10 Things to Do in Manasota Key
Not many people know about Manasota Key, the quiet neighbor to Sarasota and Venice. Which is great for you – more of this quiet wonderland of beaches and islands for you to selfishly enjoy.
Visit the White Elephant Pub
The White Elephant Pub boasts it’s a “Place you’ll never forget.” With its uniquely awesome location along the marina on Chadwick’s Cove and the beach, the mantra holds true. Unless, of course, you order their Manasota Mind Eraser, in which case no promises can be made.
Go Parasailing
View the beach and waters from another angle with the help of Englewood Beach Parasailing. Feel the salty air in your hair, the splash of the sea on your toes, and watch for dolphins and manatees in the clear waters below. Just yesterday my next door neighbor told me it’s on his bucket list; go ahead and cross it off your list, too.
Sea Turtle Viewing
More sea turtles nest in Manasota Key than anywhere else on the Gulf Coast, particularly the threatened Loggerhead sea turtle. Keep your eyes peeled and you may witness – from a distance – a miracle or 100.
Stay at the Wanna B Inn
The apartment-like rooms at Weston’s Wanna B Inn will make you feel like you’re home, assuming home is sandwiched between two stunning bodies of water and boasts two pools.
Go Fishing
The catching is the fun part; leave the rest of the work to the professionals. In shore or deep sea, there are plenty to catch and the pros will help you bring home the bacon, er, grouper.
Stay at the Manasota Beach Club
A stay at the Manasota Beach Club gives you the best of all worlds – you want your space? Done. Your own private, spacious cottage. You don’t feel like grilling in your jammies? Go to the one-site fine dining restaurant. Ants in your pants? Activities galore – shuffleboard, paddle boarding, basketball, tennis – take our pick. Got kids? They’re ready for you with extra activities. And, as if there could possibly be anything more, there’s the Gulf.
Try a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP)
Ever feel a manatee bump you from below? Or feel the damp air shooting from a dolphin’s blowhole? Or see a shadow of a sea turtle within arm’s reach? Hop on a stand up paddleboard (SUP), and explore these Englewood wonders. Between the coastline and the many islands along Lemon Bay, there are no shortages of adventures awaiting.
Party at Flounder's
Flounder’s Restaurant and Tiki Bar is a party even when there is no party. With it’s eclectic Floridian décor, live music, and waterfront locale, it’s screaming for you to let loose and get lei’d. And with a menu that includes a page of Breakfast Drinks – think Creamiscle Mimosa and Island Happiness – you can partake in the wild times even if you’re not a night owl.
Explore Stump Pass Beach State Park
Stump Pass Beach State Park is the X on the Manasota Key treasure map. Hard to find but the hidden treasure to behold. Located at the southern tip of the Key, the park manages to intermingle nature hiking and the sense of being in the midst of solitude while simultaneously being surrounded by water. You’re off the beaten path and the path is unlike any other you’ve seen yet. Bonus: because few people know of this hidden jewel, there are more shark teeth for you to plunder.
Enjoy the Sunset
With the bright orange slowing reflecting on the calmly moving waves, nothing between you and the edge of the world, there are few things apt to make you pause and just watch than the sunset in Manasota Key. With so much adventuring and playing to do, it’s a gentle reminder to stop and smell the sea breeze.