Venice Pier


Off Harbor Dr 1.5 miles south of W Venice Ave, this long, wide beach with a huge parking lot is the most popular, especially for sunset. The adjacent pier, which has a bait shack and fish tables, is well equipped for fishing. Modest surf near the pier encourages bodyboarding; at the pier's base, Sharky's provides food and drink.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Caspersen Beach

1.28 MILES

One-and-a-half miles south of Venice Pier along Harbor Dr, Caspersen is famous for the fossilized prehistoric sharks' teeth that wash up. Most teeth are…

2. Venice Beach

1.89 MILES

Where W Venice Ave dead-ends you'll find a covered beach pavilion with restrooms and a snack bar. Further south beyond the pier is Casperson Beach.

3. Venice Train Depot

2.1 MILES

Built in 1927 the historic Venice Train Depot was the last stop on the line for the Seaboard Air Line Railway that extended south from Tampa to Sarasota…

4. Nokomis Beach

3.77 MILES

North of Venice on Casey Key, Nokomis is yet another attractive, low-key beach. Its 'minimalist'-style beach pavilion is an intriguing architectural…

5. Oscar Scherer State Park

6.84 MILES

This 1381-acre state park has 15 miles of sandy off-road tracks, lake swimming and a handy campsite ($33 per tent) midway along the Legacy Trail.

6. Osprey Junction Trailhead

8.61 MILES

A 10-acre, dog-friendly park at the east end of Bay St in Osprey that serves as an end point to the 20-mile cycling route, the Legacy Trail. There are…

7. Historic Spanish Point

9.16 MILES

Explore layers of history at this environmental and archaeological site, which covers a 30-acre peninsula jutting out into Little Sarasota Bay. Covered in…

8. Siesta Key

14.57 MILES

At 8 miles long, Siesta Key is the area's most popular beach hangout, with a family-friendly village and a public beach of pure quartz sand so fine it's…