Longboat Key Florida: A Luxury Vacation or A Way of Life!

Longboat Key Florida

The allure of Longboat Key, Florida, located between Sarasota and Manatee counties, provides luxury resorts, great dining, and golf with a view of the water. This upscale Gulf Coast vacation enclave benefits from its 12 miles of white sand beaches and plentitude of amenities. The majority of Longboat Key's almost 7,000 residents are retirees who take advantage of the island's championship tennis, golf, and exceptional dining and shopping opportunities. Longboat Key provides a refined and picturesque setting with an exceptional blend of gorgeous beaches and cultural events, all while maintaining a classy and calm way of life.

Visiting Longboat Key is easy, with affordable and luxurious accommodations found on Find Rentals Lido Key. Numerous outdoor activities are available on Longboat Key, including biking, rollerblading, and even recumbent biking along Gulf of Mexico Drive, as well as a number of watersports in the area's clear waters of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. This barrier island welcomes up to 22,000 visitors during the busiest weekend of the year, which is often in late March early April.

Numerous homes, both individually owned and those found in condominiums, hotels, and sports clubs, may be found on Longboat Key. Mar Vista, The Lazy Lobster, and The Dry Dock are just a few of the many eateries on Longboat Key. Centrally accessible pharmacies and full-service food stores, including Publix, are also available. Longboat Key's Gulf side is primarily made up of beaches, and the Longboat Key Club mostly controls the southernmost portion of the key. It’s a great place to relax and enjoy the pristine beaches and a vacation rental in Longboat Key, Florida.

 

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Rental Managers in Longboat Key Florida

Things To Do in Longboat Key

Visiting Longboat Key provides a great opportunity to enjoy nature and culture alike. After you find a place to stay preferably with a vacation rental management company, you can check out various parks and beaches along the island. However, nature isn’t the only enjoyment of these barrier islands! You’ll find amazing restaurants and museums to keep you entertained. Especially on a rainy afternoon, these destinations will pull you in for hours of interest.

Joan M. Durante Park

In order to improve and transform one of the few remaining unoccupied island properties on Longboat Key into a functional wetland and coastal hammock forest, a private/public cooperation resulted in the creation of Joan M. Durante Park, which can be found at 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Two miles from Longboat Key's northernmost point, on Sarasota Bay, sits the 32-acre location. Additionally, the park has received several honors, including the "1998 Outstanding Ecosystem Restoration Award" from the Florida Urban Forestry Council, the "Public Landscape Award" from the Keep Manatee Beautiful group, and the "Image Manatee Beautification Award" from the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce. In an urban setting, the park serves as a special haven for both animals and people.

Open from dawn until dusk, the park offers a pavilion available for rent and a sustainable, recycled playground with age-appropriate structures for ages 2 - 12.

Quick Point Nature Preserve

Features two lagoons: a man-made lagoon and a natural lagoon. To draw a variety of creatures, the artificial tidal lagoon region was excavated to various depths and altitudes. Whelks, conchs, young crabs, and a variety of small fish, such as mullet, black drum, and others, may be visible. A crucial component of the food chain for some of the lagoon's inhabitants, blue-green and brown algae, may also be present in the pond. Watch out for wading birds, including the Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great American Egret, and Osprey in the lagoon region.

The natural mangrove lagoon region has been there for 100 years and continues to provide a tranquil natural habitat for shorebirds and human delight. Like the new artificial lagoon, the natural lagoon region is an essential habitat for young fish and crabs.

This little bayside park is a wonderful location for a quick stroll and has a small private beach area. You may take a walk on the boardwalk through the mangroves or go fishing. There are also hidden places to swim. 

The Ringling Museum of Art

Circus tycoon John Ringling (1866–1936) made the decision to construct an art museum in 1925 as a memorial to his wife Mable and himself, as well as a legacy intended to outlive his commercial interests. Ringling aimed to educate and foster a sense of global interest in Florida residents by introducing them to European arts.

When the museum first opened in 1930, Ringling equipped it with European paintings, paneled rooms from the Gilded Age Astor estate in New York, and antique and medieval artifacts acquired from prestigious collections. In 1936, after passing away, Ringling left the Museum to the people of Florida. It’s open daily, with a few exceptions for holidays.

Museum Admission includes entry to the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, Bayfront Gardens, and the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. This Admission does not include entry to Ca’ d’Zan (an additional $10 for non-members). Discount admission tickets are available to active US Military, Florida teachers, and college students. Free admission is available for FSU, USF, SCF, NCF, and RCAD students and personal care attendants but requires an ID and in-person ticket purchases. Normal prices are as follows: 

Adult $25 
Senior (65+) $23
Child (6-17) $5
Children 5 and under are Free
Members are Free

 

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

The 45 acres of bayfront ecosystems at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens connect visitors to native wildlife, exotic air plants, and the history of the region of Longboat Key. Selby Gardens, located in the Osprey neighborhood of Sarasota County, Florida, is made up of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota site and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus, both of which were founded by progressive women of their era. The only botanical garden in the world devoted to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads, ferns, and other tropical plants is located on the Downtown Sarasota Campus on Sarasota Bay. Open daily, with exception of a few holidays, admission prices are as follows:

Downtown Sarasota campus
Members are Free
Member guests $11
Adults    $26
Ages 5-17 $11
Ages 4 and under are Free

Historic Spanish Point campus
Members are Free
Member guests $8
Adults    $16
Ages 5-17 $11
Ages 4 and under are Free

 

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Through touch pools, visible operating labs, and cutting-edge interactive exhibits that highlight the acclaimed research of the nearby Mote Marine Laboratory, you can discover the mysteries of the sea at Mote Aquarium. View over 100 marine species, the majority of which are found in the waters off Florida, such as sharks, manatees, sea turtles, and fish of all colors and sizes. Mote Aquarium and the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center are both accessible with general admission. For persons of all ages, Mote provides a number of educational programs in addition to volunteer and internship opportunities. The aquarium is open year-round, with admission prices as follows:

Adults 13 & older $26
Youth ages 3-12 $19
Children 2 and younger are Free
Mote Members enjoy Free admission

Map of Longboat Key Florida

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