The Best Place to Take a Picture in Venice

Historic downtown Venice is a Sarasota County treasure with charming streets, stores and beautiful beaches nearby. Its ‘Old Florida’ charm is preserved in original architecture and public spaces. These make for amazing photographs to fill your social media feed during and after your stay.

Locals Ali Gilbert (@momexplores) and Shakti (@explorewiththegirlsus) give recommendations for the most photogenic spots around Venice, guaranteed to excite and engage.

The Venice Jetty

Located at the north end of Venice Island, the Jetty connects the Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. The rocky sea wall lining the Jetty’s north and south walkways make stunning panoramic views of the water. Eat your heart out landscape photographers, especially during sunset.

The same rocks attract kids to crawl through the natural nooks and crannies making for precious family photography. This area also attracts surfers regularly for those seeking an action shot of locals carving waves.

(Under) The Venice Fishing Pier

Head south on the island to find the Venice Fishing Pier – an obligatory Instagram check in to humblebrag your fabulous trip. The geometry in the pier’s pilings create depth and a natural frame of the ocean or whatever human subjects you want to add. The diffused lighting also makes for great sunset and dusk shots to express a more artistic side.

Venice Avenue

The Mediterranean-inspired architecture in Venice makes for the perfect cityscape shot while exploring downtown. The sweeping boulevards lined with towering palm trees lead right to the beach, so you can switch from urban-chic to nature-made backgrounds in mere minutes. Park your car and walk the pedestrian-friendly sidewalks: the median is the perfect view to highlight those iconic Florida palms.

Don’t miss the mural along Nassau St. South between Venice and Miami Avenues. Capture all of the island’s charm in one collage proudly painted on the 1920’s era wall. Play with distances here, perhaps a selfie with the mural over the shoulder, or grab a friend and snap something from a distance with the subject standing against the wall like part of the artwork. Be sure to tag #VeniceMainStreet, #LoveFL and #MySarasota so we can share the love :).

The Venice Train Depot

Lines, lines, lines! Whether it’s train tracks, archways or roof panels, the Venice Train Depot is a great place to experiment with angles. The train depot was also the longtime origin station for the iconic Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus train cars when they spent winters here from 1961 to 1990. Learn the destination’s rich circus history inside the restored station-turned-museum. Then, take your picture and caption it with a fun fact about the circus performers that once stood in the same shadows before embarking on tours to entertain the rest of the country.

Caspersen Beach (Shark’s Teeth!)

For the most unique beach picture, grab a sifter and head to Caspersen Beach, also known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of The World.” Caspersen is littered with fossilized sharks teeth that take only a few moments of digging to unearth. In addition to shark teeth, the sand itself makes for a great photo: a mix of black grain from fragmented fossils starkly contrasted by surrounding white sand beaches like Venice Municipal Beach and Brohard Park with sand made from white quartz. Document the process or stage several fossils on your hands, legs or any other canvas you can imagine!

These are a few options for documenting your Venice vacation. Get out there and explore for more great spots to excite your followers, and don’t forget to tag #MySarasota and follow @visitsarasotacounty on Instagram for more inspiration!