Sarasota  |  Siesta Key  |  Longboat Key  |  Lido Key  |  Lakewood Ranch Sarasota FLORIDA'S CULTURAL COAST Famous for its award-winning area beaches and luxurious waterfront real estate, Sarasota is home to a wide array of arts including professional theaters, symphonies, ballet and opera. The Sarasota restaurants are well known for their talented chefs, who create just about every kind of cuisine, including American, Asian, Cajun, Cuban, Floribbean, Italian and French. Sarasota Beaches Sarasota Dining and Nightlife Sarasota Real Estate Local Attractions Area Golf Courses Sarasota Demographics SARASOTA BEACHES Sarasota's area beaches are refreshingly natural with their protected wild sea oats and mangroves providing a protective habitat for the Florida wildlife. Shallow water depth in the near shore areas together with year-round lifeguard protection make them popular vacation attractions. If you want to visit these beaches, you will have to get there early because parking is limited. Beach Amenities include the following: - Public restrooms - Concession / eating area   - First aid / medical treatment - Showers w/ handicap ramps   - Full-time lifeguards - Sheltered picnic areas - Gazebo - Lighted tennis courts - Picnic shelter - Sand volleyball courts - Children's playground - Handicap beach chairs Sarasota's most popular beach, Siesta Key Beach, was chosen "Best Overall" in the 1987 International Sand Contest. The world wide competition included entries from throughout the world. Exotic ports like the Grand Bahamas, Barbados and Antigua rivaled for the honored title of number one. The Sand of Siesta Key was judged by David Aubrey, Director of Coastal Research at the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, to be the whitest and finest in texture. The Siesta Key beaches could perhaps be called "The Crystal Beaches", for they are composed of billion upon billions of tiny crystals. The geology department of Harvard University found the sand to be 99% pure quartz. Siesta Key is proud of this world class title, though not surprised, one walk on the sugary soft sands of Siesta Keys' beaches will tell you why. SARASOTA DINING Sarasota is a city of culinary delights! Many area restaurants, specialize in seafood delicacies including lobster, crab, blackened fish, raw oysters, and unique, Gulf Coast seafood dishes. Sarasota also offers a wide selection of Italian, American, Oriental and French cuisine to suit the most discerning tastes. You'll find many of these restaurants located near Sarasota's downtown main street and surrounding area. Many offer valet parking. Whether you enjoy formal, candle-lit dinners, casual, or family-oriented dining, you will find it in Sarasota. For more information about Sarasota dining establishments, we encourage you to visit here SARASOTA REAL ESTATE Sarasota boasts many upscale real estate developments and gated maintenance-free communties. Over the past few years, Sarasota has experienced a strong real estate market with soaring prices. A recent article in the Herald-Tribune referd to "the rising price of real estate as 'white gold'". The scarcity of premium beachfront property is what's driving real estate values upward. Real estate developers and realtors in Sarasota alike believe it won't be long before prices in Sarasota are as high as Naples and Boca Raton. Real Estate investors are flocking to Sarasota to buy condos and luxury waterfront property with views of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Golfers want to retire here. Baby boomers are picking out properties before they retire. SARASOTA ATTRACTIONS Vacationers of Siesta Key are just minutes from many local attractions and sights. Some of the area's top attractions include the following: The Ringling Estate Cà d'Zan, John and Mable Ringling's Venetian Gothic mansion on Sarasota Bay, is one of America's important historic houses. Cà d'Zan-which means "House of John" in Venetian dialect-took two years to complete at a cost of approximately $1,500,000. The house is open for tours daily. www.ringling.org Mote Marine Laboratory Mote Marine Laboratory is an independent, non-profit research organization dedicated to excellence in marine science. Public outreach is accomplished through the Mote Aquarium, an educational museum providing marine programs for all levels, from elementary-school children through adults. www.mote.org Marie Selby Botanical Gardens The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is best known for its living collection of more than 6,000 orchids. Selby's 11 bay-front acres are an open-air and under-glass museum of more than 20,000 colorful plants, many collected in the wild on nearly 100 scientific expeditions to tropical rainforests. www.selby.org Sarasota Jungle Gardens Stroll peaceful gardens, watch exotic bird and reptile shows, and look at monkeys, flamingos, swans, wallabies, and other animals at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, an area attraction since the 1930's. Located north of downtown Sarasota, the lovely gardens will delight everyone in the family. www.sarasotajunglegardens.com G.W.I.Z. The Gulfcoast Wonder and Imagination Zone, is a hands-on science center located in the Blivas Science and Technology Center. GWIZ is a state-of-the-art science and technology center that offers an array of interactive, hands-on exhibits, as well as educational programs for the community. www.gwiz.org Asolo Theatre The Asolo Theatre's mission is to present high quality professional theatre for its community. The Asolo, which is not-for-profit, performs primarily in rotating repertory with a resident company to celebrate the actor-artist, to attract regional, national and international audiences. www.asolo.org AREA GOLF COURSES Golf Course Name County Holes Phone Number Bobby Jones Golf Complex Sarasota 45 (941) 365-4653 Boca Royale Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 474-7475 Calusa Lakes Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 484-8995 Capri Isles Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 922-1312 Foxfire Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 921-7757 Gulf Gate Golf Course Sarasota 18 (941) 921-5515 Heritage Oaks Sarasota 18 (941) 926-7600 Jacaranda West Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 493-2664 Legacy Golf Course Sarasota 18 (941) 907-7067 The Meadows Country Club Sarasota 54 (941) 378-5957 Misty Creek Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 921-5258 Pelican Pointe Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 496-4653 Plantation Golf & Country Club Sarasota 36 (941) 497-1479 Rolling Green Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 355-7621 Sabal Trace Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 426-2804 Sarasota Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 371-2431 Serenoa Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 925-2755 Stoneybrook Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 966-1800 Sunrise Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 924-1402 Tatum Ridge Golf Links Sarasota 18 (941) 378-4211 Village Green Golf Club Sarasota 18 (941) 922-9500 Waterford Golf Club Sarasota 27 (941) 484-6621 Venice Golf & Country Club Sarasota 18 (941) 493-3100 SARASOTA DEMOGRAPHICS Source of Data: Idcide DRIVING DISTANCE FROM SARASOTA St. Petersburg 40   miles Jacksonville 238  miles Tampa 52   miles Ocala 143  miles Fort Myers 73  miles Panama City 376  miles Miami 214  miles Pensacola 477  miles Key West 343  miles St. Augustine 225  miles Daytona Beach 184  miles Tallahasee 283  miles Ft. Lauderdale 201  miles West Palm Beach 186  miles Orlando 130  miles 1801 Main St. Sarasota, Florida 34236  Toll-Free: (877) 843-3454  |  Direct: (941) 374-2920  Site Maintained & Hosted by Professional Web Designs