In the two or three hours I spent in Burano I scarcely took my finger off the shutter. Every single street and corner was a rainbow photograph in the making.

So why are the houses so colourful? Legend says that the fishermen painted them brightly so they could spot them whilst far out to sea. The other explanation is that the colours helped to define the boundaries between each house.

Like Venice, Burano also suffers from acqua alta (high water). During the winter months especially, the tides in the Venetian lagoon rise so high that parts of the islands become flooded. I arrived just as the water started to recede (after having an amazing morning splashing around in Venice’s San Marco Square – which is for another post…).

Another quirk of the island is its leaning bell tower, part of the 15th-century church San Martino. I loved the way it slanted haphazardly from the back of these houses.

As well as tourism and the selling of glass and lace, fishing is still an important part of the island’s economy. Whilst ambling along the streets you will more than likely see fishermen at work on the canals or taking home their day’s catch.

My only regret was that I couldn’t stay longer and dig deeper into this unique little island.