Summer Day Trip: Venice Beach, Florida

by Jennifer Paulke

Summer Day Trip: Venice Beach, Florida

Venice Beach is a lovely, laid-back, charming beach about 90 minutes north of Southwest Florida. It's a beautiful beach to make a day trip to if you want a change of pace from the closer beaches. Venice Beach is often considered the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" because of the abundance of fossilized shark teeth along its shores. Sifting for sharks' teeth is a fan-favorite way to spend the day in Venice. Be sure to bring a sand sifter to locate the teeth in the sand, or head over to Papa's Bait Shop on the Venice Fishing Pier and rent or buy a "Florida snow shovel".

Parking is free at Venice Beach, and there is no fee to access or fish along the Venice Fishing Pier. You can even rent fishing gear and purchase bait right on the Pier. The water is usually clear and turquoise, excellent for swimming and snorkeling right from shore.

A visit to Venice Beach isn't complete without a stop at Sharky's on the Pier for lunch or dinner. Sharky's has been around for 35 years and has become a Venice landmark. The restaurant is right on the beach and offers excellent views, delicious food, and refreshing frozen drinks. The service at Sharky's is superb, and if you want a great view of the water, ask for a table on the restaurant's second floor. It's less busy and the view is beautiful. If you like seafood, "Sharky's Famous Grouper Wrap" is delicious, and the "Spiced Seafood Nachos" is another popular menu item - great for sharing. The restaurant can get busy at lunch and dinner, so add your name to the wait list and then head back down to the beach, and they'll text you when your table is ready.

As you leave the beach, check out Venice's downtown area, which is very charming, complete with art galleries, boutiques, Mediterranean-style architecture, and the Venice Theatre, one of the largest community theaters in the country. We highly recommend a trip to Venice, Florida, for a quick getaway or day trip, especially if you want a more relaxing and laid-back beach experience.