The Laguna di Marano flanks the northern part of the peninsula Lignano until Aprilia Marittima and the coast until Marano Lagunare (app. 50 km of the shore arc). At the level of the island Porto Busto, an administrative border divides the Laguna Regionale di Marano e Gardo into the borough of Marano and the borough of Gardo. Apart from the muddy shore, the characteristics of the lagoon are the “velme”, those zones which sink during high tide and emerge during low tide; the little islands (sandbanks) where the fishers’ houses are located, which only emerge a bit from the water and are therefore covered with vegetation; the natural and artificial navigation canals. Further particularities of the lagoon of Marano are the unchanged naturalness and the fisher valleys, which are far away from the city and whose water depth oscillates between 0 and 10 m.

In a former fisher valley, which adjoins Marano’s built-up area, the natural reserve Valle Canal Novo was built, which can be visited on foot. It is a national pilot project for the environmental conservation and function, where naturalists, students, bird-watchers, and common visitors can immerge themselves in the marsh world. One of the most characteristic lagoon ambience is the natural reserve Foci dello Stella, with an area of 1.377 hectare in the delta of the river Stella. It is covered with sandbanks, the “velme”, rare canals, and full of birds.