Biking & Skating in Sarasota
The flat terrain in this area makes for good in-line skating and for fine, though not challenging, bike riding. You can bike and skate from downtown Sarasota to Lido and Longboat keys, because paved walkways/bike paths run alongside the John Ringling Causeway and then up Longboat Key. Ride & Paddle by Siesta Sports Rentals, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd., in the Southbridge Mall, just south of Stickney Point Bridge on Siesta Key (tel. 941/346-1797; daily 9am-5pm), rents bikes and electric bikes of various sizes (including trail attachments for kids), plus motor scooters, kayaks, paddle boards, and beach chairs and umbrellas. They offer kayak tours for $15. Bike rentals range from about $15 to $20 for three hours, to $25 to $60 per day; scooters go for $65 for three hours or $90 for a full day. They also rent three-wheeled scooter cars.Boat Rentals in Sarasota
Siesta Key Water Sports, 1536 Stickney Point Rd. (tel. 941/921-3030), rents jet skis and kayaks and offers parasailing. At the island end of the bridge, C. B.’s Saltwater Outfitters, 1249 Stickney Point Rd. (tel. 941/349-4400), and Safe Harbor Siesta Key, 1265 Old Stickney Point Rd. (tel. 941/349-1970), rent runabouts, pontoon boats, and other craft. Bait and tackle are available at the marinas.Fishing in Sarasota
Charter fishing boats dock at most marinas here; check out 4sarasota.com/Sarasota/Recreation/fish_charters.html for a list. In downtown Sarasota, the Flying Fish Fleet, at Marina Jack’s Marina, U.S. 41 at Island Park Circle (tel. 941/366-3373), offers fun party-boat charter-fishing excursions, with bait and tackle furnished. Prices for four and a half hour trips are $85 for adults, $75 for seniors and kids 4 to 12. All-day voyages cost $140 for all passengers.Golf in Sarasota
The Bobby Jones Golf Complex, 1000 Circus Blvd. (tel. 941/365-4653), is Sarasota’s only municipal facility. It has two recently renovated (in 2023) 18-hole championship layouts—the American (par 71) and British (par 72) courses—and the 9-hole Gillespie executive course (par 30). Tee times are assigned 3 days in advance. Greens fees range from $74 to $114 including cart rental.The Serenoa Golf Club, 6773 Serenoa Dr. (tel. 941/925-2755), has been rated one of the area’s best thanks to existing wetlands, natural lay-of-the-land, and water on every hole. Greens fees range from $39 to $95.
Bent Tree Country Club, 4700 Bent Tree Blvd. (tel. 941/371-8200) boasts mature oaks, TifEagle Bermuda greens, newly excavated and filled bunkers as well as remodeled fairways and tee boxes. Greens fees range from $34 to $55.
The semi-private University Park Country Club, west of I-75 on University Parkway (tel. 941/359-9999), is constantly ranked four stars by Golf Digest. Fees, including cart, are about $45 to $175.
Tiger Woods’ mini golf complex Popstroke, 195 University Town Center Dr. (tel. 941/500-9495), in Sarasota, is a playful spot with two 18-hole putting courses and lively restaurant and bar.
Eco Tours in Sarasota
Make like “Little House on the Prairie” on a covered wagon tour thorough the 20,000-acre Duette Preserve, 2649 Rawls Rd., the largest preserve in Manatee County, about 30 miles east of Bradenton, with the Manatee Fish & Game Association, 7611 9th Ave. NW, (tel. 941/792-8314), led by naturalists and park rangers who will point out the sights and wildlife as you travel through flatwoods, river floodplain, and scrub ecosystems. The tour is free and lasts around 3 hours.Horseback Riding in Sarasota
Great World Nature Tours (tel. 941/907-7272) offers horseback riding in the sand and the water at Bradenton’s Palma Sola Bay, 8400 Manatee Ave. W. Rides are scheduled at low tide and take about an hour. Tours start at $98. They call that one a “thrill ride,” but they also offer “chill rides” and trail rides, also from $98. Children as young as 3 are able to ride and no experience is necessary.Kayaking/Paddleboarding in Sarasota
Sea Life Kayak, 190 Taft Dr. (tel. 941/400-2740) launches very good two-hour guided mangrove tunnel tours out of Ted Sperling Park on Lido Key daily at 9:30am and 1:30pm, with 4pm tours Wednesday through Saturday. Tours are $59 for adults and $49 kids 10 and under. They also rent kayaks for $45 to $67 for half day.The Sarasota Paddleboard Company has locations on Lido Key and Longboat Key (tel. 941/650-2241), and offers tours, lessons, and rentals at both.
Sailing in Sarasota
Take a sightseeing or sunset cruise on the waters of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico with Siesta Key Sailing (tel. 941/346-7245) on the Key Breeze, a 41’ Morgan yacht that has competed in—and won—many regattas. Their most popular cruise is three hours long, but they also do two-, four-, and half-hour tours based on your budget.You can also get to Egmont Key, 3 miles off the northern end of Anna Maria Island at the mouth of Tampa Bay, on a 30-foot Catalina yacht with Spice Sailing Charters (tel. 941/778-3240), based at the Galati Yacht Basin on Bay Boulevard on northern Anna Maria Island. Rates start at $50 per person for a 2[bf]1/2-hour sail to $75 per person for a 4-hour sail. The company has sunset cruises as well.
Tennis and Pickleball in Sarasota
The IMG Academy (formerly Nick Bollettieri Tennis), 5650 Bollettieri Blvd., Bradenton (tel. 800/872-6425 or 941/755-1000;), is one of the world’s largest tennis training facilities, with over 55 grass, clay, and hard courts, and a pro shop. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are just two of the tennis titans who trained here. It’s open year-round; reservations are required for all activities. The tennis legend for whom the street is named after passed away at the age of 91 in 2022.
For less intense tennis, the Payne Park Tennis Center, 2050 Adams Lane, Sarasota (tel. 941/263-6641), has 12 HarTru courts in downtown Sarasota, available for rent in 90-minute increments at $10 for adults, 5 for youth 17 and under.
The Sarasota Pickleball Club, 601 S. Pompano Ave., has several area courts, including 12 lighted courts open daily from sunrise to 10pm at the Pompano Trailhead. Drop-in fees are usually $5.
Watersports in Sarasota
You’ll find watersports activities in front of the major hotels on the Keys. Ride & Paddle by Siesta Sports Rentals, 6551 Midnight Pass Rd., on Siesta Key (tel. 813/346-1797), rents kayaks and paddleboards, plus beach chairs and umbrellas.Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
