Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where W Venice Ave dead-ends you'll find a covered beach pavilion with restrooms and a
snack bar. There's free yoga on the sand daily at 9am, and free acoustic music from
Saturday to Wednesday at around 5pm. Sea turtles nest on Venice Beach from May to
October.
Venice Pier
BEACH
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 boogie
boarding; at the pier's base, Sharky's provides food and drink.
Caspersen Beach
BEACH
Another 1.5 miles south of Venice Pier along Harbor Dr, Caspersen is famous for the fos-
silized prehistoric sharks' teeth that wash up. Most teeth are the size of a fingernail, but oc-
casionally finger-long specimens are found. Its attractive, palmetto-backed sand, play-
ground and paved bike path also make Caspersen popular; there are facilities but no con-
cessions (kiosks).
Nokomis Beach
BEACH
(
www.nokomisbeachflorida.com
;
100 Casey Key Rd, Nokomis)
North of Venice on Casey Key, Nokomis is yet another attractive, low-key beach. Its
'minimalist'-style beach pavilion is an intriguing architectural bauble; it has nice facilities
but no concessions (so bring lunch). Also, at sundown on Wednesday and Saturday nights
things get genuinely groovy: the
Nokomis Beach Drum Circle
gathers and its rhythm
draws upwards of several hundred folks. To get to Nokomis Beach take US 41 N to Albee
Rd W.
Warm Mineral Springs
SPA
( 941-426-1692;
www.scgov.net/warmmineralsprings
; 12200 San Servando Ave; adult/child $20/
10; 9am-5pm)
Was this warm mineral spring the actual fountain of youth Ponce de León was hunting? So
they say. And it's an appropriate fable for this Old Florida throwback. The spring's 87°F
