Your goal is to build Canals that are as long as possible (each Canal scores 1 Prestige point for each Canal tile it contains after the second tile, so a Canal with 5 tiles would be worth 3 points) and close as many of its open ends as possible (each is worth -2 points at the end of the game; to close a Canal, you just need to connect it to the Empty side of a tile, which allows you to place a Canal End token on top of it). Additionally, some Canal tiles also have routes with open gaps over the canal itself where Bridges can be built when both ends of the "open" route are connected to other tiles. Bridges are very important to make points with gondolas (you want those romantic moments during your sightseeing tours), as each gondola is worth 1 point +1 for each bridge in the same canal.
