Cinto Caomaggiore
Cinto Caomaggiore is a municipality in the eastern Venice area, on the plain between the Livenza river and the border with Friuli-...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Cinto Caomaggiore
From Gravel Pits to Nature Oasis
The Laghi di Cinto have an origin that is anything but natural: twentieth-century gravel excavation dug into the ground until it created wide water basins, which have since become a highly valuable ecosystem. Over time, some of these former quarries were acquired by private owners and organised as nature-interest oases, with equipped trails and protected areas dedicated to local flora and fauna. It is an interesting example of how an extractive activity, once its economic function ended, can leave behind a natural environment rich in biodiversity, quite different from the farmland landscape that characterises the rest of the municipality.
The Main Basins: Perisotto, Secco and Acco
The Laghi di Cinto nature area includes several basins, among them Lago Perisotto and Lago Secco, as well as a trail leading to Lago Acco, in the so-called Cave Vecchie zone. Each basin has slightly different characteristics in terms of depth, surrounding vegetation and wildlife, together offering a variety of habitats that is rare for a plain territory. The lake system has also become a reference point for sport fishing, with the catch-and-release reserve linked to the Ca' del Lago facility considered among the most important in Italy for this type of fishing, as well as for walking, cycling and horse-riding excursions.
Ca' del Lago, Farm Stay and Fishing Reserve
The Oasi Naturalistica Agriturismo Ca' del Lago is the best-known access point to the Laghi di Cinto, combining rural hospitality, dining and nature-based activities within a single facility. It is described as one of Italy's most important integral fishing reserves, a detail that draws sport-fishing enthusiasts from various regions, but it also offers the chance to tour the lake by boat, go horse riding or cycle the surrounding trails. It is an example of how nature tourism and farm-stay hospitality can combine in a territory that, without this initiative, would remain known almost exclusively for agriculture.
A Farming Town in Eastern Venice Province
Outside the lakes area, Cinto Caomaggiore retains a strongly agricultural character, in line with most municipalities of eastern Venice province between the Livenza river and the border with Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The surrounding countryside, given over to arable crops and forage, reflects the traditional economy of this plain area, historically tied to land reclamation and water management, not far from Portogruaro, the area's main reference town. While the lakes are its best-known attraction, the municipality remains deeply anchored in a rural identity shared with its neighbouring towns.
Birdwatching and Slow Tourism
The variety of habitats offered by the Laghi di Cinto, from open water to reed beds and surrounding woodland, makes the area particularly interesting for birdwatching, with the chance to observe species linked both to wetland environments and to the surrounding countryside. Guided excursions, periodically organised by local environmental associations, offer a closer look at the lakes' flora and fauna, an activity that fits within the growing trend of slow, nature-based tourism sought by those looking for an alternative to the busier coastal destinations of eastern Venice province, such as Bibione and Caorle, a short distance away.
Experiences not to miss
- Guided excursion around the Laghi di Cinto
- Birdwatching along the shores of Lago Perisotto and Lago Secco
- A day of catch-and-release fishing at the Ca' del Lago reserve
- Boat or horseback tour around the lakes
- Cycling ride through the eastern Venice countryside
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Cinto Caomaggiore
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