Sailing in the Nature reserve of the mouth of the River Stella is one of the experiences I recommend if you are near Lignano Sabbiadoro. It is very popular and accessible to all and children are thrilled.

Sent on our way by a beautiful and sunny day in September, we left the Darsena of Lignano Sabbiadoro aboard a motorboat to explore the oasis of the Stella river. It is a place that seems suspended in time, where everything is in perfect harmony. And if you stop and keep quiet, for a moment you can sense all the peace and tranquility that this place can impart.

We sailed across the lagoon of Marano and met several fishermen who showed us their catch; we looked at the seagulls wheeling over us and saw families of swans and their cygnets crossing the channels. We enjoyed the silence and the scent of the sea.

The bed of the lagoon is bordered by mudbanks and reed beds and we sailed through fresh water. On the path we pass the suspended nets of fishermen until we reach a magical place, the Villaggio dei Casoni. Being able to stop and admire the beauty and simplicity of these homes on the water was a fascinating experience. The skipper entertained us with the music and stories that populate those places. He made the children laugh dressing them as pirates and putting them to the test in search of a hidden treasure. And the bravest ones were entrusted with the helm of the ship.

On the way back, with the salt in our hair and the sun on our skin, it was nice to see how beautiful and varied our region is. In the distance, there was the embrace of the mountains, and there we were in the boundless sea with the wonderful town of Lignano ahead to welcome us.