Things to do in Sarasota Florida includes some of the best beaches in the world, a walkable downtown with abundant culture, cool museums, phenomenal state parks, and luscious #USGulfCoast weather.
This article focuses on the southern end of Sarasota County, including Osprey FL and Venice FL, and on natural attractions. Even lifelong Sarasota visitors and residents will learn about a couple off the beaten path places to include on future Southwest Florida explorations.
Thank you to Visit Sarasota for hosting us.
15 Fun Things to Do in Sarasota Florida
1. Fun Places to Stay in Sarasota
The latest Sarasota hotel we stayed (February 2023) and absolutely adored is Art Ovation Hotel. It has a magnificent downtown Sarasota spot, near the Opera House and Main Street shops and restaurants. The creative, artsy theme will keep your interest. Make sure to try Sarasota’s newest restaurant, Tzeva, featuring healthy Mediterranean cuisine.
Golden Host Resort is an old Florida themed motel on Tamiami Trail between downtown Sarasota and the airport. The highlight is Bahi Hut which is Florida’s oldest tiki bar and the third oldest in the US.
Another recent Sarasota hotel where we stayed, and loved, is the Home2Suites across from the Sarasota airport control tower and next to the USF campus. We would definitely stay here again. Love the spacious and quiet rooms, suites (full size refrigerator, dishes, dishwasher), and convenient location. It is ideal for multi-night stays. There is also a Hilton Garden Inn right behind the Home2Suites.
When looking for a place to stay in the southern portion of Sarasota county, consider Casey Key Resorts in Osprey FL. It was formerly called Bentley’s Boutique Hotel. All ground floor rooms have a patio and all upper floor rooms have a balcony.
Check out our video tour of a Casey Key Resorts room.
This convenient south Sarasota hotel offers free breakfast and is located less than a mile from to Oscar Scherer State Park and close to Venice Beach and Siesta Key. The pool area is the centerpiece, with a tiki bar, beach area, and common space.
2. Sarasota Bayfront
A short stroll from Sarasota Farmers Market is Sarasota Bayfront Park featuring some amazing oak and banyan trees. It is a wonderful area to walk around. Walk through Five Points Park between Whole Foods and the Sarasota Bayfront Park for another nice tree scene and read some local history on the park plaques.
Look for cool street art as you walk around Sarasota.
3. Sarasota Farmers Market
Since 1979, Saturday mornings are all about the Sarasota Farmers Market. Give yourself a vitamin C jolt with a fresh squeezed orange juice for $1 a cup. There are dozens of local vendors with fresh produce, citrus fruit, crafts, prepared foods, and more. This is the place to see and be seen!
4. Mad Moe’s Pub & Grill
Being in Florida for about a month—our 2019 “snow bird in training” road trip—our car was definitely in need of a bath. Why do I tell you this? Well, the second time we went to Mad Moe’s (for consecutive lunches, yep!), a sparkling, new, shiny, pristine Rolls Royce parked next to us.
The juxtaposition was interesting and cool because Mad Moe’s is definitely a locals place and not upscale. But it shows that everyone likes Moe’s! The Cuban sandwich is amazing. Fish tacos are fantastic. Sit at the walk up bar for the best of both worlds—great people watching spot, interact with the bartenders, and enjoy some great food and drink.
5. Venice Fishing Pier
The 700 foot Venice Fishing Pier seemingly spills out from Sharky’s on the Pier, which is the only waterfront restaurant in Venice FL. The pier is a cool place any time of the day but especially at sunset, when you have very long shadows. Sorry I did not make a movie with my shadow. Next time! Or make your own and leave the URL in the comment section.
6. Venice Beach Florida
If nothing else, I will always remember Venice Beach FL for the place I captured a sunset photo with a heart reflection. How wonderful is that?
But Venice Beach itself is quite lovely. A wide stretch of sugar sand allows plenty of room. Which is great because it is a popular place to be at sunset.
7. Caspersen Beach
Most people come to Caspersen Beach to find shark teeth. I loved seeing the “regular” beach sand here, so different than the typical #USGulfCoast sugar sand. Huh? Why? Inquiring minds want to know.
Caspersen Beach is promoted as the natural beach—and I do not mean clothing wise. Hmmm, or maybe that IS what they mean.
No, I am pretty sure they mean because the sand is darker. Caspersen Beach also has hiking trails and boardwalks to see wildlife and birds. Ah, that is the natural element!
And finding shark teeth at Caspersen Beach is one of our favorite 11 Unique and Cool Activities on the US Gulf Coast
8. Cafe Venice
Once I saw Bloody Margarita on the Cafe Venice menu, I had to try it. Honestly I do not remember what made it bloody but I believe it was some Malbec.
Like most places along the Florida Gulf Coast, fresh fish is the thing to order and snapper and grouper were the right choices during our visit. A caprese salad with a generous portion of pesto started things off right.
9. Best Places to Watch Sunset in Sarasota
Siesta Key beach often is honored with the best beach designation but you should visit for more than just the soft, white sugar sand. Arrive about an hour before sunset and let your ears guide you to one of the most interesting daily spectacles you will find anywhere in the world. On our last visit, hundreds of people gathered around the Siesta Key drum circle, complete with dancers, drummers, funness for all types and ages, and, yes, a little funky odor.
Check out this video of the Siesta Key sunset celebration drum circle.
One enterprising young lady pulled a wagon full of Girl Scout cookies for sale. Absolutely brilliant. But the star of the show is the sunset so make sure you see it. It is real and it is magnificent.
Siesta Key is a Favorite Gulf Coast Spring Break Destination.
Besides Venice Beach (see above) and Siesta Key, another fabulous spot to see sunset in Sarasota is at Centennial Park, just north of Van Wetzel. Here you will find more than enough free and convenient parking, plenty of benches, bathrooms, and an ADA compliant area.
10. Siesta Key Oyster Bar
Come to Siesta Key Oyster Bar for the oysters, stay for the paella. OK, also come to this popular Gulf Coast beach bar for drinks, as SKOBÂ makes a killer Dark & Stormy. They also carry a great selection of Florida craft beers. And make sure you have at least one dollar bill for each person in your party. You will find out why when you visit!
11. The Original First Watch Restaurant
You may have dined at a First Watch Restaurant or several dozen but have you been to the FIRST First Watch? Well, my friends, this is it, the original First Watch. Ta da! Bonus is that this First Watch location offers waterfront seating. I know, what could be better than al fresco breakfast. The answer is NOTHING so y’all have to go here.
Some other great places to eat in downtown Sarasota include SoFresh (also with locations in Lakewood Ranch and five in Tampa), Circo (taco and bourbon bar), and 99 Bottles—all across the street from Whole Foods. There is free parking in the garage in front of Whole Foods.
Some classic Sarasota places we want to try include Cafe Baci, Alpine Steakhouse, Owen’s Fish Camp, Phillippi Creek Oyster Bar, and Antojitos La Michoacana. Let us know if you have tried these places or have any other favorite Sarasota restaurants.
12. Oscar Scherer State Park
As one of the last remaining Florida scrub habitats in southwest Florida, Oscar Scherer State Park is a natural wonder, fun hidden gem, and valuable environment. A popular Sunday morning Florida scrub jay hike led by Ranger Tony led to many sightings of the endangered bird (the only bird found exclusively in Florida) but also a few bald eagles and other migrating birds.
The park has many other hiking trails, a very popular campground (reserve well in advance), and a robust itinerary of talks, walks, and events.
Later, Tony led us on a fun kayak tour along South Creek, educating us on more habitat features. We saw great blue herons and other wading birds, wonderful oaks, and YES a gator! For a fun experience, sign up for one of the guided night paddle events.
For more information, see 8 Great Things to Do in Oscar Scherer State Park
13. Legacy Trail
Nearly a quarter of a million people use the 14 mile Legacy Trail every year and there are currently discussions to extend it another 30 miles. Yippee! Our rental bicycles from Venice Bikes and Trikes were delivered to the Oscar Scherer State Park trailhead. After our kayaking liquid road trip, we biked the Legacy Trail and then locked up the bikes when we finished. They picked them back up later. So convenient.
I love that Legacy Trail passes through natural areas, has access points and trailheads at several parks in Sarasota county, and crosses over water.
14. Historic Spanish Point
The Historic Spanish Point area was settled in 1867 by the Webb family from New York state, told of this section of higher ground land on Little Sarasota Bay by a Spanish merchant. The Webbs thus named it Spanish Point in honor of him. In 1885 Webb’s Winter Resort was the first tourist resort in this area and northerners flocked here to escape the winter cold. Now 30 acres of lush gardens, historic buildings, and archaeological sites.
US Gulf Coast Travel tip: In the historic homestead, pay attention to the original wood floors. I will definitely one day include it in my Cool Floorida Spots article, along with the Dade County Pine floor at Museum of the Everglades and a few other secrets. Please let me know about other fun and cool Florida floors!
15. Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Site
Starting mid-February, Sarasota rolls out the banners to welcome Baltimore Orioles fans to Spring Training practices and games. “Home” games are played at Ed Smith Stadium, about 5 miles from I-75 and less than 1 mile from downtown Sarasota.
Where is Sarasota FL?
Sarasota is located midway between Tampa and Fort Myers Beach. Go south from Anna Maria Island and north from Punta Gorda to visit Sarasota. It is about a two hour day trip from Tampa and about the same time to drive between Orlando and Sarasota.
Day Trips Near Sarasota FL
Located between Tampa and Naples, Sarasota is a magnificent Southwest Florida Gulf Coast destination. Captiva Island, Anna Maria Island, Punta Gorda, Lake Placid, and Indian Rocks Beach are easy day trips from Sarasota. Plan your Southwest Florida US Gulf Coast getaways with our guides:
- 16 Cool Things to Do in Anna Maria Island
- 15 Fun Things to Do in Punta Gorda
- South Seas Resort on Captiva Island
- Incredible Lake Placid Murals
- Photo Spots in Florida for Nature Lovers
Other Places to Visit in Sarasota
There are many other amazing and cool things to do in Sarasota and I just scratched the surface here. Hopefully it provides you an idea of the variety of funness to experience there. On future trips, I hope to explore some of the following Sarasota attractions and discover even more.
If your favorite Sarasota beach, place to eat, or secret place is not listed, please leave a comment and let me know.
Other places on my wish list of places to visit in Sarasota include:
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
- Myakka State Park
- The Ringling Museum
- Ca’ d’Zan
- Lido Key, St. Armands Circle, and Longboat Key
- Big Cat Habitat
- Mote Marine Laboratory
- Jungle Gardens
- Many Sarasota Restaurants (Tell Me More!) …
- Owens’ Fish Camp, Selva Grill, Walt’s Fish Market, Mirna’s Cuban, Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village, and Indigenous Restaurant
What are your favorite things to do in Sarasota, Florida?