Italy Weekend: Vogalonga 2024
Duration : 3 Days 2 Nights
Max People : 20
Start Location: Venice, Italy
Sign up here for the Vogalonga 2024 waitlist!
Italy Weekend: Vogalonga 2024
In rowing travel circles, this event is legendary. How could it not be? Imagine Venice without motor boats for a morning. Thousands of rowed or paddled watercraft take to the waters for a 30 km “race”, which begins with a cannon shot from St. Mark’s Square. The route takes rowers through the lagoon to Burano, down to Murano and back along the famous canals to St. Marks to receive a participation medal. Rowers come from around the world, with quads, eights, various Venetian style rowing boats, plus kayaks, canoes, SUPs and anything else that moves forward with oars or paddles. The Vogalonga 2023 date is set – it is always on Pentecost Sunday. Our 2023 Vogalonga rowing tour is fully booked. We are now accepting names on a waitlist for the Vogalonga 2024 weekend. While the Vogalonga 2024 date has not been confirmed by the organizers, we are confident that it will be held on comparable dates to the Vogalonga Venice 2023. In the meantime, here is some background on the event and our planning, plus suggestions of where you might be able to travel to row this year.
Fun Facts and What to Expect
The history of the Vogalonga traces to 1974 with a first regatta of just a few traditional “mascarete” boats. The scope broadened the next year to allow any type of rowing boat and the event was billed as more a protest than a race. At issue was the growing number of motor boats in the lagoons and canals. It was not simply the sheer volume but also the impacts of the wakes on the historic structures and waterways. Now thousands of non-motorized water craft throng the winding 30+ km course, many sporting costumes, carrying picnic baskets or maybe pumping music from speakers. Organized chaos!
Our base for the Vogalonga 2024 is on Lido. We stay two nights in an excellent hotel a short walk from the vaporetti station. The rowing club on the island is where we and many others will launch from early in the morning. The warm-up row is to get to St. Mark’s Square before the cannon fires at 9 am, the official start. There is no timing and the point is to enjoy the experience of rowing through the highlights of Venice, a once a year opportunity. There is an advantage of being towards the front of the pack however. The last part of the race is through the Cannaeregio neighbourhood. The canal is narrow and everyone must pass under a bridge, one boat at a time. Frogmen control traffic but the wait can sometimes stretch to hours. Locals and tourists line the banks to watch the fun. Your boat will receive its package of medals and certificates, then a slow, cool down row back to Lido and a massive dinner celebration, perhaps with local specialties like grilled bream, sea bass, sole, and of course, loads of tasty and unusual pastas and risottos. Congratulations!
Suggestions While You Wait for Vogalonga 2024
In 2023 we have three other wonderful Italian rowing trips to tempt you: Bay of Naples & Amalfi Coast in April, Lago Maggiore Rowing Wellness Retreat at Cannero in June, and the Bellagio Rowing Wellness Retreat on Lago di Como in early October. There are lots of other choices this year in Europe and Canada too. And if you want to see rowers in costumes in Venice at a different time of year, visit in December for the Babbo Natale Regatta Parade.
