Longboat Key

Longboat Key Florida Golfing

While the two golf courses at Longboat Key are private, there are many beautiful parks and beaches, including Shell Beach, Bir Can Island, and Joan M. Durante Community Park. Because this island is a bit off the beaten track, the parks and beaches tend to be a bit more pristine and untouched than the more crowded public beaches in Manatee and Sarasota counties. All of these islands and beach resorts in the area are great, but I grew up spending my summers on Longboat Key, so I’m a little biased. In general, access to the public beach on Anna Maria Island (just to the north) is much better than by longboat, so if you are not staying on the beach and packing your bags, Anna Maria Island is probably the best place. go for a day.

Longboat Key Getaway

Couples looking for a romantic hotel in Longboat Key can stay at a variety of hotels, including The Westin Hilton Sarasota and The Resort at Longboat Key Club within a 20-minute drive southeast of the city. Longboat Key Club amenities include a private beach, luxury spa, tennis court, marina, fitness center, 5 gourmet restaurants and more. Longboat Key Golf Club is the best golf course in the area (one of the best in the country) and has two courses (the Harbourside course, which can combine three different nines, and the Links of Longboat Key). Real estate on Longboat Key ranges from large luxury single-family homes to small waterfront homes, as well as many other bay and waterfront residential condos on Longboat Key.

When you visit Longboat Key from the Best Western Siesta Key Hotel, you’ll have the opportunity to see some of our favorite attractions in the Greater Sarasota area, giving you a wider view of this incredible area. If you are staying at the Best Western Siesta Key Hotel in Siesta Key, you will travel north on US 41 past Sarasota.

What’s Near Longboat Key?

It takes just over an hour to drive from Tampa to the Longboat/Bradenton area. Off the coast of Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast (west side) is a chain of barrier islands that, while home to some of Florida’s best beaches, tend to go unnoticed. The beaches, restaurants and parks are unmistakably unique and pristine and draw experts to enjoy all that Longboat Key has to offer.

Located south/southwest of the hustle and bustle of the Tampa and St. Petersburg metropolitan areas, Longboat Key is filled with the laid-back tropical paradise vibe that Florida is known for—the same vibe that keeps visitors coming back year after year. a year, and some are encouraged to settle permanently. With so much to do, be sure to make time to relax on the beautiful white sand beaches of Longboat Keys, soak up the warm Sarasota sun, and swim in the crystal clear waters of the Arabian Gulf. As you leave Sarasota’s famous St. Armand Circle and head to Longboat Key, stop at the Mote Marine Aquarium in front of the Longboat Bridge to see jellyfish, dolphins and the biggest squid you’ll ever see.

Longboat Key Beaches

Nestled on the shores of Florida’s legendary Longboat Key sands, Silver Sands Gulf Beach Resort radiates everything you need for an island getaway, on the beach. I have to say that the beach in front of Zota Beach Resort (where I most recently stayed) had my favorite sand in this entire area.

Zota Beach Resort and Turtle Crawl Inn, which are about 3 minutes drive from the city center, are hotels with pools. Guests using Casa Del Mar’s facilities, such as the grill and swimming pool, can explore the waterfront or relax on one of the sun loungers and parasols provided by the resort. One of the most affordable beach resorts on Longboat Key, Casa Del Mar offers guests all the amenities found in other accommodations without a strict minimum stay policy.

Longboat Key Community 

Bayou Tavern, located on the northern part of the beach, impresses guests with views of the promenade. The dining room on the second floor offers panoramic views of Sarasota Bay and Florida’s famous sunset. Beachcomber rental condominiums are located right on Longboat Key in Sarasota and all of our 2 bedroom condominiums have direct views of the Gulf of Mexico.

The surroundings of the longboat are picturesque and peaceful, however it is also an active community with over 8,000 inhabitants. There was also a post office named “Barkas” founded on March 27, 1914 in Sarasota County, part of Sarasota’s Key County, but this was closed on January 14, 1922, and its functions were taken over by the Sarasota Post Office. Office. In 1921, the island was divided into two counties: Sarasota and Manatee.

In 1959, the Arvida Corporation, created by Arthur Vining Davis, purchased 2,000 acres, including the southern half of Longboat Key, most of Lido Key, and Byrd, Otter, and Coon Keys, for $13.5 million. A fishing camp and trading post for the Native Americans would exist at the northern end of the key, located in what is now the longboat village. By turning on the whole key, they could somehow avoid being placed on the beach altogether.