Things to do in the Sarasota/Tampa area

Klayfish

Klayfish

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 19, 2016
In June, DD11 and I will be heading down to the area for a weekend tournament. We are thinking of heading down a day early and having some fun. Yes, of course our first thoughts are to spend a day in Disney. However, the big drawback to that is the family money tree is wilting...badly. With three kids playing summer sports, including travelling, we're taking a HUGE hit. A one day park hopper for us would be $400, non-park hop would be $250, then add in $22 for parking and about $50 for one night in a hotel. Ouch. Doing TL or BB is still a possibility as that would be $150 for tickets, but not sure we want to do that.

So thinking of other things that we could possibly do. The tournament itself is near Sarasota/Tampa, so that's the area we'd be looking at...we only thought WDW because we love it and will be passing w/in 45 minutes of it on our way down. Looking for fun and inexpensive ideas. DD11 loves the beach. I'm not as into it simply because I go from ghost to lobster in 30 minutes but I can lather up with sunscreen. Are there any beaches that have other things to do, such as a pier or boardwalk with activities? Never tried paddleboarding, is it fun? Other ideas?
 
Venice is probably the type of area you would be looking for - long beaches, plus boardwalk area and other stuff to check out.

I automatically think of Busch Gardens, but it's not going to be a lot cheaper than going to Disney (just closer).
 
My parents spend their winters in that area.

There is Busch Gardens in Tampa. We'd never been before this spring break. It isn't Disney, but we had a lot of fun that day. The kids also enjoyed the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. (That's where Winter, the dolphin with the prosthetic tail who is the subject of the movie, A Dolphin Tale, lives). Sarasota has St. Armand's Circle which has a lot of cute shops and restaurants. Sarasota also has several Ringling Brothers museums. (There's a circus museum and an art museum. Maybe additional.) There's also a Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg.

When my sister has gone, they've also done a high-ropes course that they said was a lot of fun (would need to find out the name of it) and they rented kayaks. They said the kayaking was really cool -- and they saw manatees in the wild. However, my sister said that they traveled farther than they expected with the current... and then they had to turn around and paddle back against the current. They were VERY tired by the time they made it back, so be cautious of that if you decide to do it.

I am with you on the beaches -- I love the beach, but I sunburn like crazy, so I can't spend the whole day at the beach. We like the beaches on Anna Maria Island. They don't have a boardwalk, but there are some restaurants and stuff that are beach side. Also, some of the beaches (Coquina Beach and Holmes Beach come to mind) have some trees near the beach. So it is possible to get out of the sun. Siesta Key beach is probably the prettiest beach in the area -- consistently voted one of the best beaches in America -- but it is a big, beautiful swath of white sand (and blazing sun!)

Coquina beach:
Coquina_Beach_Market_Anna_Maria_Island.jpg

Siesta Key beach:
siesta-sand1.jpg
 
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The Riverwalk in Bradenton is also nice... and free. It's a park that has a nice path along the Manatee river. There are various things along the path including public art, hammocks, playgrounds, a splash pad, a skate park, etc. And it's a pretty location. It's not an all-day thing, but if you were looking for a free way to spend a few hours, it's a nice time. https://www.realizebradenton.com/features
 
design_mom said:
I am with you on the beaches -- I love the beach, but I sunburn like crazy, so I can't spend the whole day at the beach. We like the beaches on Anna Maria Island. They don't have a boardwalk, but there are some restaurants and stuff that are beach side. Also, some of the beaches (Coquina Beach and Holmes Beach come to mind) have some trees near the beach. So it is possible to get out of the sun. Siesta Key beach is probably the prettiest beach in the area -- consistently voted one of the best beaches in America -- but it is a big, beautiful swath of white sand (and blazing sun!)
Click to expand...

I have to agree with @design_mom about Anna Maria Island, it's just a few minutes drive from Sarasota and about an hour from Tampa.
We lived there for a few months in 1998 and fell in love with it.... It's stunning, very laid back and oldie worldie. You won't have to spend money if you're on a tight budget, there's plenty to do. We've been many many times over the years - It's our go to 'place' iykwim lol.

We spent the whole day at the Robinson Preserve in January, totally free and sooo much to see and enjoy.
https://www.mymanatee.org/departmen.../parks__preserves___beaches/robinson_preserve
check it out on trip advisor for photos> https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attra...binson_Nature_Preserve-Bradenton_Florida.html

The café on the beach serves all you can enjoy pancakes with sausage patties all day long - think it cost 6 (or maybe 7) dollars a person. they are delicious.
The café also has live music every night from about 6pm... brilliant fun and great acts.
The sunsets are just to die for.... *sigh* can't wait till January next year when we go back for 3 weeks :)
 


Ooh, yes. I forgot about Robinson Preserve. It's nice.

Myakka River State Park is also nice. It's near Sarasota. There are hiking trails and nature stuff including a "canopy walk". And LOTS of alligators. They also have a population of feral pigs, which is interesting to see. They have airboat tours to go out and see the wildlife. (Those tours are an extra fee, but I don't remember it costing *too* much.)https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park
 
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Will you be closer to Tampa or Sarasota? They aren't *that* close to each other. Probably an hour and a half to two hours, depending on traffic.

If you're closer to Tampa, there's a lot to do. The Florida Aquarium is really nice, and in a cool part of town. Clearwater beach is constantly voted the best beach in the country, and includes a pier, beautiful soft sand, and an area with tons of little shops and restaurants, but does get quite crowded. We prefer Redington Beach, it's a lot quieter but doesn't offer as much "touristy" stuff. John's Pass is nearby though and also has a lot of cool shops and restaurants. Downtown St. Pete can be fun to walk around and explore. Ybor City is pretty unique. Busch Gardens is only fun if you like big roller coasters, or you're going during a festival. Yes they have shows and animals as well, but for animals I'd rather go to the Zoo at Lowry Park.

I'm not nearly as familiar with the Sarasota area, I've only been there a few times, mostly for work.
 
I could give you an extensive list of things to do, but it would really help to know if you'll be closer to Sarasota or Tampa actually. The entire area is extremely visitor/tourist friendly with a lot of fun stuff in a wide variety of price points.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, I appreciate it. Let me answer some questions and comments, so maybe that will help some.

On the question of being closer to Tampa or Sarasota, the tournament is actually closer to Sarasota. However, if we do any of this, we'd leave our home in Atlanta late Thursday afternoon and the tournament isn't until Saturday morning. We'd be coming down I-75, so it would be just as easy to stop in Tampa, Sarasota or take the short jog over to WDW. Grab a hotel late Thursday night, then spend most of Friday doing something fun. Be done by dinner time and head to the tournament area. That's why we can easily be flexible on the area. Once the tournament starts, we're going to be busy anyway, so this is all for the day before.

We're probably more looking for fun activities, such as the beach, a water park (if there's one that isn't too expensive), snorkel, maybe airboat ride (just throwing random ideas out) etc...we're not really into museums and such. Just want to go have some daddy/daughter fun in the sun. And yes, DW has already lectured me about not doing anything too physically strenuous since she has to play in a tournament Sat and Sun. So marathon running is out. :D But we can still have fun and be at the tournament hotel long before sundown.

Hope this helps and thanks again for the feedback so far.
 
design_mom said:
Ooh, yes. I forgot about Robinson Preserve. It's nice.

Myakka River State Park is also nice. It's near Sarasota. There are hiking trails and nature stuff including a "canopy walk". And LOTS of alligators. They also have a population of feral pigs, which is interesting to see. They have airboat tours to go out and see the wildlife. (Those tours are an extra fee, but I don't remember it costing *too* much.)https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/myakka-river-state-park
Click to expand...

Oooh thanks for the link @design_mom we'll definitely have to go check it out when we're over in January :)
 
Ok so for the Sarasota area specifically - Siesta Key Beach is the best known for a good reason, the sand is incredible.

At the beach you can do Parasailing or Jet Skiing or rent a boat
near the beach you can go kayaking through mangroves, or my personal favorite Stand-up Paddleboarding.

Away from the beach is a ropes course called Tree-umph, very fun.
There is Myakka State park - someone mentioned it earlier - very naturey experience with lots of alligators and you can ride an airboat there (it's bigger then the ones you're thinking of I would imagine - this one seats 30-40ish people and is a narrated tour)

There is an Aquarium (mote marine) and for an extra charge there you can take a guided boat tour of the Sarasota Bay which is fun.

There are some gardens/zoo type things as well.
 
We live in St Pete and take visitors kayaking - we always see dolphins but the manatees aren't as prevalent in the summer months. They go out further when it's warm. Weedon Island is our favorite kayak spot because you can go through the mangrove tunnels + open water and it's super relaxing. Water is very calm. It's just over the bridge from Tampa, if you opt to stay there. I would not drive from Sarasota up just for it - I'm sure there is great kayaking in that area, too. Kayaking at Honeymoon Island would be cool if you do the northern beach area - there are tons of shells on the Island you can collect.

If you aren't into more active activities, any of the dolphin cruises (sunset or daytime) would be worth a stop. I am guessing Tampa offers these but since Tampa isn't really on the coast, I would take one out of the beach areas. Several go out from Johns Pass Boardwalk in Madeira - that's your typical, touristy boardwalk area. Family always want to visit there and love it.

I'm partial to St Pete beaches, of course, and hate the touristy element to Clearwater but see the draw. Anna Maria is gorgeous and is a cute little town to stop in. Downtown St Pete is tons of fun - great shops, culture, live music, nearly every weekend has a festival, waterfront with great food. Sarasota has a cute shopping/restaurant area, too.
 
Just realized you said you'd be here in June - Myakka State Park - while awesome won't have nearly as many alligators in June. It's so hot right now that they will all be camping out at the bottom of the lakes, so instead of seeing them sunning themselves all over the place trying to keep warm, they'll be hiding at the bottom of the lake trying to stay cool. Still fun - lots of great hikes and very fun different FL thing to do - but if you go, go as early in the morning as possible while it is coolest for your best chance at seeing the alligators.
 
We live in Tampa and my family loves Adventure Island water park (right next to Busch Gardens). I think tickets are usually around $30 for most of the summer if you go on a weekday. It's not as nicely themed as the Disney water parks but in terms of sheer fun to be had I think it's on par.

The aquarium and the zoo are nice, but unless you don't often have a chance to go to zoos or aquariums, they're not really anything special, I don't think. There are tons of beaches, of course, which others have detailed nicely so I won't.

If you like water parks and don't have one where you live, I'd vote for Adventure Island. But I'm not a beach person.
 
You can have fun in the sun all over the place in that area, as everyone else is mentioning, but I would recommend that with a teen girl, you should try to stop for a meal in the Central Ave area in St. Pete on your way up or down, and just hang out there for a bit. The vibe there is very cool, and I've yet to meet a tween girl who wasn't fascinated by it. (St. Pete right now is one of the best places in America to be young; the street scene on Central downtown is absolutely great. My DS just graduated from USFSP, our whole family loves being in St. Pete.)

FWIW, one of the few good spots in Florida for in-shore snorkeling is on Siesta Key. It's called Point of Rocks, at the south end of Crescent Beach. Do wear water shoes if you go; lots of broken shells on the bottom there.

If you are driving down and want to stop at Siesta, bring a beach umbrella -- shade problem solved.
 
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Ooh, thanks for posting this and all the replies! We are going to Universal and then treasure island in July and have not planned much in regards to the beach part of this trip.. not only am I way more excited about our choice in where to stay, I have so many great ideas of things to do to fill our time! Thanks again all!
 
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