Venice Beach (Venice, Florida)
Venice Beach
The "Shark Tooth Capital of the World," about 40 minutes south of Sarasota. Visitors sift the sand and shallow water for shark teeth fossils that are millions of years old.
Venice is a small coastal city in southern Sarasota County. Its shoreline sediments contain large numbers of ancient shark teeth fossils, which is why it is called the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World." Venice Beach and Caspersen Beach, further south, are popular fossil-hunting spots. Visitors use long-handled sifting screens to sift the sand near the surf line, and with luck you may find fragments of megalodon teeth. Shops on the beach rent sifting screens. Nearby, the Venice Fishing Pier is about 220 meters long and is a good place to watch the sunset. The small city center has old streets in a Mediterranean style. The Shark Tooth Festival is held every April. The drive from Sarasota takes about 40 minutes. Note that Caspersen Beach is undeveloped and has no lifeguards.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Oscar Scherer State Park
- Historic Spanish Point
- Turtle Beach (Siesta Key)
- Siesta Key Beach
- Myakka River State Park
- Lido Key Mangrove Tunnels
- Celery Fields
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens