One of the things I’m looking forward to most in life is taking my wife, Lala, on the PERFECT trip to Sarasota, Florida. To me, Sarasota means vacation. My grandad and grandma lived there, and we visited every chance we got. I want to show Lala the things I’ve loved doing there my whole life. Call it a trip down memory lane, making new memories. Due to visa issues, we haven’t been able to make this a reality, but I’ve been dreaming of it for a while now. So this is what we’re going to do in Sarasota, Florida soon, and my personal recommendation for you!
I marked everything I talk about on a map at the end of this post!
Go here to read about a pristine island on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
What to do in Sarasota
- Eat at The Old Salty Dog
- Paddle Board through the Lido Mangrove Tunnels
- Go to Mote Marine Laboratory
- Enjoy the Sunrise AND Sunset at Siesta Key
- Look for Coquinas on Long Boat Key
- Fill your Belly at St. Armand’s Circle
- Go for a Run from Morton’s, across the Bridge and Back
Eat at The Old Salty Dog
Of course my first recommendation is food. You probably won’t find this recommendation anywhere else, especially not as #1 on the list.
The Old Salty Dog is probably my favorite restaurant in the entire world. I have some amazing memories here, and my grandad loved it. The restaurant is right on the water, and it has that rustic feeling of regulars having to brush the dirt off their boots at the entrance. The food is great and the view is pristine.
I’ve actually only ever had the fish & chips with rootbeer, and what can I say? I 100% recommend it. I only ever go to The Old Salty Dog on vacation, which isn’t often, so I always have to stick to the tradition. I have been with others who have ordered different meals, and everything has been delicious (especially the lobster roll). Go to The Old Salty Dog located at 1601 Ken Thompson Pkwy.
Paddle Board through the Lido Mangrove Tunnels
I only did this once, but it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. You see, I’m from Colombia (South America), and everything here is kind of hard to do. You want to go hike? Book a tour. You have your own kayak? Still need a guide.
At Ted Sperling Nature Park on Lido Key, you can simply drive up to the Kayak Launch and Parking. If you have a kayak or paddleboard, just put it in the water and you’re free to enjoy a gorgeous trip through mangroves. If you don’t have one, you can rent a kayak or paddleboard right there and head out!
To get to the mangrove tunnels, just go right from the launch area. You get lots of shade while you’re in the tunnels, and you may just get lucky and see a manatee. Dolphins also show up pretty often! Then, you can head left from the launch area to go around a small island that, when I visited, had hundreds of birds on it. The whole experience is just spectacular!
Keep in mind: rental companies will charge for the whole day even if you’ll only be there a few hours.
Go to Mote Marine Laboratory
Right across from The Old Salty Dog is Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. This place and diving with my dad filled my childhood with a love for the ocean and life underwater. The aquarium is just too much fun.
So, obviously, I recommend you go enjoy it. What I remember most about the aquarium is being able to pet manta rays, seeing sharks and turtles up close, and putting a quarter into a machine that turned it into a Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium souvenir. It’s perfect for kids, but, as an adult myself, I can say I’ll be going and marveling at everything is has to show.
And my favorite part of all: the preserved giant squid they have at the aquarium. There’s just something about seeing an animal so mysterious that it’s only been caught on camera a couple times.
Check out all their exhibits by clicking here! They open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Thanksgiving, when they close at 2 p.m.
Enjoy the Sunrise AND Sunset at Siesta Key
Siesta Key is said to be the #1 best beach in the United States. I can see why! Its white sand is ACTUALLY white, all quartz sand. You walk through some beautiful underbrush on wooden bridges onto the warm sand that never gets too hot because, again, its white. Then you have to walk a good way to the water, which is shallow and gorgeous.
Here’s my tip: get up early and head to a McDonalds drive-thru for an egg McMuffin and a coffee. Head over to Siesta Beach with some foldable chairs and gaze over the water as the sun rises. When my family went to Siesta Beach for sunrise, I can still picture my grandma painting in her chair and my mom reading in her chair as us kids did what kids do on the beach. The point is, relish in the early morning wind (it might get chilly) and enjoy. Once it gets warm enough for you, get in the water and… you guessed it… keep enjoying.
After a nice early morning beach trip, get on with your activities for the day. Good thing you’re reading what to do in Sarasota.
At about 5, head back over to the beach. Some of my best memories were a summer 5k run at 5 p.m. right on the beach, where we’d spend hours eating, swimming and jogging. The shadows start getting long and it’s the perfect temperature for some exercise and then a dip in the water. Take some food, rest your soul in the warm temps, and watch the colorful clouds and gorgeous sunset over the waves.
Look for Coquinas on Long Boat Key
Another absolutely amazing beach nearby is on Longboat Key. It never gets as crowded as Siesta Beach because it almost seems like it’s not open to the public (I marked the access point on the map below). The sand here isn’t white, but it’s beautiful and has thousands of little shells in it.
My greatest memories here include jogging with my dad, making sand castles and looking for coquina clams in the sand.
Coquinas are called the jewels of the seaside because they’re small and radiantly colorful. What you do is you get close to the water and dig a shallow hole in the sand with one brush of your hand. The coquina clams are right there under the surface, and they immediately start digging back under the sand. And that’s what we did – uncover them over and over again to watch them hurriedly hide away. You’ll probably also see thousands of them digging in where waves wash some sand away right by the water’s edge.
Fill your Belly at St. Armand’s Circle
You can’t write a blog on what to do in Sarasota and not include St. Armand’s Circle. This is a VERY touristy area full of restaurants, shopping and bars. It’s always vibrant, and every store here will easily catch your eye. I haven’t spent much time in St. Armand’s Circle because of how touristy it is and how crowded it can get, and we usually avoid that. However, I absolutely recommend you have a lunch or dinner here, because everything is delicious.
But most of all, go to Kilwins, which is like a tiny version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but for ice cream. When I go with Lala, we’re gonna get an enormous cone and walk around St. Armand’s Circle.
Go for a Run from Morton’s, across the Bridge and Back (if you can)
I saved this one for last because it means going on a 10 kilometer run, but it’s honestly one of my favorite things to do in Sarasota. Jogging is one of my favorite things to do in Sarasota, actually. It’s where I started loving to run, going out in the heat with my dad.
My favorite route is from Morton’s Gourmet Market down to Orange Avenue, towards downtown Sarasota, along the side of the bay and across the John Ringling Causeway and BACK. The heat can get to you, especially when, for some reason, we would always head out to run at midday. I know, terrible idea. But we enjoyed the heat and the sweat.
The route is on the map below!
Now that you know what to do in Sarasota, Florida, I hope you have the PERFECT trip to Sarasota! This is very much catered to myself, but I’m sure there are some nuggets of gold among all my anecdotes. If you do any of these things, let me know in the comments! I’d love to read how it went for you and talk about it!
If you’d like to read about a gorgeous Colombian island for vacationing, click here!
