# Po Delta: lagoons, abbeys and Ferrara

> 3-day road trip of about 154 km (96 mi) with 6 stops, from Chioggia to Ferrara. About 2 h 08 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b1-po-delta/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 154 km (96 mi) with 6 stops, from Chioggia to Ferrara. About 2 h 08 min of driving in total. A flat, quiet trip through Italy’s largest wetland: fishing towns, mussel lagoons, a Romanesque abbey and the Renaissance city of Ferrara.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 154 km (96 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 08 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 6 |
| Route | Chioggia → Ferrara |
| Countries | Italy |
| Updated | September 16, 2026 |

## Route description

Chioggia, at the southern end of the Venetian lagoon, is a working fishing town of canals and a long main street with a morning fish market. Head south on the SS309 Romea, a busy road with heavy trucks, and turn off into the delta at Porto Viro.

Minor roads run along the dykes to the Sacca degli Scardovari, a lagoon of mussel farms and fishermen’s huts, and on to the lighthouse and river mouths of the Po. It is ideal country for bikes, and bird-watchers come in spring and autumn for herons and flamingos.

Back on the Romea, the Gran Bosco della Mesola preserves a piece of the old coastal forest, and Pomposa Abbey’s bell tower rises out of the fields a few kilometres south. Comacchio, with its bridges and canals, has boat trips into the salt marshes of the Valli di Comacchio.

Finish inland in Ferrara, where the Este castle and moat stand in the centre and the city walls make a nine-kilometre ring for walking or cycling. Summer brings mosquitoes and heat, so spring and autumn are the best seasons; the flat roads and many rest areas suit motorhomes.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Chioggia** (Italy)
2. **Sacca degli Scardovari** (Porto Tolle, Italy): A wide lagoon at the mouth of the Po lined with mussel and clam farms and fishermen’s huts. Birdlife is best in spring and autumn; bring insect repellent in summer.
3. **Gran Bosco della Mesola** (Mesola, Italy): A surviving piece of the ancient coastal forest, home to a rare native deer. Walking and cycling paths start at the visitor car park; check the open days before you go.
4. **Pomposa Abbey** (Codigoro, Italy): A Benedictine abbey with a tall Romanesque bell tower rising out of the flat delta, where the monk Guido d’Arezzo developed musical notation. Frescoes cover the church interior.
5. **Trepponti, Comacchio** (Comacchio, Italy): A 17th-century bridge with five staircases meeting over the canals of Comacchio, a lagoon town famous for eels. Boat trips run into the Comacchio wetlands, home to flamingos.
6. **Ferrara** (Italy)