Sarasota is a small beach town in Florida, United States. The nearest big city is Tampa. It is also not too far away from Orlando, the Disney City,Florida.
Let us see where exactly it is located.
Sarasota is located on the south-west coast of Florida, facing Sarasota Bay, Gulf of Mexico. From Tampa, it is 96.5 km away, in the south. From Orlando, it is 210 km in the south-west direction.
It comprises of miles of white sand beaches that promise uninterrupted sun almost throughout the year. In addition, it is known to host several cultural events but let us skip Sarasota’s culture leanings and get to know what it is visited for by thousands of American tourists-beaches. Apart from great beaches laden with resorts, hotels, Airbnb, and cottages, it is home to plenty of wildlife and Marine life too.
First, let us visit some of the beautiful beaches of the city in Florida. I am going to cover four little islands off Sarasota coastline that are must-visit for their less crowded beaches and great seafood cooked with just-caught marine life.
Venice, Sarasota, Florida
Yes, this Venice is also a tourist center similar to the Venice of Italy. Venice in Sarasota, Florida is known to attract beach lovers from all parts of America, especially from the cold northern parts.
Apart from sunbathing, other things to do in Venice, Florida are:
- Shark teeth collecting in Caspersen Beach
- Venetian Waterway Park
- Centennial Park
- Oscar Scherer State Park
Lido Key, Florida
It’s a very small islet and in fact, is part of Sarasota. In addition, it is connected to the Sarasota mainland through a causeway named after John Ringling. Lido Key is a barrier island with three beaches namely:
- North Lido
- South Lido
- Lido beach
Lido Key island is sandwiched between two other islands called Longboat Key (in the north) and Siesta Key (on the south).
Too many Lidos made me look up in the dictionary and found out that a Lido is a beach.
Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida
Siesta Key is a barrier island which is accessed by road from Sarasota. The most popular beaches of Siesta Key island are the Siesta Beach, Turtle Beach, and Crescent Beach. Two bridges provide access to Siesta Key. The sand of Siesta Key is of pure quartz and white in color and is rated as the “Best Sand Beach” in the United States.
Siesta Key beach thronged by thousands of tourists to enjoy a great stay in a range of vacation rentals and wonderful gourmet food.
The water at the Siesta Key is shallow and hence ideal for relaxing in the water.
Manasota Key, Sarasota, Florida
Among the four beaches of Manasota Key, Florida, the Blind Pass beach is the most attractive mainly due to its huge size (60 acres).
The other three beaches of Manasota Key are:
- Manasota
- Englewood
- Stump Pass
For food and drink, people prefer Englewood Beach. For adventurous exploring, the Stump Pass Beach offers wonderful flora and fauna.
