Venice Pier

As far as I’m concerned the best time to be on a beach is at sunset—provided the beach faces west. Since we were on the gulf side of Florida this certainly worked.

The Venice Pier afforded us an extra treat with the appearance of two dolphins. They were probably attracted by the activity of the fishermen on the pier. You can see one dolphin’s fin in the photo.

Only a few drawbacks to our Sunday evening spent at Venice Pier: Tables from Sharky’s, an adjacent restaurant were placed too close to the sidewalk. Diners spilled onto the sidewalk as they exited. Unfortunately a few of them were not in full charge of their faculties–a little too much happy hour. Combined, the situation presented a bit of a tricky hazard to maneuver through.

The end of the pier was also crowded. Many other people wished to see the sunset over the water. After all, it only occurs once per day.

Notice the crowd at the end of the pier.

Travel Light Tips
• The 700 ft. Venice Fishing Pier
1600 Harbor Dr.S. Located at Brohard Park on the south end of Venice Island.
• Papa’s Bait Shop, (941) 250-9193 open 6:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. offers live and frozen bait, coffee, treats, jackets, shirts, etc. Rod and Reel Rental $15/day. (Call for updates.)
• No fee to access the pier. It is open at all times. No fishing license required.
• Fish to Catch: Spanish Mackerel, Jack, Pompano, Flounder, Blue Fish, Red Fish, Snook, Ladyfish, Whiting and perhaps Tarpon and Cobia.
• If you’re not fond of crowds, I suggest you visit on a weekday instead of the weekend.
• The boardwalk, a short distance from the pier was not as crowded to view the sunset.
• Or choose to enjoy the sunset from the beach. It also was not as crowded.
• Beach amenities: picnic shelters, sand volleyball courts and public restrooms are available. Many people also find it a good place to walk and search for shark’s teeth.
• Venice Paw Park is the beach to walk your dogs. For directions, call (941) 861-5000
• As always, bring your camera.