Sarasota / Bradenton Hotels

Not that the oldies aren’t on to something, however – the white sands of Crescent Beach and the greenery of Myakka River State Park are each idyllic enough to have you dreaming of cashing in your own retirement fund. In the meantime, though, there’s still the bustling open-air shopping circle at St Armands – and when you’re sipping an ice-cold mojito at Bahi Hut cocktail lounge, you’ll be thankful you don’t struggle to stay up past 10 p.m.

Sarasota-Bradenton’s Top 10

Sarasota/Bradenton History

• Sarasota Classic Car Museum - Go back in time in automotive history.
• Ca d'Zan Mansion - You can go through the house and also see the circus miniatures.
• Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus - This is the winter home of the circus, and there is a museum of circus history as well.
• South Florida Museum - This is the largest history and cultural museum in the South Florida area.
• Manatee Village Historical Park - Watch the artisans using old-fashioned tools or check out the schoolroom for a fascinating look back in time.

Sarasota/Bradenton Art & Culture

• John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art - This art museum has exhibits that go back 500 years.
• Sailor Circus - This is a small circus but lots of fun for both children and adults.
• Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall - Patronize the performing arts in this theatre.
• Sarasota Opera - This opera proves that you don't have to go to New York or Paris to see world-class opera.
• Asolo Theatre for the Performing Arts - This unique theatre can put on as many as five plays in a single weekend.

Sarasota/Bradenton Shopping

• Le Macaron - Enjoy the macarons and other French pastries in this little patisserie.
• St Armands Circle - This is an outdoor walking mall with more than 100 shops.
• August Antiques - Find a treasure at this charming antique shop.
• Sarasota News & Books - This 3,000-square-foot bookstore is locally owned and offers an amazing selection of books, magazines and newspapers.
• Nontondo - This well-known store specializes in art and gifts from Africa.

Gay & Lesbian Sarasota/Bradenton

• North Lido Beach - This beach is popular with the LGBT community, especially on the weekend.
• Club Heat - Come out on Wednesdays for drag night.
• Watermark Media - This produces the gay and lesbian newsmagazine for South Florida.
• Casperson Beach - This is the beach that is known for being the gay beach of the area.
• St Boniface Episcopal Church - This is a gay-friendly congregation for those that want to worship.

Sarasota-Bradenton Events

Old-style entertainment and agriculture shows are the main draws of March’s Sarasota County Fair. Still going strong (and largely unchanged) since the mid-1930s.

Main Street draws a crowd to rival Siesta Key for Fiesta on Main in May, offering Mexican fashion, games and entertainment as well as a plethora of tasty tacos.

We’ve all seen houses decked out in fairy lights, so the Sarasota Christmas Boat Parade of Lights is a pretty cool change.

When To Go

Sarasota-Bradenton experiences a humid subtropical climate, with the emphasis on the humid.

There are distinct rainy and dry seasons, with the former lasting from June to September.

The dry season lasts from October to May, where highs of 23ºC (73ºF) make the omnipresent humidity more bearable.

Getting Around

Rental car is the best way to get around the Sarasota-Bradenton area, especially if you want to get to the beaches off the main drag – which you do.

The public bus service, SCAT and MCAT, and cheap and reliable enough.

Trolley runs along the beach are frequent and free, and provide a few good photo ops even if you’re not going anywhere in particular.