Experience the beauty and old world charm of a gondola cruise through the canals of Naples Island! Did you know it is possible to take a gondola ride in California? California has many beaches and islands that allow for these type of cruises with the use of gondolas. The gondolas are black to keep that traditional and authentic Venetian look. Unlike the gondolas in Venice, which are about 38 ft. long, the ones in Naples Island are 25 ft. long to adapt to the width of the canals. The gondolas are made from mahogany plywood, oak, frames and fire glass. I have been to Venice back when I lived in Italy and have taken a gondola ride there as well so I can say the experience is similar, but the views are different especially the views of the architecture. If you had this on your list and have not been able to go to Venice I highly recommend to take a weekend getaway in Belmont Shore and do a gondola cruise in Naples Island as it is fun, entertaining and offers beautiful views!
Gondola Getaway
This company is located in long Beach, California. It is easy to access and they offer great service and friendly and informative gondoliers. This is a small business, which I highly support. I just recently found out about this company that has been in business since 1982 and since I really enjoyed the gondola ride I like to recommend it to others. The company provides gondola rides 7 days a week from 11 AM to 11PM. Their most popular rides are sunset cruises. They offer specials for couples as well as fun pizza and brunch cruises. They pretty much cater to any occasion and to big parties as well for celebrations. During the holidays they also have a lights cruise, which allows you to see the canals full of Christmas lights. This is something I need to come back and see! One of the things I really liked about this company is that it allowed me to take my own champagne and snacks. This added to a more enjoyable experience on the gondola. They also do coordinate food if you book in advance. Since it does get pretty cold specially during sunset, the gondolas provide blankets, which I liked a lot as I get cold easily. The cost of the gondolas is $90 per couple, but you can also look for a Groupon to saver 50% or more on the cost as they tend to promote themselves here, that is what I did.
What to Expect
- Beautiful views of the canals
- History tour of Belmont Shore and the canals
- A relaxing cruise
- Romance
- Friendly service
- Champagne, snacks, food is allowed (bring your own)
Belmont Shore
Belmont Shore is located in Long Beach, California. It is the closest neighborhood to the gondola rides. This small neighborhood is surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars. This is a good place to spend the day after the gondola ride. My recommendation is to spend a whole weekend and experience the gondola ride one day and the restaurants and shops here and the following day you can do kayak as they offer this here as well. You can also just take nice walks along the beach or attend an event as there are events taking place here often. Whatever you decide to do I am convinced you will have a great time!
Overall, this was an enjoyable relaxing experience for me, which I highly recommend! From the gondoliers, to the views to and charm of the gondola it all contributes to a wonderful moment. Hope you have enjoyed this post!
Thank you as always for your love and support!