Overview
Sarasota is a popular city on the Gulf Coast of Southwest Florida. It is known for its vibrant arts community, excellent restaurants, unique shopping, and beautiful beaches. Sarasota, although a mid-sized city, is considered to be the cultural center of West Central Florida. The city has a metropolitan flavor unique to cities of its size and to cities in Florida.
9 sights · 9 things to do · 15 places to eat · 6 bars & cafés · 11 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Sarasota
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
There are 4 shows at the gardens in addition to the grounds which are filled with many interesting plants. As with most early attractions, they offer some animal shows and a chance to see some rare plants, many of which …
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
The Museum of Art, built by John Ringling to house his personal collection of masterpieces, today features the great Old Masters including Rubens, van Dyck, Velàzquez, Titian, Tintoretto, Vernonese, El Greco, and Gainsbo…
Cà d’Zan
The Ringlings' dazzling palatial mansion is a tribute to the American Dream and reflects the splendor and romance of Italy. Described as “the last of the Gilded Age mansions” to be built in America, Cà d’Zan has 56 incre…
The Historic Asolo Theater
An 18th-century treasure in a 21st-century venue, the Historic Asolo Theater is a work of art in its own right. The palace playhouse was created in Asolo, Italy to honor the 15th-century exiled Queen of Cyprus. In the la…
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
A tropical, urban oasis featuring unparalleled horticulture displays and a Sarasota bay-front setting.
Art Center Sarasota
Usually, 2 or 3 art exhibitions going on concurrently. Some pieces in gallery available for sale.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–May. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 52°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Jul.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SRQ Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, Sarasota/Bradenton — 4 mi away (major hub). Directions
- PIE St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport, Pinellas Park — 41 mi away (major hub). Directions
Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $50–$50 a night (typical $70), from 2 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$90, mid-range ~$140, comfortable ~$220.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Sarasota Jungle Gardens, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Marina Jack
- Lunch Cafe Amici
- Afternoon Art Center Sarasota, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
- Dinner Cafe Epicure
- Evening Smokin' Joes
Day 2
- Morning Sky Zone Sarasota, Nathan Benderson Park
- Lunch DaRuMa Restaurant
- Afternoon The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
- Dinner The Breakfast House
- Evening Sun King Sarasota
Day 3
- Morning Siesta Key Beach
- Lunch Miguel's Restaurant
- Afternoon Historic Spanish Point
- Dinner Spice Asian Market
- Evening 8-ball lounge
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The Asolo Theater, Florida West Coast Symphony, Sarasota Opera, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, and frequent art shows add to the cultural theme of the city, rivaling the facilities of Florida's largest cities. Sarasota is also home to the Ringling Museum of Art, the Selby Botanical Gardens, New College (Florida's public honors college), a USF branch, and the Ringling School of Art and Design.
Sarasota's downtown cityscape features office buildings and several upscale downtown condominiums. It is complemented by Saint Armands Circle, on Saint Armands Key, which is surrounded by Lido Key, across Sarasota Bay from downtown via the Ringling Causeway (with sweeping views of Sarasota Bay). Saint Armands Circle is an upscale outdoor shopping area, with several cafes, reminiscent of Europe. The idea for Saint Armands was from John Ringling who also intended to build a Ritz hotel on Longboat Key. Today, Sarasota has a Ritz hotel downtown, and the Longboat Key Club on Ringling's original site. The Longboat Key Club includes two golf courses, tennis, and all other resort facilities and is located just north of Saint Armands on Longboat Key.
The fine white-sand beaches are a major draw to the area. Siesta Key Beach is consistently ranked among the most beautiful beaches on Earth. Crescent Beach, Turtle Beach, Lido Beach, and the beach running the 15-mile (25-km) span of Longboat Key are equally beautiful and accessible. Indeed, much of Sarasota's charm comes from the fact that the beaches are so plentiful and accessible.
Get in
By plane
By car
- Sarasota has one primary expressway, Interstate 75, which runs north to south.
- The major roads in Sarasota include the Tamiami Trail (which is the name given to US 41 between Tampa and Miami), US Route 301, Beneva Rd., Tuttle Ave/Swift Rd., Honore Avenue and Cattlemen Rd., all running north-to-south, and Clark Rd., Proctor Rd., Bee Ridge Rd., Fruitville Rd. and University Pkwy., all running east-to-west.
By bus
Go Greyhound
Travels primarily on Interstate 75 (Naples, Ft Myers, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Tampa). Some variations of the route continue east towards Miami through Clewiston, Belle Glade & West Palm Beach from Ft Myers on US Hwy 27. Others continue north from Tampa to Orlando on I-4. Passengers transfer in Tampa, Miami or Orlando to reach other cities. Check Schedules. Tickets must be pre-paid & pre-printed from online or purchased from a full service station elsewhere.
Get around
The city includes the mainland downtown as well as three islands, called "keys." These are Longboat Key, Lido Key, and Siesta Key. Causeways to all these keys are free and very picturesque. Downtown Sarasota is very vibrant with a healthy mix of businesses, residences, restaurants, and city services.
See
See Sarasota Jungle Gardens
There are 4 shows at the gardens in addition to the grounds which are filled with many interesting plants. As with most early attractions, they offer some animal shows and a chance to see some rare plants, many of which are of extraordinary size. This attraction is a rare opportunity to see what Florida was like in the tourist boom of the early 1900s.
See The Ringling Estate
The Ringling Estate finished a six-year restoration and expansion phase that restored all of the existing buildings and added four new buildings to the estate. Features of the 66-acre (27 hectares) estate include the lush grounds and landscaping including Mable’s Rose Garden, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, the Cà d’Zan Mansion, the Tibbals Learning Center, and the Historic Asolo Theater in the Visitor’s Pavilion. 3-day passes are available.
See The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
The Museum of Art, built by John Ringling to house his personal collection of masterpieces, today features the great Old Masters including Rubens, van Dyck, Velàzquez, Titian, Tintoretto, Vernonese, El Greco, and Gainsborough. The museum opened in October 1931, and added the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing in 2007, with an additional 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of exhibition space. The museum’s 21 galleries feature internationally renowned European, American, and Asian art with masterpieces from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The Courtyard of the Museum of Art features casts of original statues including the towering David by Michelangelo. The Courtyard features two fountains - Fountain of Tortoises, one of three replicas from the Piazza Mattei in Rome, and the Oceanus Fountain, copied from the 16th-century original by Giovanni Bologna in Florence’s Boboli Gardens.
See Circus Museum
Established in 1948, the Ringling Museum of the American Circus was the first museum of its kind to document the rich history of the circus. The museum has a fine collection including rare handbills, posters and art prints, circus paper, business records, wardrobe, performing props, and all types of circus equipment, including beautifully carved parade wagons. In the Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center, you'll find the Howard Bros. Circus Model, a replica of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from 1919 – 1938. It has 8 main tents, 152 wagons, 1,300 circus performers and workers, more than 800 animals and a 59-car train. The model is built in ¾-inch-to-the-foot scale replica and occupies 3,800 square feet (350 m2).
See Cà d’Zan
The Ringlings' dazzling palatial mansion is a tribute to the American Dream and reflects the splendor and romance of Italy. Described as “the last of the Gilded Age mansions” to be built in America, Cà d’Zan has 56 incredible rooms filled with art and original furnishings. With its Venetian Gothic architecture, the mansion is a combination of the grandeur of Venice’s Doge’s Palace, combined with the gothic grace of Cà d’Oro and Sarasota Bay serves as the Grand Canal.
See The Historic Asolo Theater
An 18th-century treasure in a 21st-century venue, the Historic Asolo Theater is a work of art in its own right. The palace playhouse was created in Asolo, Italy to honor the 15th-century exiled Queen of Cyprus. In the late 1940s, the theater was brought to the Ringling Estate and served as the first stage for many of the community’s most recognized performance organizations. Today the theater features a diverse performance schedule including theatre, dance, film, music, and lectures.
Do
Do Siesta Key Beach
Siesta Key Beach is among the first and foremost reasons for many visitors to come to Sarasota. The sand, which is 99% pure crystal quartz, is often cited as being the cleanest, whitest sand in the world. With an athletic area equipped with volleyball courts, a cookout area complete with grills (bring your own charcoal), and life guards on duty all day, Siesta Key Beach is a great place for families and spring breakers alike. On Sundays at sundown, there is a tourist-heavy drum circle where local hippies play and everyone dances.
Do Historic Spanish Point
Visit Historic Spanish Point and experience the past 5,000 years of history in Southwest Florida. Exhibits range from learning about the Florida Environment, Southwest Florida’s Maritime Heritage, Pioneer Homesteaders, Archaeology and the Bertha Palmer time period of growth in Southwest Florida. The 30 acres (12 hectares) of land used as Historic Spanish Point was once the winter estate of Mrs. Palmer.
- - located in Sarasota
Do Ed Smith Stadium
The spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles. If you are in the Venice area between February and March, catch a preseason game for between $5 and $12.
Do Marina Jack
Keep your feet on the land while dining at the Marina Jack Restaurant or take off for an evening around Sarasota Bay on the Marina Jack Dinner Boat. Located on Sarasota Bay, the restaurant offers theatre seating so that everyone can enjoy a view of the waterfront. There is also the Portside Patio Bar for light meals or a drink before dinner. The Dinner Boat is an hour and a half lunch cruise or a two-hour dinner cruise. Plenty of temporarily marina slips available.
Buy
- Historic Palm Avenue. Downtown Sarasota's "Best Walk in Town" one block from Sarasota's Bayfront, between the Ritz Carlton and Selby Gardens. Stroll the Galleries, Restaurants, Antique and Specialty Shops. "Palm Avenue's First Friday Art Walks" are held the first Friday of every month from 6PM-9PM. Enjoy gallery openings, live performances and hors d'oeuvres as Palm Avenue Merchants serenade the Avenue and its guests.
- St. Armands Circle. Removed from the intensity of downtown Sarasota, St. Armands Circle has a great selection of original shops, galleries and restaurants. It is designed in a charming circular pattern that makes for a breathtaking shopping or afternoon strolling or evening dining experience. Take Tamiami Trail (US 41) to SR 780 W to St. Armands Key, travel over the Ringling Causeway and Sarasota Bay and you will run right into lovely St. Armands Circle.
- Main Street in downtown also has several shops.
Eat
Eat The Breakfast House
Breakfast and lunch.
Eat Cafe Epicure
Italian upscale casual.
Eat Columbia Restaurant
Cuban-American food.
Eat DaRuMa Restaurant
Japanese steakhouse and seafood
Eat Main Street Bar and Sandwich Shop
Eat Mattison's City Grill
Breakfast, lunch and dinner. An open-air but covered restaurant and bar with live music, on the corner of Main and Lemon downtown.
Eat Miguel's Restaurant
Quaint French Continental cuisine at the south end of Siesta Key. Wonderful food, full bar and early bird specials.
Eat Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club
Lunch and dinner.
Eat Yoder's Restaurant
Nationally-known Amish restaurant.
Eat Shakespeare's English Pub
Gourmet burgers and other typical pub food. 80 beers from around the world.
Eat Spice Asian Market
Most of this shop is devoted to selling Oriental decorative items and Oriental groceries. However, at the back of the shop is a small restaurant area. Fresh Korean dishes are cooked to order and some food is pre-cooked. Food can be eaten at one of the six tables or can be taken home. The food quality is excellent.
Eat Yummy House Chinese Bistro Sarasota
Yummy House has locations in Tampa, Orlando, Ocala and Gainesville, all in Florida. This location serves excellent food.
Drink
Drink Cha Cha Coconuts Tropical Bar
Drink Gator Club
Popular bar and nightclub with entertainment nightly.
Drink Raffurty's Bar and Grill (formerly known as Urban Reef)
Sports bar with upstairs area and occasional bands, jazz, flamenco, lounge, and performers. Late nite bar menu.
Drink Smokin' Joes
Popular Downtown Sarasota bar. Full liquor with large selection of beer on tap. Over 15 televisions for any sport. Cigar humidor.
Drink Sun King Sarasota
Microrewery near downtown Sarasota with regular events and movie showings.
Sleep
Stay safe
Sarasota is a rather safe city, although regular precautions should be taken just to be safe. The only real place a tourist should avoid is Newtown. Located right near downtown, Newtown is rather small and is normally fine to drive through during the day. However vigilance is required if traveling through Newtown at night.
There is a nice downtown park at the Five Points intersection of Main Street,Pineapple and Central Avenues. Some homeless people congregate there but there is a city ordinance against panhandling and sleeping outdoors.
The northern end of Tamiami Trail near University Parkway is also known for run-down motels and some prostitution arrests. However there are also college campuses nearby and several coffee shops and a comedy club so people do safely walk around the area.
Go next
- Myakka River State Park – 9 miles (14 km) east of Sarasota on SR 72. One of the oldest and largest state parks, Myakka protects one of the state's most diverse natural areas. The Myakka River, designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River, flows through 58 square miles (150 square kilometers) of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing from a boardwalk that stretches out over the Upper Myakka Lake, then take to the treetops with a stroll along the canopy walkway. The park's river and two lakes provide ample opportunities for boating, freshwater fishing, canoeing, and kayaking; a boat ramp provides access to Upper Myakka Lake. Hikers can explore trails that cross large expanses of rare Florida dry prairie. Scenic lake tours are offered daily on the world's two largest airboats. Safari tram tours of the park's backcountry are offered from mid-December through May.
- Tampa and St. Petersburg are an easy drive North via I-75 and the Sunshine Skyway. Professional Football, baseball, NHL, and most other sports venues can be found there. Tampa also has more shopping at International Plaza and Westshore malls. Ybor City and the University of South Florida are also in Tampa, as is a Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and Busch Gardens.
- Disney World
Nearby
Siesta Key
City / town · 9 listings · 3 mi away
Longboat Key
City / town · 8 listings · 8 mi away
Bradenton
City / town · 9 listings · 11 mi away
Palmetto
City / town · 6 listings · 13 mi away
Anna Maria Island
City / town · 13 listings · 17 mi away
Venice
City / town · 8 listings · 18 mi away
Ruskin
City / town · 3 listings · 27 mi away
Englewood
City / town · 8 listings · 28 mi away
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