Lets Visit Venice, Florida

Our June 10-18, 2022 visit to Venice, Florida. We are staying on Venice Beach Island. Because of a positive COVID test a few weeks ago, we had to change plans. Initially we were going on an Alaskan cruise with international travel. To make up for it, we decided to do a week of relaxation by exploring the Venice Beach area. Venice is in Southwest Florida, just south of Sarasota and north of Fort Myers. We were able to book an affordable airbnb only 2 blocks from the beach in the historical downtown area. After some searching, we were able to find an updated published calendar of fun things to do in Venice, including free yoga on the beach, shows, and walking/bike tours – Calendar – Visit Venice FL.

We also happened to arrive for the local restaurant week. Restaurant Week is an annual or semi-annual event, where local restaurants participate by offering a set of 2 to 3 courses for lunch ($20) or dinner ($35) to entice new patrons to try their establishment. If nothing appeals to you, you can always order off the regular menu, as well. Venice is part of Sarasota County and is included in the Sarasota Restaurant Week, called “Savor Sarasota:” Savor Sarasota 2022 | Visit Sarasota

For dinner on June 11th, we went to the Crow’s Nest Marina Restaurant and Tavern (Home | Crow’s Nest (crowsnest-venice.com) at the very north end of Venice Beach. They have three eating areas: the main dining room, the bar area, and an outdoor seating area that overlooks the water. We were in the outdoor section, which was a spectacular location for sunset. The prices were reasonable. The food was delicious and the service attentive. Definitely recommend for locals and tourists alike to check out the Crow’s Nest. Near the restaurant was an establishment that rents kayaks and SUPs (stand-up paddle boards), which we are planning to checkout while we’re in town. Also, at the north end of Venice Beach you may be able to see manatees in the water. At one point we could hear a dolphin expelling their air and could see dark shapes in the water. We plan on coming back in the morning, which supposedly 630-830 is the best time to see the manatees.

The rest of the week we explored the Venice, Venice Beach, and surrounding areas. Venice Beach is one of the best bicycling towns I’ve seen – very bike friendly with little car traffic, and many attractions close enough to bike.

South of Venice Beach. Riding or driving along Habor Drive, there are several areas to highlight. There is a long pier, the Maxine Barritt Park (which includes a manmade water pond with small alligators), and the Brohard Paw Park where you can take your dog to the beach. This area has tons of parking as well. We could easily have spent at least a half day in this area.

The Alligator Pond includes a walking path around the water, with one side shaded by trees. It is located in Maxine Barritt Park and adjacent to the Paw Park. We were able to see one alligator that swam near us.

The Dog Park has a controlled entry to ensure dogs don’t escape. Outside of the beach there is a fenced in dog park area, including some showers to help clean all the sand off the dogs.

North of Venice Beach. Crossing a couple of bridges to the north of Venice will bring you to Nokomis, Lyons Bay, and the North Jetty. From the North Jetty you can see the Venice Beach areas and have more opportunities to look for manatees and dolphins. Eric was able to see a manatee at the North Jetty, but I was too slow with the camera to record it.

Other areas of interest near Venice:

• Siesta Key and South Sarasota are about 15 miles north of Venice. Siesta Key is another Southwest Florida beach town that offers miles of beach, restaurants, and shops. We tried a Siesta Key restaurant for Restaurant Week, but were not as impressed as the Crow’s Nest in Venice Beach.
• Englewood is about 12 miles south of Venice and is another area of beaches and restaurants to explore. While in Englewood, we had dinner at Farlow’s on the Water (Farlow’s – Waterfront Restaurant Englewood FL (farlowsonthewater.com), and that is another fantastic option for an affordable restaurant, with great food, where you can eat outside with nice views. We definitely recommend Farlow’s, and if you go, ask for Zee as your server!
• Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach is a longer drive from Venice (80-90 miles), but if you have the time and are looking for something else to do, it is definitely worth the trip. There is a toll to cross over to Sanibel Island and much of the public parking also costs a fee, but it is a higher end vacation location with the beaches, restaurants, and shops. If you find yourself in the Fort Myers or Sanibel Island area, check out the Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant (Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant – Dining, Live Music & Special Events). They have nice happy hour prices, a very good seafood menu, live entertainment, and outdoor dining overlooking the water.
• Another recommendation for families travelling to Southwest Florida is a restaurant named Pinchers (Pinchers – Florida Seafood, Florida Style (pinchersusa.com). They have nice portion sizes, good prices, but most importantly kids eat for free. It is a local chain with about 8-10 locations; we tried the Pinchers in Venice and we would definitely go back.
• Finally, we wanted to highlight a local business in Venice, the Venice Olive Oil Company (Venice Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Florida – Extra Virgin Olive Oil & more!). Veteran owned, this store has dozens of Ultra Preimum olive oils, dozens of balsamic and specialty vinegars, and a wide variety of sauces. During our week in Venice, they hosted a Wing-a-Palooza event where we tasted 12 different chicken wings flavored in the oils and sauces they sell in the store. The staff working there is wonderful, the oils and sauces are high quality, and they ship for a flat fee. If you are in the Venice area, stopping into the Venice Olive Oil Company is worth your time.

Whether you are looking for a short weekend getaway, or a longer vacation to the quiet, beach town, Venice is an outstanding option to consider. With miles of beaches that won’t be overcrowded, a quant “downtown” area in the historic Venice Beach area that is walkable, and an easy drive to other locations along the Southwest Florida coast, Venice is an outstanding choice. Check it out!