If you tap on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Here’s what you better know to plan a trip to Longboat Key.
And because so much of Longboat Key is residential, the beaches here rarely feel crowded.
An aerial view of Longboat Key, Florida.Credit:Justin Nadeau/Wirestock Creators/Adobe Stock
Longboat Key is quite residential with a lot of full-time residents.
The restriction on high rises keeps it very beach-like here.
People remark that its like the Caribbean or South Pacific.
The lobby bar at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort.Courtesy of The St. Regus Longboat Key Resort
Read on for my best tips for visiting Longboat Key.
The resorts gorgeous lobby bar quickly became a favorite among sophisticated locals.
Best Things to Do
Getty Imaes
Set sail on a sunset cruise.
The Resort at Longboat Key has two golf courses, one beside Sarasota Bay and one alongside the Gulf of Mexico.Courtesy of Visit Sarasota County
Explore Sarasota.
St. Armands Circle brims with sidewalk cafes and shopping.
Learn about sea turtles.
Boats off of Whitney Beach on Lonboat Key, at sunset.Getty Imaes
Scout for manatees and dolphins during a guided kayaking tour.
Look out for the elusive green flash when the sun goes below the horizon during sunset paddling tours.
Play some pickleball or shuffleboard at Bayfront Park.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, just a few minutes from Longboat Key.Eddie Kirsch/Courtesy of Visit Sarasota County
Italian shrimp dishes and cannelloni, roasted duckling, and Grecian lamb shank are among the menu favorites.
Most of the tables overlook the water, too.
It’s known for great grouper sandwiches, lobster tacos, and a divine key lime pie.
A group of kayakers on Sarasota Bay.David X. Tejada/Getty Images
Panoramic views of Sarasota Bay are the cherry on top.
Keep in mind that Floridas hurricane season runs between June 1 and the end of November.
From left: Patrons at the bar at Whitney’s; the diner’s key lime pie, topped with toasted coconut.Courtesy of Whitney’s
Longboat Key sees around 255 days of sunshine and clear skies each year.Maurice Rivenbark/Courtesy of Visit Florida
