Venice

Venice is about 17 square miles in size, with a significant portion of the city located on an island surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway. Three modern drawbridges make the island accessible. The artificial Intracoastal Waterway is actually the culprit that created the Venice Isle which was originally part of the mainland. 

The historic district, the downtown area,  the municipal airport, and all the beaches are located on the “Venice Isle.” Commercial activity, accept from stores and the airport, is banned. Venice has a vibrant downtown area with small shops, boutiques, local coffee- and wine shops, bakeries, restaurants, and ice cream parlors. Grocery shopping, banks, and even medical facilities are often within walking distance.

There are no fast food or other chains or box stores on the island, only individually owned stores and shops are attracting tourists and locals alike. 

Entertainment:

Come and get into the swing. Venice Downtown is very active. There are concerts at the park, art exhibitions, parades, and wine and music on Fridays. Those events are attracting a lot of people from all over the county and beyond. 

Evenings are filled with shows at “The Venice Theater” or concerts at the “Venice Symphony.”

Parks, Beaches and Outdoor Activities

Venice has more than 30 parks, ranging in size from tiny pocket parks to parks with miles and miles of biking, and hiking trails. The smaller parks are scattered all over the town. They are little shady spots with benches and flower beds where the visitor can rest for a while to enjoy the gentle wind blowing from the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes people do not even recognize that they are there. They sit down on a bench without appreciating that this thing is located under a nice, shady canopy of trees.  

And there are “serious” parks with tennis and basketball courts, boat ramps, canoe and kayak launches, and miles of walking and biking. Even the Legacy Trail runs through Venice, connecting all the communities along its way to Sarasota. This former railroad track provides miles of excellent biking and hiking. One of those days, this trail may run from Canada to Key West, however, there are still some obstacles in the way.  

Golf Courses

If you want to play a round of golf on one of the world-class golf courses in the area, or if you want to explore the half-dozen area nature preserves, nothing is hindering you. You will find them everywhere. If not…you will find them here. 

We should also not forget the number-one reason why everybody is here: the beaches. People say that the 7-mile long beach in Venice is one of the most unspoiled stretches of public beach in all of Sarasota County.