Venice

With 14 miles of beaches, Venice, just south of Sarasota on Florida’s Southwest Coast, is the place to go for plentiful shopping, family-friendly saltwater adventures, and Old Florida charm.

Easily reachable by foot from the downtown area, Venice Beach, a certified Blue Wave Beach, is the city’s most popular stretch of coastline, where visitors can look for fossils and reef dive a quarter-mile from shore.

Sunbathe on the soft white sand, swim the clear turquoise waters of the Gulf, cast a line from the 700-foot Venice Fishing Pier, and hunt for fossilized prehistoric shark teeth in the Shark Tooth Capital of the World.

Bike the Venetian Waterway Park Trail, shop Historic Downtown Venice, which is full of historic buildings reminiscent of its namesake Italian city, and see why Venice was named a Top Five Suburb for City-Like Living and one of USA Today’s 10Best Must-Visit Beaches in the South for 2023.

Plan your trip at Venice MainStreet.

BEACHES

Dive a reef, look for shark teeth, listen to a drum circle, or join a yoga session on Venice’s beaches.

• Venice Beach
• Caspersen Beach
• North Brohard Park
• Nokomis Beach
• More beaches

WATERWAYS

The scenic Myakka River can be accessed from a county park in Venice.

• Venice Myakka River Park

FAMILY FUN

In addition to beach and water activities, families with children will enjoy the kid-friendly activities offered in Downtown Venice, including walking the shark loop to find shark sculptures and spotting the 30 fairy doors hidden throughout the downtown area.

• Venice Fairies
• Venice Shark Spotting
• Intergenerational Fountain

MUSEUMS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Take a walking tour of the circa-1920 Historic District, see a symphony or theater performance, and check out the art center and museum.

• Historic walking tours
• Venice Performing Arts Center
• Venice Museum & Archives
• Venice Art Center
• Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery
• Venice Theatre

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Ride the bike trail, take an easy walk from downtown to Venice Beach, hike the park trails, kayak, snorkel, dive, and more.

• Aquanutz Fossil Dive Charters
• Venice Boat Rentals and Florida West Scuba
• Biking
• Venice Audubon Rookery Park
• City of Venice Fishing Pier
• Legacy Trail
• Venetian Waterway Park Trail
• Venice parks

ACCESSIBILITY

Find accessible amenities and attractions in Venice Beach, including an accessible beach park.

• Chauncy Howard Park wheelchair-accessible beach park
• ADA kayak and canoe launch at Venice Myakka River Park
• More wheelchair-accessible attractions.

PET-FRIENDLY ADVENTURES

Take your four-legged best friend to the dog beach and dog parks.

• Brohard Paw Park
• Venetian Waterway Park dog park
• Woodmere Dog Park

DINING

Venice has plenty of dining options, whether you’re looking for international cuisine, fresh seafood, or a hearty breakfast from a popular café.

• Suncoast Café
• Bodrum Mediterranean Restaurant
• Trattoria Da Mino
• More places to eat

SHOPPING

Walk Downtown Venice and browse the shops for gifts, clothes, home furnishings, children’s items, and more.

• Sun Bug
• Seaside Chic
• Nana’s
• More places to shop

INCLUSIVITY

Check out the annual Venice Pride Festival and other LGBTQ+ events.

• Venice Pride
• Wine Down Wednesdays

SPORTS

See the Atlanta Braves play at CoolToday Park and tee up at one of Venice’s sunny golf courses.

• CoolToday Park
• Lake Venice Golf Club

PLACES TO STAY

Book a room or vacation rental near the water.

• Inn at Venice Beach
• Venice Beach Villas
• More places to stay