Walk along the Venice Canals

Venice is named for the network of little canals that crisscross the beachside neighborhood. The residential Venice area of Los Angeles, California, contains the Venice Canal Historic District. The historic area is notable for having man-made wetland canals that were constructed in 1905 as part of developer Abbot Kinney's Venice of America project. In coastal Los Angeles County, Kinney aimed to mimic the look and feel of Venice, Italy. Through sea gates in the Marina Del Rey breakwater and once more on Washington Boulevard, the water enters the canals. When the tide is high, they are closed, keeping the water for about three days before it is replenished again. They open at low tide to drain the majority of the water.

The Venice Canals, which are tucked between the wealthy Abbot Kinney and the filthy Venice Boardwalk, provide a whole different perspective of the renowned coastal region. A trip around these three canal-lined streets, which give Venice its name, will reveal a picture-perfect landscape with sweeping pedestrian bridges, quaint beach cottages, swarms of ducklings, and the occasional bulldog paddleboarding. Despite the lack of boat rentals along the canals, you can bring your own non-motorized boat to explore the area from the water (enter via the launch ramp at Venice Boulevard). This is one of the things to do in Los Angeles.

The area can be explored at water level on your own non-motorized vessel, even if there are no boat rentals available along the canals (enter via the launch ramp at Venice Boulevard).