Venice Beach

The shark tooth capital of the world!

If you have ever wanted to find a shark's tooth, Venice beach is the place to do it. More fossils of shark teeth wash up on this beach than any other place in the world. Sizes vary from a centimeter long all the way up to approximately six inches long. Every time you go to the beach and search, you are guaranteed to find at least one.

The best searching times are right after or a storm or just as the sun is rising. The water has had all night to churn up the sand and wash fresh fossils onto the beach. If you bring a pair of goggles and a snorkel, go out about ten feet from the shore line and sift through the sand out there. Sometimes people have better luck since it is farther out.

Venice's sand is also a darker hue than most beaches in Florida because of the fossilized material mixed in with it. And if you have a dog at home and would like to bring them to the beach for the day, Venice has a spot designated for your furry friends.

So far in this blog I have pretty much talked about beaches around the Sarasota area, if there is any other topic you would like to learn about, comment on this post!

Siesta Key

Need a great beach to get away to this weekend? Siesta Key Beach is the ultimate beach lovers destination.

About a 30 minute drive south on Rt 41 from the city of Sarasota, and your feet will be in the softest sand you have ever felt. The pure white sand feels more like flour and never gets hot, even on the worst of days. The water is clear enough that even when it is up to your shoulders you will still be able to see your feet and all the small fish swimming around you. During the summer at low tide, small sand bars pop up that you can swim out to and have a place to store your cooler of beer so that you never have to get out of the water.

In the small strip of stores on your way to the beach, you can find anything you need. Salty Dog is one of the most popular eateries in this strip. If you have kids with you, they'll be thrilled to know that their food is served in a dog bowl! If it is souvenirs that you are looking to find to take home with you, the Beach Bazaar is the perfect stop. From bikinis, to sandals, to sharks teeth and shells, the Beach Bazaar has everything and anything that you could possibly be looking for.

There are many hotels and houses that you can rent on Siesta Key that are right off the beach as well. So if you decide to come for just the weekend or spend a whole week, this is one beach that you definitely will not want to miss coming to!