Description

Geography:

There's something for everyone in the Sarasota-Bradenton area of Central West Florida. Bradenton is home to the great fishing and uncrowded, white sand beaches of Anna Maria Island, while Sarasota has long been known for its cultural offerings. It's here that John Ringling built his Venetian-styled mansion and housed his priceless 17th-century Baroque art collection. Elsewhere in town, a ballet company, an opera company, a symphony orchestra, an arts cinema, numerous theaters, and galleries round out a diverse cultural scene.

Venice offers small town charm in its Main Street shopping district (Venice Avenue) along with good shelling and prehistoric sharks' teeth on area beaches.