Top 10 Hidden Gems of Venice Florida Travel Guide

By The Backseat View

Welcome to the perfect middle-class beach town explored in the Venice Florida Travel Guide. If you are searching for a beach town to move to, retire in, or snowbird in, you have found it! Venice is a hidden gem with perfect year-round weather and a beach community that feels like home. People live here in Southwest FL, so it’s not touristy or an empty VRBO beach capital.

I can’t decide if I love the massive trees, breathtaking beaches, or the food the most. I stumbled upon Venice in a search for a video game cord sold only at Target. Honestly, that’s how Venice wants it: locals only. The locals planned their town, protecting the beaches from high-rises and commercialism. If you love applauding the sunset on untouched natural beaches stretching into crystal blue water, then the Top 10 Reasons to Explore Venice Florida Travel Guide is for you.

Venice Florida Travel Guide

1. BEACHES

In less than 20 minutes, I can visit five different beach parks. The beaches are public and open to everyone. With beach protection being a town goal, this is not the place for beach-view hotels. The large, white, sandy, low-crowd beaches are some of the most beautiful in the country. Siesta Key, 20 minutes north, has been voted the best beach in the country for several years. With 14 miles of magnificent beaches, let’s start with my five favorites.

Venice Beach

Located at the end of the historic main street, this beach has boutique shopping, parks shaded by trees, and numerous restaurants within walking distance. I love this area so much that I send my husband home for sale updates. The Inn on the Beach is an older motel across the street from the beach. The beach has bathroom facilities, volleyball courts, and lifeguards. The reef lies a quarter mile offshore, so this is a diver paradise. The beach is accommodating to the disabled, with reclining and floating wheelchairs that travel through the sand. I purposely posted the beach crowd levels mid-June on a Saturday. The weekday beach is empty.

Brohard Beach

Brohard has the Venice Fishing Pier and Sharky’s for lunch and drinks. Sharky’s is the only beachfront restaurant in town with a tiki hut vibe. Fins is an upscale restaurant located next to Sharky’s. The beach is wide and long, resulting in spread-out crowds even on a Saturday in June. The Service Club Park is nearby, and it has covered picnic areas. This is THE MAIN PUBLIC BEACH with a hundred or more parking spaces.

South Brohard Paw Park

As the winner of the “BEST DOG BEACH in America,” South Brohard has been perfection for years. All dog owners should be planning a visit to Paw Park. The beach is divided into small dogs and large dogs when you leave your car before entering the beach. The dog wash-off, shower area, water fountains, and play areas are separate as well. A 100-yard section of empty beach set aside for dogs to run free is impressive. However, the parking lot is limited.

Caspersen Beach

Often rated the “Best Beach in Sarasota County,” Caspersen packs an unusual punch. This beach has rocks that divide the beach into your own personal areas, resulting in a secluded feeling. The beach is natural, with tidal flats and marshes. The 177-acre park with hammock trees for shade is a nature lover’s paradise. A kayak launch is on the opposite side of the road. This beach fills up on a Saturday.

Nokomis Beach

This beach is popular with younger crowds, and the stores around it have an Old Floridan feel. The 22-acre park has showers, restrooms, and limited parking. It’s technically a different town, but it’s so close to downtown.

2. Historic Main Street

Strolling Venice Avenue with swaying palms and moss-draped oaks, unique boutiques, and Italian architecture, it’s no surprise Venice lands on the best historic downtown and cutest main streets in Florida lists. The “master-planned” city was designed after Venice, Italy.

Farmer’s Market

The Farmer’s Market on Saturdays is a vibrant local scene with so many baked goods, gourmet treats, healthy smoothies, jewelry, and produce. The many restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and bakeries make it impossible to decide on food options. All of this, plus parks and a beach, make Venice Avenue the best place to spend a day.

3. Fishing

• Everyone fishes at the 700-foot fishing pier with free access, no license required, and Papa’s Bait Shop on the pier to supply all your gear. The Venice Fishing Pier is perfect for a stroll to watch dolphins or to catch the big fish.

• South Jetty is a great place for fishing. After fishing, the Crow’s Nest is a fabulous seafood dinner option overlooking the inlet for sunset views.

• However, booking a fishing guide is the best way to experience the thrill of snook, redfish, trout, and tarpon.

4. Parks

With over 50 parks, it’s easy to find a recreational area. Centennial Park offers free music and a gazebo, while Legacy Park has a train-themed playground.

Marina Park offers biking, running, kayaking, and a playground. Shamrock Park has tennis and basketball courts along with biking trails. The Venetian Waterway Park is the most popular, with views of the water. The city has so many biking trails that it has won awards from The League of American Bicyclists. The Legacy Trail stretches from Venice to Sarasota, where you can ride along the intercoastal.

5. Train Depot

The Historic Train Depot is part of Marina Park and provides a glimpse into history. The Barnum and Bailey Circus Train cars are open to the public on Saturdays to share the joys of circus life. The circus trained in Venice and even had a Clown College.

6. Shark Tooth Capital of the World

I find it WILD that teeth a million years old are on the beach. Shark teeth are everywhere in the surf and tide line and occasionally uncovered in the sand. We have all spent hours sifting the sand.

7. Theatre

The Venice Theatre is one of the best community theatres in the country, with an annual budget of 4 million dollars. Attending a performance here is as enjoyable as attending a professional theatre.

Venice also has an Art Center for exhibitions and workshops.

8. Boating

• Boating through the Intracoastal waterways and the ocean is life for the locals.
• Rent a boat or hire a guide, either way, spend time in the water. Venice Boat Rentals, Cool Breeze Boats, and Rock the Boat Rentals are all highly recommended.
• Kayaking through the mangrove tunnels brings wildlife up close, and guided tours are available.
• Snake Lake is right as you enter the Bay from the Jetty. People boat, kayak, and paddleboarding over for a day of rest on the island.

9. Restaurants

• Trattoria Da Mino is a local authentic Italian favorite in the historic downtown.

• Sharky’s beachfront Tikki hut for seafood is THE BEACH restaurant.

• Fin’s is fine dining with a beach view.

• Crow’s Nest provides a sunset dinner with inlet views.

• Dockside Waterfront Grill also provides sunset views.

• Snook Haven for BBQ and music on the river. It’s a hidden gem with quick-serve, patio dining, or inside table service. You can also rent kayaks and boat cruise here.

10. Celebrate Sunset

Honestly, I could not decide between all the golf courses or the sunset.

I love a town that celebrates beach sunset with drums, clapping, or cheering. The beaches, the Venice Fishing Pier, and the South Jetty are the best places to watch the sunset.

CoolToday Park

The Braves are my hometown team, so I can’t leave out CoolToday Park. The Atlanta Braves Baseball Spring Training facility is a fun activity for a spring day. With the Tomahawk Tiki Bar being the best place to grab lunch or dinner.

I travel with guys, so I must mention the Ideal Classic Cars & Showroom, which is filled with antique cars from around the nation.

Let’s Plan

Are you ready to go to Venice? I am, so let’s do a little planning.

For flights, Sarasota/Bradenton (SRQ) or Tampa (TPA) are the cheapest options. You definitely need a car and then a place to stay. That’s it, wander the town to enjoy your vacation!

Lodging

• The Inn at the Beach is steps from the beach and my favorite.
  
• Venice Beach Villas are within walking distance of the beach and historic downtown with kitchens.
  
• VRBO a condo
  
• The Hampton Inn is on the Bayside and near South Sarasota.
  
• Camp Venice Retreat has RV and tent camping on the inlet.
  
• Ramblers Rest is huge, with over 500 camping sites.
  
• Oscar Scherer and Myakka State Parks have waterways and great campgrounds a short drive from Venice.
  

While Venice has the historic main street, parks, and protected beaches, the rest of the town is completely normal, with Target, car dealerships, and strip malls on every corner. Detwiler’s Market is the best grocery store in town, offering fresh Amish meat, cheese, and baked goods.

Go ahead, book the trip, and uncover the hidden gems in Venice. Thanks for reading my Venice Florida Travel Guide.

I have included a few of my other favorite beach towns for you to check out.