Venice Beach is a community in Florida that is known for its spacious public beaches. Unlike the white sand that characterizes Fort Lauderdale beaches, the beaches of Venice Beach Florida have a darker color due to all of the fossilized fragments in the soil. The clean and clear water is perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and scuba diving. Vacationers can spend an entire week relaxing on the shores of the beaches that make up the Venice Beach area, including North Jetty Beach, Caspersen Beach, and Nokomis Beach.

If you're looking for a secluded beach with natural features, head to Caspersen Beach, the longest beach in Sarasota County. The beach is located just south of the airport in Venice Beach Florida, making it a convenient option for a layover. Besides swimming and sunbathing, Caspersen Beach is scattered with prehistoric shark teeth as well as other fossils. In fact, each spring the beach community hosts a Sharks Tooth festival where fossil collectors display prehistoric fossils and local Florida artists display their work. The festival also offers live entertainment as well as cookouts with fresh seafood and BBQ. Caspersen Beach has particularly nice water for swimming, as well as a picnic area, a nature trail, restrooms, and a 1,100 foot boardwalk. It is less developed than most other Florida beaches and rarely sees large crowds of people.

Another good place to find sharks teeth is the Venice Municipal Beach. The mild waves along with a large coral reef located less than half a mile offshore offers the perfect conditions for scuba diving. Venice Beach is a bit more crowded than the Nokomis Beach and Caspersen Beach, yet remains comfortable even in the winter when many tourists take Florida tours or vacations to Florida beaches. The beach also has picnic areas, restroom facilities, and a large boardwalk where you can buy concessions or artwork from local artists.

Nokomis Beach is a family-oriented beach that is ideal for swimming, strolling, and fishing. The beach offers free parking and shower facilities and is patrolled by a life guard. Because Nokomis Beach is one of the most popular beaches in the Venice Beach Florida area, it can get quite crowded on the weekends. If you want to avoid the crowds, arrive early in the morning or in the evening.

If you're planning on bringing your four legged friend on vacation, Venice Beach Florida has a special beach for dogs. The Brohard Paw Park comes complete with dog drinking fountains and showers, leash posts, and fire hydrants. The park is the only one in the county where dogs are allowed to roam free without a leash.

Besides visiting the beaches, the greater Venice area offers other things to do such as shopping and sightseeing. A visit to historical downtown Venice will reveal an eclectic mix of shops housed in vintage buildings from the 1920s. The largest shopping area in Venice, the Venice Village Shoppes, has a mix of women's clothing stores and home décor shops. There are also several indoor malls that are typical of the ones found in large cities.

A vacation to Venice Beach Florida can be spent fossil hunting, shopping, or simply lounging on the beach. If you're planning to take a vacation to Venice in the winter, it's best to book your hotel early since winter is such a popular time to visit.