As regular visitors know, Venice today, despite all its wonders, can feel besieged by tourists. It is incredibly common for travelers who stay more than a day to escape to one of the neighboring islands, using a waterbus to check out Murano, which is famous for its glassworks, or Burano, which is famous for its lace. But farther into the Venice lagoon, a sheet of shallow water that stretches from north to south for 30 miles, lesser-known locales away. Dozens of islands lie beyond the tourist hubs and are comprised of ancient fishing villages, private villas, rich archaeological sites, vineyards and, on one speck of dry land, an Armenian monastery. One such place, Santa Cristina, is filled with canals, cypress trees, and a recently restored church. The private island’s 1920s main villa has been converted into a Zen-quiet nine-bedroom retreat for groups of visitors on short-term stays. Peacocks and pheasant stroll around the island, basking under pomegranate trees and in apricot orchards. Yoga retreats are a specialty of the island.
“The lagoon is the backyard of Venice. It’s a natural backdrop where you can recharge your batteries, and a luxury many Venetians indulge in—to have a little motor boat and come out into nature to spend some time,” said René Deutsch, whose family owns Santa Cristina, to Town & Country.
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