YES, IT’S FLORIDA. The gulf shimmers like liquid sapphire and the sands are blindingly white, but that’s not all – there’s culture here and it comes with a capital C.
The air is rich with jasmine, the streets lined with banyan trees and world-class art, opera and theatre are enjoyed with ocean views – welcome to Sarasota County and Florida’s Cultural Coast.
Sarasota sits an hour and a half’s drive from Tampa and two from Orlando – ideal for a road trip. With British Airways Holidays, you can book a Sarasota break and enjoy a range of carefully selected hotels, and have the option to add a hire car.
Coast with the most
Sarasota’s islands are proof that the best things in life are free. Siesta Beach has been named the best beach in the United States and fourth in the world by Tripadvisor in 2025.
Known for its powdery white sand and calm Gulf waters, Siesta is a paradise where the sunsets are so stunning they give encores.
Then there’s Lido Key and Longboat Key, where, in luxurious resorts or on sunset cruises, you’ll find just the shot – plus perhaps a photobombing dolphin – that’ll make the rest of Instagram weep with envy.
Bite-sized adventure
Feeling adventurous? Head to Venice Beach, known as the shark tooth capital of the world, where lucky beachcombers dig up millennia-old megalodon teeth.
Sarasota – the city that shares its name with the county – isn’t just a great place for getting a tan; the arts scene here could go toe to toe with cities five times its size.
The Ringling, built by circus magnate John Ringling – who blew his fortune on European masterpieces before the Great Depression intervened – is at its centre.
There’s a Venetian Gothic mansion, gardens dotted with Roman-style statues, a gallery and a museum dedicated to “the greatest show on Earth”;.
It’s bizarre, extravagant and utterly brilliant – a place where Rembrandts sit next to circus wagons, where high society and carnival culture collide.
In the limelight
Prefer your art live and loud? The Sarasota Opera is world-class, Sarasota Ballet pirouettes with the best of them, and the Asolo Repertory Theatre stages everything from Shakespeare to Broadway musicals.
For something more serene, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a full-blown tropical wonderland – orchids dripping from trees and water features so tranquil they could lower your heart rate on sight.
And if you fancy time-travelling back 5,000 years, Historic Spanish Point is good for ancient shell mounds, jungle-thick gardens and a slice of Florida history that’s older than the idea of Florida itself.
Up river
The state’s Cultural Coast has lots to offer those venturing inland; Myakka River State Park is one of Florida’s oldest and wildest, where airboats take you deep into alligator country.
If you prefer your wilderness more laid-back, kayaking through mangrove tunnels is something else – secret waterways where the only sounds are the dips of your paddle.
Time to regroup
And after all that action, you’ll need to refuel. St Armands Circle on Lido Key is where food meets flair, chic bistros rubbing shoulders with seafood joints that redefine “fresh”;.
One bite of Gulf-caught stone crab or creamy shrimp and grits, and you’ll never look at a frozen fish finger the same way again.
For a proper Floridian night out, Downtown Sarasota is where it’s at. Fancy a rooftop bar with a view of the bay? Done. Prefer a low-lit jazz lounge where the bourbon flows freely? Same.
Not that Sarasota is all bohemian bliss. This place does luxury like it was born for it. From private beach clubs to five-star resorts – with British Airways Holidays you’ll have plenty of carefully selected hotels to choose from – it’s a masterclass in indulgence.
Perfect place
Want a beachfront suite where the waves do the lullabying? It’s here. Prefer a boutique hideaway dripping in charm? Take your pick. The city delivers five-star service without the stuffiness.
So whether you’re here for sun, sea, sand or a bit of Shakespeare, Sarasota has it all – and then some.
