Visit Downtown Venice
https://www.visitvenicefl.org/ Discover beautiful, Historic Downtown Venice… our City on the Gulf. Home to over 100 unique and independently owned stores and restaurants, Venice holds an ambiance and charm that is unmatched in Florida. Beyond the shopping and dining, visitors find shady Oak and Banyan-lined avenues, palm trees swaying in the Gulf breezes, miles of pristine beach, parks dotted throughout the City, and an active arts and culture scene. Venice is home to one of the nation’s largest community theater, The Venice Theatre, who maintain a full performance schedule throughout the year. The Venice Art Center rotates over ten exhibits throughout the calendar year. We are also the year-round home of world-renowned photographer Clyde Butcher, and his gallery is open to the public. If music is what you are searching for, the Venice Beach Pavilion hosts musicians on nearly every night of the week, the Venice Symphony performs during high season, and free Friday Night Concerts hit the Gazebo stage in our beautiful Centennial Park twice a month.
Venice takes pride in it’s historic significance, with our entire city plan (designed by respected planner John Nolen in 1926) being on the National Register of Historic Places. Several local non-profits, including the Venice Area Historical Society and the Venice Heritage Inc, work diligently to maintain and preserve our City. Visit the Triangle Inn and City of Venice Archives to learn all about Venice’s fascinating history, including our role in World War II.
Our historic Downtown is accessible from The Legacy Trail. The trail goes through nearby Oscar Sherer, giving travelers yet another over-night stay option (camping!). Venice is a very bicycle-and-pedestrian-friendly community. Venice is also home to one of Florida’s few dog beaches!
If you enjoy the holiday season, Venice is the place to spend it. The Avenues are all decorated, and City Hall displays “light sculptures” from Thanksgiving through the new year. Our annual holiday parade takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, our Christmas Walk on the first Thursday in December and the boat parade on the first Saturday of December.
Come discover Venice… it truly is waiting for you Downtown!
Book a Sunset Boat Cruise with Captain John
Sit back and relax and let Captain John with Seas the Day Charters entertain you and boat around Lemon Bay and the Gulf! You will probably see dolphins and more! You can stop at The Lighthouse Grill https://thelighthousegrill.net/ at Stump Pass and order their delicious smoked wings! Captain John will never disappoint! He is full of fun surprises. seasthedaycharters.us
Water Activities
SUP Englewood http://supenglewood.com/ 941-26kayak (941) 265-2925
Enjoy a day kayaking, or paddle boarding. You can book a guided tour. The possibilities are endless. Check out the website for all the activities offered by SUP Englewood.
Island Jet Skis Tours and Rentals: https://www.islandjetski.com/florida/englewood/
Known for its pristine beaches and beautiful bay, Englewood, Florida, has often been referred to as “The Gem of the Suncoast.” Being a popular destination for both retirees and vacationing families, it’s no surprise that the laid-back town gets quite a few visitors coming to enjoy the tranquil beaches. With Island Jet Ski Tours & Rentals, you can make your trip to Florida or the Siesta Key area even more enjoyable with one of our rentals. Contact us at (941) 525-4269 (Englewood) or (941) 474-1168 (Osprey) for more details or to request a reservation.
Allure Boat Rentals https://allureboatrentals.com/
With all these miles of beautiful beaches and pristine water waiting for you …
Allure Boat Rentals has just the right watercraft for enjoying this entire area known as the “Gem of the Suncoast”. Located on Manasota Key with Lemon Bay as our port-of-call we are only footsteps from Englewood Beach. Our location puts us and you in the heart of all the watersport action you could ever dream of or desire. Our premium line-up includes Mako Center Console Boats, Yamaha Jet Skis, Bennington Deck Boats, Ocean Kayaks and Chubby’s Beach Cruiser bicycles for onshore excursions! So whether you have your mind set on catching “the big one” or dashing and playing across the glistening near-shore waves or merely taking a leisurely trip exploring the backwaters…Allure Boat Rentals has just the right watercraft for you.
Pick Up Seashells
Sanibel Island, 30 miles south, is one of the prime places in the United States to hunt for seashells, but Manasota Key is ideal also. Head out to the beach about an hour before low tide immediately after a storm. Other shell-hunters will be working the shoreline, so head for less-frequented areas such as Blind Pass Beach.
You’re likely to find more than a dozen common species on your adventure, including sand dollars, sunrays, conch, cockle, jewel box, scallops, and cat paw. Check along the high-tide mark or put on your snorkel and fins to search on sandbars and shallow water for shells that haven’t yet washed ashore. Make sure shells aren’t alive or housing animals inside – live sand dollars are furry on their exterior, and shells housing sea creatures will create a stink in your luggage before arriving home.
Dive Into the Past by Finding Shark Teeth
Hunt for Manasota Key shark teeth in the sand at area beaches or while snorkeling offshore. Sift the sand and look for small black or brown triangles. Who knows ‒ you might find an ancient tooth from the ancient extinct Megalodon species that’s as big as your hand. However, you’re more likely to encounter small teeth in areas like sandbars and other areas where the sand frequently shifts. Look for areas where black sand mixes with the white quartz sand. The black grains are particles from fossilized bones and teeth.
Shark teeth aren’t the only ancient remains from the past around Manasota Key. Peat bogs once on the mainland and now preserved underwater contain human-made artifacts and remains from thousands of years ago. Unlike shark teeth, removing objects from an archaeological site is a crime, and disturbing an unmarked grave comes with felony charges, so take only pictures and don’t even leave footprints behind.
Hike the Preserve
Meander along a shady boardwalk at the Manasota Scrub Preserve tucked behind Manasota Key in the town of Englewood. https://www.scgov.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/563/4283 The 154-acre preserve will acquaint you with the natural plant and animal life in the area. Keep in mind that mosquitoes and other annoying buzzy things are part of the ecosystem and wear repellent to keep them at bay. Traverse a 1-mile marked trail that’s accessible to all, or venture along reasonably flat dirt paths leading through scrub pine forest. After rainfall, check at the visitor center to see which trails are open as some flood or get muddy.
Use Pedal Power
Take a leisurely bike ride along Manasota Key Road, aka Canopy Road, that runs right alongside the beach. If you can’t bring your bike, rent one in Englewood at Bikes & Boards or Allure Boat Rentals https://www.allureboatrentals.com/ where you can opt for daily, weekly or monthly rentals. Pedal south to Stump Pass for some of the best marine life-viewing on the island. Or head north along the road to Manasota Beach. The canopied road takes you through tropical foliage past large lots graced by sprawling homes.
Make Your Retreat
Take a one-hour tour of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, an exclusive fellowship retreat set on a homestead built on Manasota Key in the early 1900s. The “hurricane-proof” home with outbuildings has a water-collection system and an artist selection process that is by nomination-only. However, there’s no need to feel excluded – tours and other fundraising events run throughout the year. Check out the Hermitage Artist Retreat Facebook Page to find out what’s going on during your visit.
Tour the ICW
Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway slices through wildlife habitats and posh neighborhoods where yachts dock at resort-like homes. Take a guided tour from Allure Boat Rentals and learn interesting facts about whom those mega-yachts and palatial homes belong to, and the mind-boggling luxuries contained within them.
Try Seagrass Snorkeling
Discover a fascinating underwater ecosystem in Manasota Key’s underwater meadows. Baby fish frolic and hide among the waving seagrass, while predators, such as ladyfish, spotted sea trout and pinfish, glide through the shadows looking for smaller species to devour. Don’t be surprised to see a bird suddenly jetting through – pelicans and osprey occasionally dip into the water to catch a fish dinner, and cormorants dive deep, flapping their wings as if flying through the water until they find their prey. Look for seagrass beds that are about 7 to 8 feet deep, so sunlight makes everything visible.
Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve rolls out 13 miles of estuary, with Manasota Key running alongside the northern two-thirds. Besides seagrass communities, the preserve also serves up submerged mangrove and oyster ecosystems. Or head to Stump Pass State Park to explore the grass flats surrounding Stump Pass.
Get Festive in Manasota Key
https://englewoodbeachwaterfest.com/
November brings water festivals to Manasota Key. A four-day festival in early November brings stand-up paddleboard athletes to race the waters of Englewood Beach and Stump Pass. The activities include races for SUPSquatch boards – oversized boards built for a team of paddlers – and kayaks. Register to race up to 6 miles or bring your long-lens camera or binoculars to witness the fun.
In mid-November, a block party kicks off Waterfest, a powerboat racing competition in Englewood’s historic district. Meet drivers and race crews and get an up-close look at the boats along Dearborn Avenue. Bring your appetite and some spending money: Food trucks, beverage stations, street vendors and shops all contribute to the festive atmosphere.
Bring your binoculars to watch the races at the two-day Waterfest. The World Championship for Offshore Powerboat Association sponsors the event, which features dozens of boats racing at more than 130 miles per hour. Check out marine exhibits at the Family Conservation Center tent inside Waterfest Village. Touch dolphin bones, learn about local wildlife and peek inside a sea turtle nest.