More than 35 miles of coastline and six barrier islands define Sarasota County. Gardens, historic sites and nature parks offer entirely different perspectives on the region. Exploring Sarasota, you can focus on plant life and archaeological sites just as much as on trails through wetlands or experiences around regattas. These varied themes give you several starting points for planning your trip without prescribing a set itinerary.
Garden Art and History
The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens cover a total of 45 acres across the Downtown Sarasota campus and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Sarasota County. The Downtown campus is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to exhibiting and researching epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, as well as other tropical plants. The focus here is on both the diversity of these plants and their scientific study. Historic Spanish Point offers a different sense of time: its archaeological record spans about 5,000 years of Florida history.
The Ringling also brings together a variety of cultural themes. It is Florida's state art museum. The 66-acre estate of John and Mable Ringling includes the Circus Museum, Ca' d'Zan, the Historic Asolo Theater and the Bayfront Gardens. The gardens include Mable's Rose Garden, banyan trees and the Dwarf Garden. The art museum, Circus Museum, theater and gardens each have their own emphasis; together, their names give an impression of the breadth of this estate.
Nature Parks and Trails
Wetlands, prairies, hammocks and pine forests alternate throughout Myakka River State Park. Cyclists have seven miles of paved road to explore. It runs through shady hammocks and grassy marshes, as well as along the shore of Upper Myakka Lake. Another distinctive feature of the park is the Myakka Canopy Walkway, North America's first public treetop trail. The landscape and the trail can therefore be considered as two separate aspects of the park: its varied habitats and the route through parts of this environment.
Numerous Florida scrub-jays live in the 1,381-acre Oscar Scherer State Park, which also has 15 miles of hiking trails. If you would rather compare the region by its hiking trails than by a paved cycling route, this park offers a different focus from Myakka River State Park. Oscar Scherer State Park also provides access to the Legacy Trail. This paved former railroad corridor runs from Venice to Sarasota through the park and is suitable for walking, cycling, jogging and inline skating. The trail connects communities in Sarasota County and extends into neighboring Charlotte County.
The Legacy Trail has rest areas, access points and free parking to help visitors find their way; rest stations are spaced about a mile apart. Nathan Benderson Park offers another paved route: its 3.4-mile trail is intended for walking, running and cycling. The seven miles at Myakka River State Park and the 3.4 miles at Nathan Benderson Park thus provide two specific route lengths for comparison. The history of organized regattas at Nathan Benderson Park began in 2009. The park is also home to the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), a 146,000-square-foot facility for marine science, education and immersive public experiences.
Getting Around Siesta Key
Trolley 77 Siesta Islander connects Siesta Key Village, Siesta Beach, South Village and Turtle Beach Park & Campground. It is free for all passengers. Check the latest Sarasota County route and fare information before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Englewood, Sarasota, Longboat Key, Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, North Port, Bee Ridge, Vamo, South Venice, The Meadows, Siesta Key, Venice Gardens, Kensington Park, Gulf Gate Estates, North Sarasota.
For the broader travel overview: Florida.
