Venice

 

Venice, just south of Sarasota along Florida’s white-sanded Gulf Coast, offers 14 miles of beaches, from Casey Key to Manasota Key and plenty of recreational opportunities, including swimming, sunbathing, fishing and boating.

Aptly named one of Coastal Living’s "Best Places to Live on the Coast" in 2020 and “Happiest Seaside Towns in America” in 2015, this island town’s charming main street offers shopping and dining and meanders through stately 1920s homes leading straight to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Once a fishing and farming community, this city in the heart of Sarasota County has blossomed into a vacation destination, where families play in the surf, hunt for prehistoric shark teeth, shop through downtown, bike around the Venetian Waterway Trail and "catch the big one" at the Venice Pier.

Venice is The “Shark Tooth Capital of the World.” Shelling is also a favorite pastime in Venice, and fossilized shark's teeth can be found in abundance by sifting through the sand. Golfers enjoy excellent courses in the greater Venice area.

Venice also is a Florida Main Street City – its downtown graced by northern Italian architecture and beautifully landscaped boulevards that date to the original city plans of 1925 and reminiscent of the Italian city of Venice whose name it borrowed.

Beautiful, historic downtown Venice dates back to the 1920s and captures the charm of old Florida, with its moss-covered oaks and swaying palms lining the avenues. Venice’s unique location combines a vibrant downtown experience with parks, green spaces and Venice Beach, which is less than a mile away. 

Venice, along Florida’s white-sanded Gulf Coast, offers 14 miles of some of the most magnificent beaches in the state. From people-only beaches, to beaches that accommodate dogs, to beaches on which you can hunt for shark’s teeth, Venice has it all.

Downtown Venice is more than just West Venice Avenue. Be sure to explore East Venice Avenue, Tampa Avenue, Miami Avenue, Nokomis Avenue and Nassau Street for an assortment of boutiques, restaurants, bars, sweet treats, and services. These local, family-owned, small businesses are the soul of the city and contribute greatly to its economic vitality. Don’t forget to check out the Venice Farmers Market on Saturday mornings for local and organic fresh produce, baked goods, seafood and more.

The heart of downtown is Centennial Park, where visitors can enjoy free concerts at the gazebo, get community information at the Venice MainStreet kiosk, and kids can play at the Intergenerational Fountain splash pad. It is also the location of free parking along with free street parking in the district. For lovers of history and architecture, downtown offers plenty to discover. From the historic Venice Train Depot to 1920s buildings throughout the district, take a docent-led or self-guided walking tour and learn about Venice’s fascinating history.

Venice holds many distinctions including being a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community, a Monarch City USA and has been awarded the Coolest Downtown Award and the Outstanding Achievement Award for Landscaped Areas by America in Bloom in 2020. Trails at Venetian Waterway Park and The Legacy Trail offer miles of walking and biking that connect directly downtown. A recent downtown infrastructure and beautification project, completed by the City of Venice, has elevated Venice as a destination on the Gulf Coast.