Brohard Park Beaches are a collection of beach accesses south of downtown Venice, near the Venice airport. They begin near the Venice Fishing Pier and extend to Caspersen Beach Park. It is fairly unusual to find this many public beach access opportunities on Florida's Gulf coast in one city. To top it off, Brohard Park offers one of the best dog beaches in the area.

From Venice Avenue, follow Harbor Drive South in a southerly direction for about a mile and a half. Cross Beach Road and look for the pier and beach access points on your right. Parking is free and all of the access points have restrooms. None have lifeguards or a snack bar. The beach sand varies from light gray to a very dark gray in some spots. There are lots of fossils and shells to be found.

Exploring the Beaches on Venice Florida Brohard Park 

• Service Club Park - This is the first beach access on your right after you cross Beach Road heading south on Harbor Drive South. It isn't technically part of Brohard Park, but it's still a great park and is often overlooked. This park has restrooms, a small playground for kids, and a wonderful boardwalk that leads through the saw palmetto and scrub to a very quiet beach. The great thing about this park is that the sheltered picnic tables are on the boardwalk and elevated above the ground. Fossil deposits off the beach attract SCUBA divers to this beach.
• Venice Fishing Pier and Brohard Park - A little further down Harbor Drive South you'll find the well-marked entrance to the fishing pier which doubles as the entrance to Brohard Park. Excellent modern restrooms, free parking, boardwalks over the dunes, and a short walk to the Venice Fishing Pier are what attract people to this beach access. The water is perfect for wading and swimming. No lifeguards. The pier is open all the time to fishing and sightseeing. If you get hungry, Sharky's Restaurant by the pier is the closest place to eat and is a local landmark restaurant.
• Maxine Barritt Park - This is a relatively new park and is great for picnics and gatherings, but isn't a top choice for beach access. Although there are several scenic overlooks on the boardwalk that parallels the beach, access to the beach is limited. There is an access at the north end of the park that leads to the beach near the fishing pier, but it is at least an 800-foot walk from the nearest parking area. The south end of Maxine Barritt Park serves as parking overflow for the adjacent Paw Park for dogs. The main feature of this park is a lake with a paved walking path that goes all the way around the lake and passes close to the beach. Free parking.
• Paw Park - This fenced and double-gated dog park offers access directly to the beach where dogs can run leash-free. There is a dog rinse-off station and a picnic shelter with tables. Without a doubt this is one of the best dog beach parks in Florida. Be sure to take some cool drinking water out onto the beach for your dog; all the heat and salt water makes them thirsty.
• South Brohard Park - Just around the corner from Paw Park, this large paved parking area offers restrooms and several boardwalks across the dunes to the beach. It's not fancy, but serves the purpose perfectly.

Sharky's Restaurant at the Venice Fishing Pier is the closest restaurant to the Brohard Park beach area. If you want more variety, Venice Avenue is the place to be.

Accommodations near the Brohard Park beaches are mainly rental homes and rental condominiums. The area is quiet and non-commercial and does not offer resort hotels.

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