Venice, Florida, is one of the most inviting places to visit when exploring the sunshine state. Although you won’t find any palaces slowly sinking into the sea or gondolas drifting down picturesque canals as you would over in Venice, Italy, what you will find is a lovely little town with just a splash of Italian flare.
Venice has a quaint little downtown area that is easily walkable. As you explore, you’ll find plenty of interdependently owned and operated shops, boutiques, cafes, and galleries. Additionally, you’ll find several beautiful gardens and an abundance of shady trees, making this a fabulous place to go when you’re looking to spend a relaxing afternoon out on the town with a good friend.
But we’d be fools not to touch on one of Venice’s biggest draws – that being it’s pristine beaches. Venice has an outstanding collection of beaches within it’s city limits that are both great to go lounge out on and work on your tan as well as explore on foot, getting lost in the beautiful scenery.
If you’re planning a trip to Venice anytime soon, this is one video that you won’t want to miss. Viewcation Presents: The Best Things To Do in Venice, Florida.
Detwiler’s Farm Market
“Eat Fresh For Less”, so says the motto of this great local gem. And boy, do they ever live up to that philosophy! Customers have been flocking to this market for years in search of the very best and healthiest locally-sourced and sustainable produce and prepared foods.
Detwiler’s places a big emphasis on eating organically gown fruits and veggies. They also source their meats from farmers who believe in raising livestock naturally and ethically without chemicals like antibiotics and growth hormones.
While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend making a day out of visiting this spot as it’s essentially just a grocery store, we can’t think of a better place in town to stock up on all of the essentials.
Sharky’s On the Pier
If you’re looking to enjoy a relaxing meal with the family along Florida’s waterfront, Sharky’s gives all of the other Floridian waterfront grub hubs a run for their money. Shark’s is located along the beach and provides stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico. The pier itself is quite impressive as it’s significantly longer than you would expect.
It’s always rare when you find a locale where you can eat, drink, chat with friends, watch fisherman do their thing, and take a mid-meal swim all during the same meal. We recommend trying the grouper and coupling that with a pint of local ale. As you enjoy your dining sesh, listen to the relaxing sounds of troprock music while watching the waves crash. By the end of your visit, you’ll likely already be planning on what to order next time you stop by!
Caspersen Beach
Few things in this world are more enjoyable then walking down the beach with your family hunting for prehistoric shark teeth. Venice may be blessed with an abundance of fabulous beaches, but Casperson is the best for hunting for these ancient treasures.
Casperson Beach is located at the southern end of Venice. It’s unique for it’s varied and exceptionally beautiful shorelines. Some of the areas are quite lovely with sprawling white sand stretching back to small shrubs and trees, while other spots are more rocky and difficult to traverse. While not every stretch is ideal for lounging on a beach towel under a shady umbrella, all of it is worth checking out.
Although Casperson can get quite busy – especially during the vacation season – the one thing you won’t see is high-rise hotels and condos or massive mansions. For the most part, this beach is in it’s original undeveloped form.
Ideal Classic Cars Museum and Showroom
Car lovers of all ages will be thrilled to know that they can visit this museum free of charge. As you explore the facility, you’ll be treated to a large collection of vintage cars, motorbikes, and trucks. Ideal Classic Cars is more than a museum as well as they also sell and source rare classic vehicles. Collectors from all over the world come here to find hard-to-find motor vehicles to add to their collections. If you happen to have a classic car of your own that you’re interested in selling, they’ll be more than happy to make an offer and take it off your hands.
Venice Area Audobon Rookery
Nature lovers, photographers, and bird watchers will love this spot. It’s well known for being a birding hotspot and as far as Venice goes, there’s no better place to go see our feathered friends thriving in their natural environment.
From the shaded pavilion benches, you can easily spend hours watching and snapping photographs of dozens of bird species. You can also take a walk around Rookery Lake if you’re hoping to get a better view.
Nesting season is from December to May, and during this time, the rookery attracts a wide array of egrets and herons, which you can observe going about their courting, nesting, incubating, and chick-raising business.
The local Venice Area Audobon Society regularly holds lectures, talks, and events at the entrance of the rookery free of charge. So, before you visit, consult their website to see what’s scheduled.
Venice Fishing Pier
There aren’t many better ways to experience the beaches of Venice than visiting the 700-ft Venice Fishing Pier. This incredibly impressive structure is actually the third pier to be built at it’s same location since 1966. Unlike some of the other piers scattered around the coast of Florida, the Venice Fishing Pier is totally free.
The pier is a great place to gaze out into the ocean, watch a sunset, or try your hand at catching a couple of fish in the deep waters below the pier. Locals note that catches here come quite frequently. Species that you might come across include redfish, snapper, and grouper.
To get the latest fishing news or to nab up some gear, be sure to check out Papa’s Bait Shop. And in case you were wondering, you don’t need a fishing license to cast your line here.
Brohard North & South Beaches
While you’re visiting Venice Pier, you’ll likely notice two fabulous-looking beaches to the left and right. These beaches aptly named Brohard North and South are two of the best and most popular ones in Venice. They stretch for miles in both directions have long been favorites of locals and out-of-towners alike.
White, delicately soft sand and emerald-blue water are just two of the many reasons why these beaches made it on our list of the best things in Venice, Florida. Sharkey’s On The Pier is within walking distance, and there is plenty of free parking.
Either beach is worth spending the day at, but if you want a livelier more-festive atmosphere, head on over to Brohard North. For solitude and a quieter beach experience, Brohard South is sure to please although you’ll have to make a longer trek to get there. If you walk far enough south, you’ll eventually wind up at Casperson Beach.
Venice Beach
Not to be confused with the famed Southern Californian beach, Venice Beach is located just a half mile from the city’s historic downtown area along West Venice street. There is ample free parking which means you won’t to lug your gear very far to set up for the day.
While the beach is fairly popular, you should have no trouble finding a space to lay out your towels and open up your umbrellas. The water is usually calm and warm and there are lifeguards on duty to keep a watchful eye on you and your family.
We recommend packing a picnic to enjoy at one of the shelters, or you could always just chow down while sitting in your beach chair. If that sounds like a little too much work, you can walk over to the concession area and have them whip something tasty up for you.
Venice Beach is particularly popular with athletic folks as there are several beach volleyball sand courts available on a first-come-first-serve basis. You’ll also see lots of swimmers and runners getting their workouts in for the day.
Venice Main Street
This non-profit was established to help preserve and enhance Venice’s historic downtown district. Downtown comprises an area that features a couple of lovely tree-lined streets where massive palms gently wave and hundreds of blooming flowers and majestic oak trees warmly invite visitors to come and explore everything that there is to see and do.
Along Miami Avenue and West Venice Avenue, you’ll find many shops and boutiques as well as a nice variety of cafes and restaurants. At the far end, there is a splash pad where kids can cool down on a hot Florida summer day.
Snook Haven Park
This park is nestled away along the banks of the gorgeous Myakka River. Here visitors are given an inciteful glimpse of ‘old Florida’. It’s also a great place to enjoy a day of riverside adventure. Snook Haven Park features amenities that include canoe and kayak launching areas, a boat ramp, a picnic area, and restrooms. You’ll also find a BBQ restaurant that regularly hosts live musical acts.
The park is particularly popular with those that are looking to spend a relaxing day fishing along the river. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, or paddle boats by the hour. If that doesn’t sound like your jam, you can also opt to explore the river via a scenic boat tour.
Clyde Butcher Venice Gallery and Studio
Renowned photographer Clyde Butcher has a great little gallery in Venice where visitors come to admire and purchase his inspirational black-and-white photographs. Butcher’s style has been described as merging at the intersection of fine art and photography. Each of Clyde’s pieces have been meticulously composed to teleport viewers into the heart of his spellbinding photographs. A lot of his best works where actually shot over at the Big Cypress National Preserve – one of his favorite purlieus. If you’re hoping to bring one of his works back home with you, Butcher’s photography is available for purchase. You can also buy photographic books, postcards, and calendars featuring his work as well.
Venice, Florida, might not be quite as breathtakingly beautiful or historically significant as the city that bears it’s name in Europe, but it’s certainly one of our favorite beach vacation destinations in the US. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed taking this little tour of Venice with us and seeing what we think are some of it’s best attractions. Before you go, we’d love to hear what you have to say about this superb gulf coast town.
Have you had the pleasure of visiting Venice, Florida, before? If so, what are some of your favorite sights and attractions? If not, what are you most excited to see or do on your first visit? Let us know in the comments. And as always, thanks for watching, and happy travels!