Sarasota Travel Guide

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      ca d'zan
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      mable ringling rose garden
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  • A nice green, somewhere in Sarasota County
      A nice green, somewhere in Sarasota...
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Pro

vibi68 profile photo

 Less commercialised and a lot more "human" than the east coast, paradise to sunshine and beach lovers, very relaxing 


Con

Hexepatty profile photo

 Hot in summer and helps to be 55+ Years Old! 


In a nutshell

HotSpotJ profile photo

 A relaxation paradise, a golfers delight, but a nightlife-nightmare. 

 

Explore Sarasota

Things to Do  

Ringling Museum

Ringling Museum, Sarasota

 11 Reviews  If you have ever dreamed of running away to the circus this museum is for you. With the full scale model of the circus you will quickly realised whyit was the greatest show on Earth. The amount of people who were involved with setting up the circus was unbelivable. As well as the full scale model of... 

Jungle Gardens

Jungle Gardens, Sarasota

 6 Reviews  A wonderful garden with lots of animals and little animal shows. We spent a wonderful afternoon here. The plants are amazing and I enjoyed the various animal shows. Incudes: + Birds of Prey exhibit and show features avian predators, Red Tail Hawk and Great Horned Owl and the Black Vulture. Shows... 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota

 8 Reviews  This was my 3rd trip to Marie Selby. It's a lovely, lovely place - respite against the heat (although not too much of that in Feb in Sarasota lately!), and great to walk around. It has an amazing collection of orchids and tons of epiphytes. It's completely lush and available to all - wonderful for... 

Siesta Key Beach

Siesta Key Beach, Sarasota

 5 Reviews  Siesta Key is one of a string of barrier islands, called keys, along Florida's west coast. Siesta Key is just a few miles south of Sarasota and only a quarter mile or so from the southern tip of Lido key, but there are no bridges directly between the two coastal islands. In fact, parts of the... 

Mote Marine Aquarium

Mote Marine Aquarium, Sarasota

 6 Reviews  The Mote Marine Aquarium is part of Mote Marine Laboratory, a facility for the study of local marine biology. The staff, therefore, is freakishly knowledgeable. It's also a really good place to see local animals. Plus, they offer all kinds of crazy programs that allow you to get even closer to... 

St Armand Circle

St Armand Circle, Sarasota

 3 Reviews  located on lido key is st. armands circle. st. armands is the most visited part of sarasota by out of town tourists. the circle was designed by the circus magnate john ringling and is lined with trendy shops, restaurants, and bars. the circle is just a couple of blocks from beautiful lido beach. a... 

Opera House

Opera House, Sarasota

 4 Reviews  This is an amazing old Oprah house and well worth a tour The tour allows you to explore the interior of the Mertz Theatre and learn the fascinating history of how an authentic 1903 Opera House built in Dunfermline, Scotland was given a new life in Sarasota to become the home of the Asolo Repertory... 

Circus Museum

Circus Museum, Sarasota

 3 Reviews  the ringling brothers circus museum is located on the grounds of the ringling mansion and museum. the museum was established in 1948 and has an interesting collection of circus wagons, costumes, and john and mabel ringling's 1905 private railroad car. 

Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island, Sarasota

 3 Reviews  100 Years of History of Anna Maria Island encapsulated at the Historical Museum and Belle Haven Cottage. Come see and learn all there is to know about the island and more. Groups and families welcome. Has old photographs, maps, records from the early 1900s, newspaper clippings. Shells, fossils, old... 

G Wiz Museum

G Wiz Museum, Sarasota

 3 Reviews  We spent about 3 hours here in May 2007, and could have spent a few more easily. This museum is full of hands-on exhibits for kids (from simple building blocks for the younger kids to magnetic experiments and math puzzles for the oldest), plus visiting exhibits, and even a Russian space toilet.... 

Car Museum

Car Museum, Sarasota

 2 Reviews  Is bigger than you'd think. Has over 100 cars from: Auburn, Bentley, Cadillac station wagon (one of only 5 ever made), DeLorean, Edsel, Ferrari, etc. Vintage, classic, muscle, exotic cars The Museum also has an Antique Game Arcade. The games are operational and cost just a few cents to play. There... 

Myakka River State Park

Myakka River State Park, Sarasota

 2 Reviews  Absolutely fab! Just started a tree-top walk that is just wonderful. One of the oldest and largest state parks, has 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. Great birdlife viewing. A wonderful place for hiking, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Scenic tours on airboats.... 

Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary

Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary, Sarasota

 2 Reviews  The pelican man’s bird sanctuary rehabs injured birds of all types. The facility is quite large and has beautifully manicured grounds. Walking through the grounds is quite relaxing and I really enjoy watching all the different birds fom around the world. The sanctuary sits on the other side of... 

Hotels  

Hotel Indigo Sarasota

 2 Reviews and 287 Opinions  This is my second time staying at Hotel Indigo in Sarasota, and my FIRST time taking my dog Breezie... 

Tropical Shores Beach Resort

 1 Review and 541 Opinions  Absolutely fantastic! The staff had gone above and beyond anything I could imagine when it came to... 

Restaurants  

Sarasota Sake House: Most yummy Japanese food here

Sarasota Sake House: Most yummy Japanese food here, Sarasota

 Allanzellion Says:  We visited sarasota for days and tried some restaurants there. The most impressed me is SAKE HOUSE because of its delicious Japanese food. Actually we found it at downtown incidentally when we felt hungry and searched food. We had its house special roll, like three sisters,... 

Nightlife  

Sarasota Brewing Company: Microbrewery/Sportbar

Sarasota Brewing Company: Microbrewery/Sportbar, Sarasota

 grasshopper_6 Says:  A really great place. The beer they brew here is pretty good. They usually have a small assortment of lagers, lights, ales etc. My current favorite is a dark "Midnight Pass" Porter. The food is usually excellent, and there are lots of big screen TVs for watching sports... 

Shopping  

Captain's Landing: Mens Clothing in Venice

Captain's Landing: Mens Clothing in Venice, Sarasota

 alexandradawn Says:  Since 1995, Captain's Landing luxury menswear has been offering only the finest men's resort fashions found under one roof anywhere. They currently offer an eclectic collection of smart and comfortable men's apparel and accessories featuring tailored resort and beach wear by... 

Currency Exchange International: Great currency change venue

Currency Exchange International: Great currency change venue, Sarasota

 TheTravelSlut Says:  CEI is a large "kiosk" located in the Westfield Mall-Southgate in Sarasota and offers monetary exchanges at rates and fees that are better than banks and airports.I recently bought Euros or US Dollars and was pleased how efficient and effective the transaction occurred.With... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Hurricane Season

Hurricane Season, Sarasota

 tampa_shawn Says:  So you are on vacation and a hurricane is coming...or you are going to the Atlantic during hurricane season and want to know what to do. First and foremost don't panic...and listen to the authorities. The cone of uncertainty is big so it may not hit you....I’ve lived off the... 

Rip tide safety

Rip tide safety, Sarasota

 tampa_shawn Says:  Florida beaches do sometimes have a rip tides.Rip tides can take you out further out into the ocean and keep even the strongest swimmer away from the shore.Florida also has a flag system that tell you about the water conditions. Green is good, yellow be careful, red bad rip... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Collect Seashells on Charlotte Beach

Collect Seashells on Charlotte Beach, Sarasota

 vibi68 Says:  A common thing to do when you're on vacation at a coastal destination, is collecting seashells; Charlotte beach, in Charlotte county, close to Siesta Key is worth the detour if you enjoy that hobby. You'll find a variety of exquisite seashells most of them in perfect... 

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