There's A Lot To Like In Sarasota

I know, I know, Sarasota. It’s where your grandparents moved in 1989 and your parents spend their winters today.

- Mario Vittone

Well, there is a reason. It is very, very nice here. Sarasota Bay and the surrounding keys, islands and beaches make the area one of Florida’s most naturally beautiful spots for boaters and lubbers alike. To me — and I grew up in Florida — Sarasota is the best marina destination on the Sunshine State’s west coast.

Approaches

Come in through New Pass from the north, with the white sand beaches of Lido Key and the homes along the channel with their protected docks, just minutes from the Gulf of Mexico. That entrance alone will have you calling your realtor to sell everything. But if you need more than 23 feet of air, the New Pass drawbridge will have you waiting until 20 or 40 minutes past the hour for an opening.

Big Sarasota Pass, just a few miles south, is an easier bet with plenty of water and clear overhead. The gorgeous beachfront homes of Siesta Key to starboard will tease you with their envy-inspiring private beaches cut into the riprap. The channel leads past more enviable waterfront homes with docks on Bird Key to port. Keep your eyes off your Zillow app and on the water. Straight ahead as you cross the Intracoastal Waterway are the mooring fields, the Marina Jack marina and restaurant, and the city beyond.

Marinas