South of Sarasota lies Venice, a small community of approximately 18,000 residents and one of the few cities on the Gulf Coast not separated from the water by a series of barrier islands. Known as 'The Shark Tooth Capital of the World', Venice's fourteen miles of beaches have long been an attraction for sun worshippers and beachcombers alike.

Venice was initially settled in the latter half of the 19th century, thanks to the passage of the Homestead Act, which opened up large areas of the United States for settlement. In 1925, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers purchased 50,000 acres of land, with the intention of designing a farming and retirement city, including wide avenues, waterways, a residential area and large resort hotels, all designed with Northern Italian aesthetics in mind. One of the most carefully planned communities in the United States, Venice continues to astonish visitors with its beautiful landscaping and exquisite architecture.

The first thing any visitor to Venice needs to do is take a walk along Venice's beach. Not is it a beautiful place to get some fresh air and stretch out one's legs, but the beach is fairly covered in sharks' teeth. A metal basket, which is the primary tool for sharks' tooth hunting, can be purchased almost anywhere in town. In addition, Snook Haven Restaurant and Fish Camp, on the Myakka River, has been a part of Venice for over half a century. Here, the fishing enthusiast will find lodging, canoe, kayak and pontoon boat rentals and access to some excellent fishing, as well as a restaurant that serves Florida specialties such as grouper sandwiches and alligator bites.

After spending a day on the beach, take a stroll along Venice Avenue, a wide boulevard lined with shops, boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and tall majestic palm trees. Small, locally owned businesses make up the majority of commerce on Venice Avenue. In addition, throughout the year art festivals, parades, and even an Easter egg hunt all contribute to the feeling of community within Venice. A major stop on Venice Avenue is the Soda Fountain, an old fashioned ice cream shop, with a soda jerk waiting to concoct a creation for everyone who walks through the front door.

Art in Venice is very important, and the mild climate makes large public art projects possible. The most recent one, known as "Pigs in Paradise", resulted in businesses and artists teaming up to sponsor, decorate and place 56 fiberglass pigs around town. Venice Little Theater is an award-winning community theater that puts on performances regularly, and art galleries can be found all over the downtown area.

Just south of Venice is Englewood, an unincorporated community that straddles Sarasota and Charlotte Counties. Surrounded by the Gulf on one side and Lemon Bay on the other, Englewood has been called the 'Gem of the Suncoast', thanks to its prime location and its miles of stunning beaches. In addition, Englewood's barrier island, Manasota Key, has four beautiful beaches of its own, each with barbeque pits, bathroom facilities and boardwalks.

While neighboring Venice was being settled and developed to the north, with the end goal of making Venice into a retirement and farming community, Englewood's settlers had something quite different in mind. The initial layout of the town reserved twenty-four city blocks for residential areas, all of which were surrounded by citrus groves. Over time, the opening of the Tamiami Trail only further served to bring more residents and business into Englewood. Today, Englewood is a thriving beachfront community.

The natural beauty of Englewood is considered to be its greatest treasure, and the large number of parks and nature preserves are a testament to this. Some of these parks include Cedar Point, Don Pedro Barrier Island, Indian Mound Park, Kiwanis Park and the Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center. Lemon Bay itself is an aquatic preserve, with mangroves, sea grasses and oyster communities. Both freshwater and saltwater fishing are extremely popular in this area.

Englewood is home to the Englewood Sports Complex, which hosts the Class A Charlotte Rangers minor league baseball team. In addition, nearby Fort Myers and Sarasota host many major league baseball teams during spring training, a very popular destination for many visitors to the Englewood/Venice area. However, the main attraction of the area remains its vast natural treasures. Swimming, shelling, fishing and sunbathing are perennial favorites amongst locals and tourists alike.