Unplug & Escape: A Guide to Digital Detoxing in Sarasota

Since the advent of smartphones and portable tablets, some days it feels downright impossible to escape the demands of voicemail, text and email notifications buzzing in our pockets. From television to TikTok, the modern world can often feel like it's full of noisy distractions, but the good news is this: every tech device has a "Power Off" option—and we have the power to utilize it.

Sometimes, all we need is a place where we can unplug, escape and reboot. Take some time to turn the volume down on the day-to-day and find some Zen in Sarasota County's "off-the-grid" spots. 

Here, escape looks like a sunrise paddle, a shaded forest walk or an afternoon spent listening to waves instead of notifications. Whether you’re craving solitude, mindful movement or simple outdoor pleasures, Sarasota makes it easy to step away from the digital noise for a good ol' fashioned reset.

Wild Spaces That Slow Time

Escaping the daily grind doesn’t demand effort in Sarasota County. With room to roam, space to breathe and experiences rooted in nature, this is a destination that invites you to log off, look around and reconnect with yourself. Travel lightly and take a trip into the wilderness of our most serene places. We suggest bringing refreshments, binoculars and a camera or a journal to remember the moment. 

And if you'd prefer the area insight and knowledge of a local guide, there are eco-tours you can book through Sarasota Vortex Tours and Wonderbound Adventures for guided experiences such as grounding, forest bathing, hiking, meditating, wildlife viewing and more. 

Celery Fields

Early birds catch the worm—and early bird-watchers catch the most rewarding bird sightings—at Sarasota's Celery Fields, a wetlands restoration project in East Sarasota. Celery Fields is a 360-acre site consisting of open marshlands, ponds and canals that serve as a habitat for hundreds of species of native Florida wildlife. Two boardwalks provide scenic vantage points of Celery Fields, where nearly 220 species of birds have been recorded by the Sarasota Audubon Society to date.

Oscar Scherer State Park

Located in the South Sarasota County town of Osprey, Oscar Scherer State Park features opportunities for hiking, swimming, bicycling, rollerblading, picnicking, fishing and wildlife viewing. The 15 miles of trails offer a chance for visitors to immerse themselves deeply in untouched native Florida. The park is known as one of the best places in the state to catch a glimpse of the rare Florida scrub-jay—a threatened species only found in Florida—as well as bobcats, bald eagles and deer. The Lester Finley Barrier Free Nature Trail is accessible to people with sight, hearing and mobility impairments, and features a wheelchair accessible fishing dock and butterfly observation area. Crave an overnight digital detox? Opt to camp, or even glamp in safari-style tents, for a night under Sarasota's starry skies while listening buzzing cicadas instead of trending audio. 

Bay Preserve at Osprey & Historic Spanish Point

What it lacks in acreage, Bay Preserve at Osprey makes up for in beauty and solitude. This 4-acre community park provides access to Little Sarasota Bay for kayaking, canoeing, snook and tarpon fishing and rowing. Live oaks draped in Spanish moss shade paths to the historic Burrows-Matson house, bayside pier and a Wildlife Observation Platform. Bay Preserve is also the practice spot for the Sarasota Crew rowing team, so if you make your visit to this tranquil park in the evening, you may expect to see rowers gliding smoothly across the bay. (This is a “leave-no-trace” park – please take out everything you bring in.)

Nestled right beside this small oasis is another off-the-beaten-path place for more peaceful, cultural pause. Historic Spanish Point offers a serene step back in time (way back when digital devices weren't even a thought). Wander through shaded paths, ancient shell middens and preserved pioneer-era buildings showcasing living collections that invite quiet exploration. Benches are located all throughout the Historic Spanish Point campus for a chance to decompress without distraction. When you're ready to explore, stroll outdoor sculpture gardens and a Butterfly House beside a Native Butterfly Garden, where lingering is encouraged and multitasking isn’t required. 

Crowley Museum and Nature Center

Travel to a simpler time at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center in the rural realm of East Sarasota County. Established as a farmstead in 1879, the 191-acre site features pioneer buildings, heritage-style farm animals, an organic muscadine grape vineyard and beehives—as well as rare, wildlife-rich Florida habitats to explore. Exploration trails at the Crowley meander through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks and swampy marshland made accessible by boardwalks. The Crowley also offers a "folk school" that teaches survival and self-sustainability skills, including sustainable agricultural practices, modern homestead skills, practical crafts and outdoor self-reliance. Perfect to get you, or the kiddos, off Instagram for awhile and immersed in some character-building exercises. 

Myakka River State Park & Myakka State Forest

The Myakka River, Florida's only 'Wild & Scenic River', offers a different kind of calm. Two of the most protected and revered places to enjoy some riverside relaxation are at Myakka River State Park and Myakka State Forest. These expansive escapes are where boardwalks cross wetlands, trails disappear into pine flatwoods and exciting wildlife sightings replace mindless scrolling. Admire the rugged beauty and natural habitats of some of Florida's most unforgiving landscapes and animal species—including alligators, turtles and Sandhill Cranes. Hike, ride horses, fish and camp within either, and immediately feel the messages in your inbox melt far, far away. 

Mindful No-Phone Zones 

Most of these spots won't actually ban you from bringing your phone—but turning it off so that you can take in the ambiance without unnecessary distractions is highly encouraged. Tune out from the world for a few hours and tune in with your senses in Sarasota's most contemplative, educational spaces.

The Ringling

Among the best places to unplug in Sarasota County without sacrificing access to air conditioning is the The Ringling Museum. In fact, the 21 permanent galleries—including Baroque, Renaissance and Asian art—may just be the quietest space in town, making it easy to lose oneself in the history and solitude of this renowned art collection. For more modern admiration, the Joseph's Coat Skyspace is the ultimate place for solitude. Created by a world-renowned artist, the exhibit employs subtly-changing LED lights to alter the viewer's perception of the sky above—viewed through a hole in the ceiling. The Ringling grounds also offer plenty of opportunities for tranquil and insightful strolling that'll make you forget about checking recent Insta likes and views. Visit the bayfront and explore the Ca d'Zan Mansion, commune with the turtles and koi fish in the estate pond and take a moment to smell the fragrant flowers in Mable's rose garden and Secret Garden.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Escape to a tropical paradise at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, an urban bayfront oasis situated just outside of downtown Sarasota. Selby Botanical Gardens is best known for its study and conservation of rare epiphytes (plants adapted to live in tree canopies). The Selby Gardens conservatory is home to hundreds of species of show-stopping orchids and bromeliads in a greenhouse setting, where it's no small stretch to imagine you've stepped directly into a tropical rainforest. Outside, the bromeliad garden is a preferred spot for plein air painters to find inspiration among the brightly-colored floral landscape. The epiphyte garden, comprised of oak trees filled with air plants and mosses, is located near a koi pond, alongside a peaceful, babbling waterfall. Selby Gardens also features a majestic banyan tree grove dating back nearly a century, a meditative bamboo garden, exotic cacti and more living exhibits that'll make you feel one with nature. 

On the Water, Fully Present

Being on the water has a way of quieting the mind and releasing tension, and it's been known that just being by a body of blue nourishes the soul! It's also safe to safe that no one wants to accidentally drop their phone in the water, so it's more practical than not to leave your phone behind on the shore. Consider getting in our amazingly warm and clear waters by kayak or paddleboard—resisting the urge to document every moment of it and just enjoy being present. 

Paddle through magical mangrove tunnels in Lemon Bay or Little Sarasota Bay, where the only sounds are from you, the rustling leaves and native wildlife. A slow sail in the sunrise or sunset hours offers another meditative way to experience Sarasota’s coastline—no itinerary required, just open water and open time. Best part is: our endless summer locale means getting on the water is a year-round possibility. Not sure where to get your floating vessel? Local operators such as Dolphin Paddlesports and Happy Paddler Kayak Tours & EcoVentures offer drop-off rentals for both SUPs and kayaks, as well as lessons and guided tours—should you prefer someone show you around Sarasota County's winding waterways.

Prefer to stay onshore? With 37+ miles of Gulf Coast shoreline, there are plenty of beach access points with space to breathe to avoid the crowds and coolers. Stroll more secluded stretches with minimal development to be alone with your uninterrupted thoughts while combing the sands for exotic seashells. 

Unplug and Explore

Intrepid explorers, we've provided you with the guide. It's up to you how you choose to spend your phone-free time in Sarasota County—but we highly recommend you keep your tech devices at bay. You deserve a refreshing reboot this new year!