Venice, Florida: The Shark Tooth Capital of the World

Venice, Florida is one of the most charming small cities on Florida's Gulf Coast — a historic planned community with an authentic Italian-inspired downtown, beautiful Gulf beaches, and a unique claim to fame: it's the shark tooth capital of the world. Venice Beach and nearby Caspersen Beach are legendary among fossil hunters for their abundance of prehistoric shark teeth washed up by the Gulf.

Shark Teeth of Venice Beach

The waters off Venice contain an extraordinary concentration of fossilized shark teeth, the result of ancient shark feeding grounds that existed millions of years ago. Peacock Creek and the Myakka River carry these fossils to the Gulf, where they wash ashore on Venice Beach. Caspersen Beach, just south of Venice, is considered the best shark tooth hunting spot in the world.

Historic Downtown Venice

Venice's downtown was designed in the 1920s by John Nolen, one of America's most influential urban planners, with a Mediterranean Revival architecture inspired by Pisa, Italy. Venice Avenue is one of Florida's most attractive main streets — wide, palm-lined, and filled with independent boutiques and excellent restaurants.

Getting to Venice

• SRQ Airport to Venice: 35-45 minutes
• Sarasota to Venice: 30-40 minutes
• TPA to Venice: 80-100 minutes