South Venice, Florida: Canals, a Private Ferry to the Beach and No Big HOA
South Venice is the big, unincorporated neighborhood just south of the Venice city limits, between US 41 and the Intracoastal Waterway. It is one of the few places on this coast where you can buy a canal home with Gulf access and still get to the beach on a resident ferry.
It is also one of the most independent neighborhoods in the area. Most of South Venice has no mandatory HOA, which is a big reason buyers come looking for it.
A Little History
South Venice was platted in 1952, when developers bought about 3,000 acres and laid out nearly 20,000 small lots. A house took two 40×100-foot lots, and the lots sold out in about two years. In 1956 the developers set aside 1,600 feet of Gulf beach on Manasota Key for South Venice residents.
Early footbridges crossed to that beach. When the Intracoastal Waterway was dredged through Lemon Bay in the mid-1960s, the bridges came out, and the Army Corps of Engineers funded a ferry and docks instead. The South Venice Civic Association runs that ferry and beach property today.
The South Venice Beach and Ferry
- The ferry crosses the Intracoastal to a private South Venice beach on Manasota Key.
- Ferry and beach use come with a voluntary South Venice Civic Association membership plus a ferry pass, with a separate pass for the boat ramp. Ask us for this year’s fees.
- A public boat ramp sits on Lemon Bay Drive.
Homes and Streets
- Mostly ranch-style homes built from the 1950s to the 1990s, many of them remodeled, plus newer construction on cleared lots.
- Raised homes on pilings near the water.
- Saltwater canals off Alligator Creek, Lemon Bay and the Intracoastal. Bridge clearance and canal depth vary by street, so we check every boating home one at a time.
- Many homes run on a private well and septic, which we always inspect.
- Familiar streets in today’s listings: Linden, Scenic, Strombus, Seneca, Neptune and Nectar Road.
Getting Around
US 41 (Tamiami Trail) and SR 776 (Englewood Road) frame the neighborhood. Downtown Venice is under 3 miles away. Shamrock Park connects to the Venetian Waterway Park trail and the Legacy Trail, and Venice Village Shoppes (Publix and Target) is close by.
Bill’s take: If you want a boat behind the house and nobody telling you what color to paint the shutters, start your search in South Venice.
Search South Venice Homes for Sale
As of October 26, 2026, our MLS search showed 123 South Venice listings in 34293, with the first page of results running from about $274,900 to $999,990. Canal and Intracoastal homes sit at the top of that range; updated ranch homes on dry lots sit at the bottom.
Venice Insider Plan (VIP)
Get new listings that match your search before the crowd sees them, plus straight answers from someone who lives here. We Buy Our Clients A $500 American Home Shield® Warranty at Closing, when you buy with Bill & the Sandcastle Group.
Bill Garrison — 941-400-2307
Sandcastle Group | RE/MAX Palm Realty
Facts are gathered from public records, community and club information, and current MLS listings. HOA fees, memberships and rules change, so we confirm the details for every home before you write an offer. Listing counts and prices are a snapshot from our MLS search on October 26, 2026.
