Caspersen Beach is the most southern of the Venice Florida beaches. Parts of the beach are fairly remote, so you can easily escape the crowd if you don't mind walking for a distance. This beach park has an excellent system of boardwalks along the beach, clean modern restrooms, playground equipment for kids, covered picnic tables and a kayak launch area. The park is also a trailhead on the Venetian Waterway Park paved multi-use trail.

Follow Harbor Drive South all the way to the end, about a mile south of the Venice Fishing Pier. It's a scenic drive. In some places the sand dunes spill over onto the roadway.

Finding Hidden Treasures on Caspersen Beach in Venice 

Caspersen Beach

Caspersen Beach has a long and undeveloped shoreline with plenty of woods above the beach. Despite its isolation from the rest of the Venice beaches, it has excellent facilities and becomes more and more popular each year.

Near the parking area and restrooms you'll find a rocky beach that is perfect for snorkeling, shelling, fossil hunting and beachcombing. Swimming is good too, once you weave your way through the gaps in the rocks. If you don't like a rocky beach, just walk south a hundred yards to a dark gray sandy beach that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Caspersen is most famous for its quiet and remote southern beach and for its dark sand. It is often described as a black sand beach, but it isn't quite that dark. Some people might think it is a "dirty" beach because it is dark. But the dark coloring does not come from organic matter. It comes from minerals and tiny fossils. Most people don't spend much time contemplating the sand color; they are way too busy looking for shark teeth and other interesting fossils.

If you are interested in finding fossils, be sure to pick up a shell sifter (sometimes called a Florida snow shovel) to help you sift through the sand and shells faster. The best place to look is in the shallow water about knee-deep. And don't be shy about putting on your mask and snorkel to help you find the best shells and fossils in the shallow water.

If you have the experience and equipment to go out to deeper water, they say that the best fossils and biggest shark teeth are in 15 to 20 feet of water further off the beach.

The closest place to grab a bite to eat is Sharky's Restaurant at the Venice Fishing Pier. It's less than 5 minutes away by car. Otherwise you'll want to head back over toward Venice Avenue where there are plenty of restaurants.

Since Caspersen Beach is rather remote, there aren't any places to stay right on this beach. Most of the accommodations--beach front condominiums and small hotels--are closer to Venice Avenue and to Venice Municipal Beach.

SunCoast Web Services, LLC. Promotes this travel guide of the Florida beach areas of Siesta Key, Sarasota, Longboat Key, Lido Key,Venice and surrounding area.	SunCoast Web Services, LLC. Has been a active member of Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce for more than 17 years. Serving beach vacation tourisim information.	Proud member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Representing companies such as travel, hotel, motel accommodations & Real Estate.
Mote Marine Aquarium Partner. Explore marine life up close in Sarasota's attraction. Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, sharks, sealions	VISIT FLORIDA Partner, the state's official tourism marketing Corporation. Serves as Florida's official visitor source travel guide.	Siesta Key Explorer Partner. Siesta Key map and souvenir fun guide. Recommended places to eat, and things to do.