Pellestrina is a slender, elongated strip of land–to be exact, 11 kilometers long–placed between the Venetian Lagoon and the Adriatic Sea. Its width varies from a minimum of 23 m to a maximum of 1.2 km, which is also the distance between salty and brackish water.

On the lagoon side, a necklace of small colorful houses–boats docked in front–each painted in a bright color, distinct from the ones next to it. For some reason, the result is not the typical Murano look you’ve seen on Instagram. Simplicity is at the core of Pellestrina: it’s a place built simply to be inhabited. In the middle of the island, separating lagoon from sea, is a long wall known as “la diga”.