibe of the experience, as well as the friendly locals and family feel of Burano. Parents will find the basic kitchenettes useful for whipping up snacks and storing food in the fridge; note there are no microwaves.
Best for:
All ages
Family friendly accommodation:
Junior Suites can fit a baby cot or extra bed; Suites have a sofa, which can be converted into a bed for 1-2 children.
Families Should Know:
Getting here by public transport from the airport will take time - a waterbus into Venice, then you need to walk to the vaporetto stop for the islands (20 minutes), then chug out to Burano (40 minutes). Consider getting a direct boat transfer from the airport to the island instead; enquire when booking.
Distances:
- Airport: 49km (Marco Polo)
- Shop: 2 mins' walk
- Hospital: 40 minutes' vaporetto (Venice)
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Casa Burano is on the island of Burano in the north lagoon of Venice, 40 minutes by vaporetto from central Venice.
By Air:
Fly into Marco Polo or Treviso. The former is connected to the city by water bus or bus; to reach the city from Treviso, you have to take a bus or a taxi through the suburbs. From the centre of Venice, you need to find the Fondamente Nuovo stop to get the vaporetto to Mazzorbo (where you check in). It’s the same water bus you would take to reach Murano and Burano.
By Train:
Venice’s Mestre station is the closest to the city. From here you can take a bus or taxi into Piazza Roma, the terminus for all wheeled vehicles, and will then need to take 2 water buses or vaporetto to reach Burano (taking about 1 hour).
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.com.
Airports:
- Venice Marco Polo 49.0 km VCE
- Venice Treviso 83.0 km TSF
Other:
- Beach 5.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 2 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape