A natural wonder to admire by bicycle, along more than 60 kilometers of asphalted road rarely visited by cars. It is the island of Ariano in Polesine, a section of the province of Rovigo, which has always been linked to the largest Italian river.
Here, in fact, the Po separates in two branches at Santa Maria in Punta: in the middle of the island of Ariano which extends into a large reclaimed countryside, then the two main branches approach almost touched at “Ca ‘Vendramin”, near the bridge crossing the Po of Gnocca and leads to Porto Tolle. It is the inner part of the vast Delta wedge, an area that did not exist in antiquity, the result of reclamation, artificial channels and embankments, especially of the Serenissima.
Here you can go all the way to the banks of the Po of Venice and the Po of Goro, around the ring of the river island of Ariano in the Polesine; as well as Ariano, you can admire the areas of Taglio di Po, Corbola, Santa Maria in Punta e Rivà. But, also the old abandoned farmhouses are very interesting. Starting with “Ca ‘Vendramin”: within a short distance you can also visit the Bonifiche Museum, well visible along the main road to Porto Tolle, characteristic for the high chimney.
The alternative routes allow, using old ways on ancient coastal dunes used since Roman times and in the Middle Ages, to return to the Po of Goro at St. Basilio an important archaeological site with a beautiful exhibition of recent finds, or at Rivà immediately in front in the ancient Castello di Mesola on the Ferrara side of Po di Goro.
You may also be interested in: https://www.fuoriporta.org/eventi/porto-tolle-ro-la-cozza-edop-si-gusta-tavola-dal-25-al-28-maggio/