Start from 52 curated places around Sarasota, FL, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Owen's Fish Camp
Old-Florida fish-camp aesthetic in a 1920s Burns Court bungalow — cornmeal-fried gulf shrimp, grouper sandwiches, hush puppies, and a back garden that's the prettiest dinner setting in downtown Sarasota. The locals' default for visiting friends.
Indigenous Restaurant
Chef Steve Phelps' (multi-time JBF semifinalist) farm-to-table concept in a converted Burns Court bungalow with a small dining room, an even smaller bar, and a menu that rotates with the actual Florida farm season.
Trails & outdoors
Myakka River State Park
37,000 acres east of Sarasota with a canopy walkway, palmetto-and-oak hammock trails, an airboat tour of the river, and reliably visible alligators. The closest thing to wilderness within day-trip reach.
Legacy Trail
Paved 18.5-mile rails-to-trails route running from downtown Sarasota south to Venice — flat, shaded in sections, with bathrooms and water stops every few miles. The locals' bike commute.
Things to do
The Ringling
Circus magnate John Ringling's bayfront estate complex — the gilded-age Cà d'Zan mansion, the Museum of Art with one of the country's best Baroque collections, and a working Circus Museum. The biggest single cultural visit in Sarasota.
Sarasota Opera House
Restored 1926 Mediterranean-revival theater hosting Sarasota Opera's season of fully-staged productions plus a smaller series of recitals and chamber concerts. The opera company is one of the country's most-serious mid-size houses.
Landmarks & sights
St. Armands Circle
John Ringling's planned 1920s shopping circle on a small key west of downtown — palm-lined sidewalks, fountains, statuary from his estate, and a walkable ring of restaurants and boutiques. Touristy by day, much prettier by evening light.
Siesta Key Beach
The quartz-crystal-white beach repeatedly ranked America's best — fine powder sand that stays cool under bare feet even in summer. Crowded at the main pavilion; the south end where Crescent Beach starts is the locals' move.