Florida Vacations - Sarasota

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Sarasota Vacations

52 miles south of Tampa, 150 miles south west of Orlando

The town of Sarasota lies on the mainland coast, tucked behind a 40 mile (64 km) long sliver of  barrier islands that stretch north to Tampa Bay. With a great climate, excellent beaches and a population only just a little over 50,000, Sarasota is a popular town with retirees spending their winters in the south.

Noted for their fantastic white beaches and languid Gulf of Mexico waters, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lido Key are prime vacation destinations and also the location of several affluent residential enclaves.

The most prominent citizen of Sarasota was John Ringling of circus fame who lived here in the early 1900's. This is where he built his Venetian-styled mansion and housed his priceless art collection. 

The resulting demand for arts and entertainment has seen the town become one of Florida's major cultural centers.

Visitors to the area will find Sarasota accommodation in branded inn chains along the main routes into the city and an assortment of hotels and throughout the downtown area. The popular beach areas on the keys have a selection of beach resorts, condominiums, vacation rentals and bed and breakfast establishments.

Getting There & Getting Around

The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is served by American Trans Air,  Continental, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways. Flights into Tampa International Airport to the north offer a greater range of flights and more competitive prices.

The Sarasota-Tampa Express provides bus connections between the Tampa Airport and Sarasota. The Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) operates the Sarasota Trolley which runs a Scenic Loop Trolley connecting to all the town's more popular attractions, and the Main Street Trolley which operates from Island Park through downtown and along Main Street. SCAT also operates regular bus services.

Amtrak has a service to its Tampa station with bus connections to Sarasota.

Sarasota Vacation Highlights

Sarasota is home to the FSU (Florida State University) Ringling Center for the Cultural Arts, a 60-acre site where the circus legend John Ringling and his wife built their home on a truly grand scale and collected magnificent works of art. The grounds include the historic Asolo Theater, a 19th-century Italian playhouse that was  moved to Sarasota in the 1950s and is now the focal point for University's Center for the Performing Arts. 

Recent restoration works have been completed on the Ringlings' 30-room palatial winter residence Ca'd'Zan which was built in 1925. Modeled after a Venetian palace, the house had its own dock where Mrs Ringling was able to moor her private gondola!  Anyone with a love of circus will appreciate the Ringling Museum of the Circus with its circus memorabilia.

The John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art is Florida's official art museum, is filled with over 500 years of European and American art.  It features one of the most important collections of grand 17th-century baroque paintings in the world. There are also collections of decorative arts, traveling exhibits and an old-master collection. 

The beaches at Siesta Key, North and South Lido and Turtle Beach are not the only other local attractions in the area.  Historic Spanish Point is a museum and archaeological site covering 31 acres of walking trails through Native American burial mounds and 1867 pioneer homesteads. For a change of pace, lovers of exotic automobiles will enjoy the Classic Car Museum.

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a must-see for serious lovers of orchids. It houses over 20,000 exotic plants, of which more than 6,000 are orchids. The Myakka River State Park is a 47 sq mile wildlife preserve of dense woodlands. It is the largest state park and provides great bird and alligator watching, 40 miles (64 km) of boardwalks, trails and touring options. 

Other Regional Vacation Centers

Clearwater vacations  ::  St Petersburg vacations  ::  Tampa vacations


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