Water taxis, canalside hotels and tide tracking: A local’s guide to Venice during low waters

Venice has been making the headlines due to the exceptionally low water levels in the city’s canals.

Climate change has been cited as the culprit for the dry waterways, but the reality is more complex. I am one of many Venetian residents growing frustrated by the misinformation. So I’m here to set the record straight.

Low water levels are an annual phenomenon here, and they’re only indirectly related to the drought hitting many areas of Europe.

If you’ve booked to visit Venice during this period, you might be worried about how the dry canals will affect your holiday.

As someone who has experienced this phenomenon many times, here’s how to prepare for your trip and the easy ways to navigate the low water.

During January and February, there is usually a period of a few days when the water levels of Venice’s canals drop.

The occurrence is known as ‘bassa marea’ or ‘acqua bassa’, meaning low tide or low water.

It’s the opposite of ‘acqua alta’, a term referring to high tides that have caused severe damage to the city in the past.

‘Acqua bassa’ refers to when water levels are more than 50cm lower than average due to an abnormally low lunar tide coinciding with a period of high air pressure.

When this happens, some secondary canals are drained of water revealing the muddy bed.

Italy is currently experiencing a prolonged period of high pressure which is protracting the low tide phenomenon.

The high pressure is also responsible for the droughts affecting other regions in the country.

Low tide rarely hinders daily life in Venice, whether that’s catching the waterbus to work or getting supplies by delivery boat.

This is partly because the low water depends on the tides, which change about every 6 and a half hours. This means that some canals