Sarasota Attractions and Activities
Sarasota Attractions
Explore a little farther out and you will discover Sarasota's beautiful keys, some of which are bustling with well-equipped beaches and attractions, others more remote and serene. Longboat and Siesta keys attractions close to Sarasota fit the former description, while Anna Maria Island fits the latter. Farther afield again is another of the region's delights, the intriguing Gamble Plantation.
Continuing north of Sarasota is busy Tampa, while northeast is Orlando, where Disney World's attractions await. Here are some of the main attractions, Florida cities and things to do close to Sarasota.
With Orlando only a two-hour drive northeast of Sarasota, it would be a shame to visit the area without taking a look at the theme park capital of the world, especially if you have kids. Home to the likes of Disney World, the Epcot Center and Wet-'n'-Wild water park attractions, you are virtually guaranteed a great day out. The various parks work out as fairly expensive for all the family, but you can easily spend a complete day here without breaking the surface and there will be no time to get bored.
Lying about an hour north of Sarasota, Tampa is the main city on the west coast of Florida and is well developed with numerous attractions for the whole family. It is worth the drive here from Sarasota just to see the magnificent new art museum that is devoted to master painter Salvador Dali, while the Florida Aquarium is one of the best in the state. The city also delivers at nighttime, with its massive choice of seafood restaurants, bars and clubs.
Located above Longboat Key and opposite Bradenton is Anna Maria Island, a great place nearby Sarasota, offering piece and quiet and spectacular beaches. Visitors are drawn to Anna Maria Island by its wonderful, unobstructed Gulf views and slow pace of life. There are no high-rise buildings here or monstrous shopping malls and the best way to explore the island's attractions is to hop aboard the Manatee Trolley.
Gamble Plantation - 3708 Patten Avenue, Sarasota, Florida (FL), USA: Located to the northeast of Sarasota in the town of Bradenton, the 1840s construction known as Gamble Plantation is the oldest building along Florida's southwest coast. One of the best examples in the country of an antebellum plantation home, the building has 10 rooms and was put together with a mortar mix of sand, oyster shells and water. Exterior attractions include numerous columns and three verandahs, while inside are eight fireplaces and 19th century furnishings.
South Lido Park is situated at the southern tip of Longboat Key and the bathing opportunities here on the magnificent beach and in the park are superb. Sugar-sand beach is one of the southwest's best beaches, while park attractions here include nature trails, a playground, volleyball court and picnic grounds.
Fun in the sun is what Siesta Key and Sarasota, Florida are all about. If you are interested in water sports, you'll find fishing, boating, kayaking, dolphin tours, sunset cruises and more, and it's all just minutes from the Hibiscus Suites Inn.
In Sarasota on business, but looking for things to do to unwind? On a short weekend family trip or your annual vacation? Visitors to Sarasota - Siesta Key, Florida provides a tremendous variety of things-to-do. Whether your interest is performing arts, art galleries, museums, amusement & theme parks, baseball spring training, nature preserves and, of course, nearby golf courses, you'll find Hibiscus Suites Inn's convenient location makes us a great place to stay. With easy access to I-75, you can easily get to anywhere you want to be.
Pick Your White Sand Sarasota Beach: Hibiscus Suites Inn is just 4 blocks (3/4 mile) from Crescent Beach at Siesta Key beach access. There are a number of Sarasota beaches to choose from, with different types of services. We are also just minutes from many boating, sailing, fishing, kayaking, and other Sarasota water sport activities or Siesta Key Beach rental facilities.
Sarasota Performing Arts - A Wide Cultural Array: Visitors to Sarasota can enjoy an array of cultural performances usually reserved for much larger cities. Live theater and the Sarasota’s own ballet, opera and symphonies provide year-round performances to suit every taste and interest. Your choices include the Florida West Coast Symphony, Key Chorale, the Jazz Club of Sarasota, Sarasota Ballet of Florida, or the Sarasota Opera. Looking for the lighter side? McCurdy's and other comedy clubs will keep you laughing.
Sarasota Golf Courses - Great Florida Vacation Fun: Enjoy a great Sarasota golf vacation at Hibiscus Suites Inn. Hit the links at any of over fourteen beautiful Sarasota golf courses within 10 miles of the newly renovated Hibiscus Suites Inn in Sarasota, Florida. Four golf courses are under five miles away and just a few minutes from the hotel.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art has been recognized as the official art museum of the state. It was established in 1927 as part of the couple’s legacy and offers visitors twenty-one galleries that include art from Europe, Asia, America, Cypriot antiquities, and contemporary pieces. There are also traveling exhibitions that visit one of the wings during the course of the year. Also housed on the estate is the Circus Museum with displays of the many costumes, performance equipment, wagons, and other items that chronicle the circus’ history. Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden is here next to beautiful views of Sarasota Bay. There are lectures, workshops, training sessions, public tours and more at this attraction.
The South Florida Museum, Planetarium and Aquarium offer their guests three unique attractions in its museum, aquarium, and planetarium. Children of all ages will enjoy the life sized casts of animals that roamed the area 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age. The museum has plenty of exhibits chronicling the first peoples of the state and includes plenty of archeological artifacts from the sites that have been excavated in the state. There are plenty of pieces from the Spanish that lived in the area during the 1500’s and the staff changes the exhibits regularly to keep the programs fresh. The Bishop Planetarium is a digital planetarium theater beneath a full dome that offers astronomy presentations, lectures, light and sound shows and more. Finally the Parker Manatee Aquarium is home to Snooty, the most famous Manatee in the world who came to the aquarium in 1949 as a baby. The aquarium was designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a part of the Manatee Rehabilitation Network and the staff works with animals that are brought there for help before re-release into the wild.
With its professional theaters, symphonies, ballet and opera, Sarasota County is known as Florida's "Cultural Coast". We're home to more than 30 art galleries, artist communities, the Ringling Museum of Art and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The arts community here surpasses that found in counties five or six times the size of Sarasota.
Kids of all ages love getting up close and personal with sea critters at Mote Aquarium or the flocks of shrimp-pink flamingos and entertaining reptile and bird shows at Sarasota Jungle Gardens. Be "wowed" by the interactive science exhibits at G.WIZ. Relive local history at Historic Spanish Point with its 4,000-year-old ancient Indian settlement. Or lose yourself in the world-class Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a wonderland of tropical plants and over 6,000 orchids.
Sarasota Activities
Sarasota, Florida is filled with more than just long beaches and parties until dawn. The area has great places to visit with plenty of activities that are designed for the whole family and a wonderful Florida vacation. From campgrounds to aquariums, drum circles to planetariums, Sarasota makes a nice change of pace from the usual Florida vacation.
Myakka is one of the largest and oldest state parks in Florida and it is a protected expanse of fifty-eight square miles of natural area. The Myakka River flows through this park, connected to the Upper Myakka Lake. Visitors to this state park can enjoy exploring the wetlands, hammocks, pinelands, and prairies of the park or they enjoy a treetop stroll on the unique canopy walkway. There are plenty of hiking trails as well as boat ramps for freshwater fishing, canoeing and recreational boating. Lake tours and a safari tram tour are also available for visitor’s enjoyment. There are also five palm log cabins for rent in addition to full-facility campgrounds and primitive campsites.
Longboat Key is a tropical island stretching 11 miles in a northwesterly direction from Sarasota. The island has 2 (members and guests only) championship golf courses, as well as tennis, biking, boating, fishing, and lazing on the pristine beach. Shopping is also a favorite pastime of many who visit the island.
Stroll through an art museum where the architecture is as much as art form as the masterpieces within. Gaze upon rare exotic orchids. Find the perfect gift in one of the most renowned shopping areas in the world. Paddle through lush tropical forests. Listen to a full orchestra ensemble. Make a tee time, or if you prefer, make time for tea. No matter what your distraction from the beach, the Sarasota area has a multitude of activities.
Kayaking: You'll be amazed at the diversity of natural beauty you'll discover canoeing or kayaking South Lido Park's watery trail through a tunnel of mangroves, or examining marine life on a bay cruise. View bromeliads growing in the wild along the new Canopy Walk at Myakka River State Park and picnic by a lazy creek at Oscar Scherer State Park. Make it a day to stretch yourself with windsurfing lessons, parasailing, or fishing for the big ones. There are plenty of great courts serving up tennis and don't miss the opportunity for an autograph when Major League Baseball begins spring training.
Golfing: Every Sarasota day is a golfer's dream with more than 30 golf courses sprinkled throughout the county, challenging all levels of play and budgets. Of the Top 20 Southwest regional courses voted by the readers of Florida Golf News, nine are in the Sarasota area; four local courses are in the top 100 places to play in the whole state. Always looking to improve your game? Top instructors can show you how to trim a slice and get to the green in two. So grab your clubs and make the most difficult decision of the day — which fairway to play.
Boating: With 17,000 pleasure boats - sailboats to speedboats - registered in Sarasota County, boaters discover an aquatic bliss on area waterways. Public boat ramps are located all through the county, often serving as the launching spot for boat parades and sail boarding. The annual Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Festival attracts thousands of speedboat racing enthusiasts to the area each July.
Fishing: Sarasota is home to some of the best fishing - game or otherwise -- in the state of Florida. Snook, redfish, kingfish, trout, amberjack, mahi-mahi, and grouper can be found lurking in the backcountry mangroves. Past the sandbars, big-game tarpons cruise the deep waters of the ocean. Anglers can find a bounty of fish whether they drop their lines from a dock, boat, bridge, jetty, beach, or public pier. Snook, Florida's official game fish, is the most sought-after catch in the state.
Dining: Sarasota is known for its restaurants and their extensive menus of flavors are sure to satisfy. Rub elbows with locals while downing cold brews and munching big juicy burgers in the '50s feel of open-air diners. Amish restaurants serve heaping portions of comfort food, and French bakeries tempt with delicate pastries. Elegant dining is always in vogue, and the region overflows in award winners famous in gourmet circles. Seafood reigns supreme and there's no better taste in the world than Sarasota's delicacy - Florida stone crab claws plunged into dipping sauces.
Shopping: Explore the uniqueness of St. Armands Circle with its collection of upscale shops and specialty stores. Downtown Sarasota offers small-town Americana on Main Street, while the art galleries on Palm Avenue remind you of New York and L.A. Turn the corner onto Pineapple Avenue and you'll find fine antiques to true 1950s Florida kitsch. A little further south into Venice and you'll be standing among shops that look out onto one of the best-planned downtowns in America. If you like your shopping action packed, enjoy the variety of several indoor malls or the bargain bonanzas at the nearby outlet mall.
Sarasota Festivals and Events
Fall Festival (Oct. 24): The annual Saint James Fall Festival will include games for the kids, pumpkin patch, hay rides with story telling, popcorn, sno-cones, hot dogs, bounce house, face painting, fire truck, petting zoo and much much more! Something for everyone! Proceeds to benefit Saint James Early Learning Academy.
1st. Annual Sarasota Pumpkin Festival (Oct. 30 & 31): Come to the Sarasota Pumpkin Festival to enjoy all things pumpkin - featuring carnival games and rides, arts & crafts, live entertainment and Music, a taste of Sarasota featuring delicious food and beverages from Sarasota's finest restaurants (including a beer garden), lots of games, pie eating contests and a fun zone with inflatable rides, hay rides, a Not so Scary Haunted house and Safe Trick or Treating for both evenings.
Free Water Ski Show (Nov. 1): Sarasota Ski-A-Rees to perform free water ski show with awesome jump and barefoot acts; spectacular ballet lines, swivel skiing, adagio doubles and trios acts; thrilling guillotine, 8 men around the boat to 4 tier pyramids. Snack bar at site.
19th Annual Sarasota Blues Festival (Sat. Oct. 24).
The Vinyl Music Festival (July 16 – 19, 2009).
The Vinyl Music Festival (July 16 – 19, 2009).
The 12th Annual Sarasota Film Festival (April 9-18, 2010). |
