Sarasota's beaches and keys are exquisite. Locals and visitors alike admire its 35 miles of coastline. Siesta Key Beach won top honors among 30 beaches--including some in the Bahamas--in the recent Great International White Sand Challenge. Newcomers discover that Longboat Key's public beaches are notoriously hard to find, but 13 access points do exist--if you know where to find them. Off Longboat Key, visit Beer Can Island (a.k.a. Greer Island Park), whose misleading name might cause you to miss its many beauties. It's wild, wonderful and inaccessible by automobile. And don't miss Lido Key beach, next door to the world famous Saint Armand's Shops. For more detailed area beach info, Click Here.

For the natural beauty of interior Florida, visit Myakka State Park, east of Sarasota on Route 72. Cabbage palms, laurels, live oaks and longleaf pines adorn this home to opossum, armadillo and wild pigs. Myakka rates as Florida's largest state park. Camping and canoeing are available. Tram tours and airboat rides are alternatives for those who want to go beyond nature trails. Another place to get up close to natural wonders is the Lake Manatee State Recreation Area on Route 64 east of I-75 in neighboring Manatee County. It's a 556-acre setting surrounding a lake almost five times as large. Also worth seeing: the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Pelican Man's Sanctuary, both in Sarasota.