Where to stay

Sun, sea, and sand are the reasons many travelers come for a Sarasota vacation, but not all the city's beaches and parks are the same. Find accommodations in Siesta Key for family fun on Siesta Key Beach, once named the best beach in America for its powder-white sand, year-round concession stand, and good recreational facilities. Wildlife lovers should consider a stay in Lido Key, where the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium monitors loggerhead sea turtles. Amenities at North Lido Beach Park in this area include swimming, fishing, and strolling on a nature trail. Another popular choice with good hotels is Venice, south of the city center, where visitors can watch boats pass through a popular channel on the way to the Gulf Coast.

Known as Florida's Cultural Coast, Sarasota has dozens of museums, art galleries, and performing arts venues. Stay in hotels in Central Sarasota and take a trolley tour to see some of the city's most interesting buildings, including the Center for Architecture Sarasota. To learn about space and nature, book accommodations in Bradenton for the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, Florida's largest natural and cultural history museum, with a huge manatee aquarium and the all-digital Bishop Planetarium. Hotels in Venice are good places to stay for the Venice Institute for Performing Arts and the Venice Art Center, which offers workshops for kids.

Wherever you stay in Sarasota, shopping is a pleasure. Enjoy large malls selling world-class fashion, up-and-coming districts for food and vintage items, and unique finds of handcrafted items at quaint stores. Stay in accommodations north of Fruitville Road in Sarasota for the flourishing Rosemary District, where chic hotels stand alongside consignment stores and charming cafés for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mixon Fruit Farms, close to lodgings in Bradenton, has been named Florida's number-one grove destination and features a gift store for souvenirs of honey, wine, and jewelry. Alternatively, a hotel in Ellenton is the place to stay for the endless bargains at Ellenton Premium Outlets just off the interstate highway.