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 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.