Going on a family tour of Florida? Then a visit to Sarasota with kids should definitely not be missed on this tour! Sarasota is a small city on the southwest coast of Florida. The city lies on the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast are “Keys. These are barrier islands, each with its own atmosphere and beautiful sandy beaches. In this blog, we list all the information you need for a great vacation in Sarasota with kids.
Best travel time Sarasota with kids
Florida is a destination that is particularly popular from January through April or October through December, as the climate here is lovely with temperatures averaging 25 degrees. In the summer months, it is a lot warmer. There is high humidity and the high air pressure means that there can be frequent heavy rain or thunderstorms.
Because we wanted to take a somewhat longer tour of Florida and are tied to school vacations, we still chose the summer months. We deliberately chose to fly back before mid-August because that is when the peak hurricane season begins (August through October).
Not an unnecessary luxury, as in recent years there has been a hurricane in this region almost every year. During our trip, there was indeed high humidity, making it feel clammy, and it averaged 40 degrees. Several times we had short and heavy tropical showers with thunderstorms, but they were often over after 1-2 hours and then the sun broke through again.
We had to get used to the hot pool and sea water (37 degrees), so a refreshing swim was out of the question. However, you don’t have to be put off either, because a round trip during this period also has its advantages. The attractions are a lot quieter than in the other months, and if you dress appropriately for the weather and adjust your activities accordingly, you’ll be fine!
Transportation to and in Sarasota
Most people who go on a tour of Florida fly into the major cities of Orlando or Miami. There are no direct flights to these cities from Amsterdam, Brussels or Düsseldorf. A tip is to book your plane tickets early, as they are often cheaper then. Through skyscanner.com or kiwi.com, you can easily figure out the best flights for your family.
At the Orlando or Miami airport you can rent a car, for example through Sunnycars. Because the distances in America are great (even within cities), renting a car is recommended. In just over 2 hours you will drive from Orlando to Sarasota. From Miami, it is about a 3.5-hour drive. Look online to rent a car at Orlando airport or rent a car at Miami airport.
Alternatively, you can take a domestic flight toward Sarasota. Sarasota has its own airport and is a Hub for Delta Airlines.
Children’s activities in Sarasota
#1 Beaches of Siesta Key
Personally, we found the beaches around Sarasota and Siesta Key to be among the most beautiful beaches we saw during our tour of Florida with kids. From the mainland, you drive onto the island via a bridge and pass small bodies of water with large, real “American” houses, boats and beautiful magnificent tropical plantings. This certainly does not make the car ride there a punishment.
Siesta Beach is the most famous beach on this island and won the “Travellers Choice Award” for best beaches on TripAdvisor. It has also been rated as 1 of the best family beaches via National Geographic. During our visit, we totally understood why it is so well known.
Siesta Beach has powdery white sand and beautiful turquoise blue waters. This makes it a tropical paradise! You have several places to park your car. Be there early, as parking lots fill up during the day. Especially on weekends, because that’s when many locals head to the beach.
We first visited a section of the beach a little further away from the official public parking lot. You then walk through the sand and tropical vegetation toward the sea. The advantage was that it was a little quieter in these places. However, here you had no facilities on the beach or lifeguard.
If you park your car at the large public parking lot (free) you will find many amenities there, such as toilets, showers, eateries, picnic areas with barbecues and lifeguards. The colored lifeguard houses are just as we know them from the movies.
On Siesta Key you will find several beautiful beaches that you can visit with kids. What our kids really enjoyed was the free “Siesta Key Breeze Trolley” that runs along the coast with several stops at different beaches. The ideal way to get around!
In addition to Siesta Beach, we spent extended periods of time at the southernmost beach, Turtle Beach. Here the sand is not as beautifully powdery white, but our kids had a great time looking for beautiful shells here. On your way to the beach, you will also pass several facilities here, including a picnic area, a playground and a volleyball court.
There is also a lake near it (you are not allowed to swim there because of the crocodiles), but we did spot our first Manatee here during our Florida roundtrip. Our kids felt like Freek Spark at that moment!
#2 Lido Key
Should you stay a little longer in the Sarasota area with kids? If so, it is also well worth visiting the other “Keys” off the coast of Sarasota.
One example is the island of Lido Key. If you feel like another day at the beach, this is the place to be. In fact, you will find 3 beautiful beaches on this island, which are not inferior to Siesta Beach. The advantage is that on this island it is all just a bit smaller and the beach still has all the facilities you need for a nice day with kids.
In addition to the beautiful beaches, you will also find the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. It is a nonprofit organization that focuses on marine research and from there also educates about the sea itself and the animals living in it through various programs. You can visit the aquarium, where you can see researchers at work in addition to all kinds of fish.
Kids can also interact with the fish at various places in the aquarium through “Touch Tanks. This is under the guidance of staff members. Various activities are organized throughout the year, which are very fun and educational.
Should you want to visit the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium while vacationing in Sarasota with kids, it is useful to check the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium website in advance to see what activities are organized when. The cost to visit the aquarium is €26.50 for an adult and €19 for kids between the ages of 3 and 11.
#3 Bayfront Park
Bayfront park is located on the Sarasota coast near the bridge connecting the mainland to Lido Key. It is a beautiful place on the water and on the harbor, where it is nice to relax at the end of the day. It gets a little less warm then, and because it is on the waterfront there is often a pleasant breeze.
You walk past large boats and have a nice view of the setting sun. You will also find a playground for kids and a “play fountain” through which kids can run to cool off.
We found the highlight of this place to be a visit to O’learys Tiki Bar & Grill. A waterfront tiki bar where they play live music daily and have great food. It gave us the ultimate vacation feeling to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico here while enjoying snacks and drinks.
The kids would have liked to stay here longer because they saw lots of crabs on the beach. These hid in small holes in the sand and regularly came to “look up”. It was a real sport for our kids to spot as many as possible.
#4 Myakka Riverstate Park
Myakka Riverstate Park belongs to 1 of Florida’s official state parks and is about a half-hour drive from Sarasota. It is a diverse natural area consisting of wetlands, prairies, lakes and forests. You pay about €5.50 to access this park with your car. At the entrance you get a map of the park on which you can also find the various activities to do here.
By car, you can then drive to various points, where you can get out for a short or longer hike. For example, you have the “Canopy walkway & tower”; a 22-meter-high bridge with stunning views of the area. In the park, you can also book a streetcar or boat ride (or a combination of these) to explore the park in other ways.
The boat ride takes about 45-60 minutes. You will then get an immediate explanation of the area and also try to spot “wildlife” with the guide. The park is home to deer, bobcats, various species of birds and alligators. There are also opportunities to rent a bike or canoe.
If you and your family really enjoy nature, this park also has options for staying overnight at 1 of the campgrounds located in the park. More information can be found on the website.
If you are visiting Florida in the summer months, however, it is advisable to prepare for the weather conditions if you are going to hike in one of Florida’s beautiful natural parks, for example. As described earlier in this blog, it is often hot and clammy due to the tropical climate.
So dress appropriately for the heat and bring plenty of drinking water, sunscreen and anti-mosquito spray! Because of this, we often opted for the shorter walks during this period and tried to do them in the mornings so that we could enjoy them with the whole family.
#5 John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Sarasota is known as a cultural city and has several museums. If you have kids who can enjoy visiting museums and want to cool off in the summer months, you can visit several museums in Sarasota with kids. The most famous museum is the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (The Ringling).
The couple made a lot of money in the circus business and had a Venetian-style museum and residence developed on a large estate. In it are many art objects. In addition to the museum and house, you can also visit a circus museum there.
If you have true car enthusiasts in the family, then the Classic Car Museum is worth a visit. You will find restored vintage cars and a special collection of rare cars and cars of famous people.
The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature may also be worth visiting if you are in Sarasota with kids. It is a natural history museum specializing in the history of Florida’s Gulf Coast. You will learn all about Florida’s history. There is a planetarium and you will find a rehabilitation center for sick and injured manatees.
#6 Fort Meyers and Sanibel Island
About 1 hour and 20 minutes’ drive from Sarasota you will find the town of Fort Meyers. This city is also located on the Gulf of Mexico and is on the southwest coast of Florida. We visited Fort Meyers for several days during our tour of Florida, but you could also make it a day trip from Sarasota with kids.
Fort Meyers is known for the “elderly who go there to spend the winter,” as well as for its beautiful beaches, many activities and festivals. One of the most famous festivals is the Thomas Edison Festival of Light with a large light parade and car show. So be sure to check for a fun festival at the time of your visit to the Fort Meyers area, as these are definitely worth visiting with kids.
Also off the coast of Fort Meyers, like Sarasota, are barrier islands, or Keys. One of the most famous islands off the coast of Fort Meyers is Sanibel Island. A tropical paradise known for the (huge) unusual shells you can find here!
Family-friendly restaurant Sarasota
During our tour of Florida, our visit to O’Learys Tiki Bar & Grill really stuck with us. You’ll find this Tiki Bar at Bayfront Park in Sarasota. Here you can enjoy delicious food and drinks while taking in the view of the Gulf of Mexico. And all while enjoying live music, as there is daily.
You’re guaranteed to get a huge vacation feeling here (if you didn’t already have one). There is a kids’ menu for the kids and they have a good time between meals on the beach near the Tiki Bar by playing in the sand, the nearby playground or having a game of “crab spotting. We really liked this family-friendly restaurant!
Family-friendly hotel Sarasota
You can stay in Sarasota with kids just fine. You have plenty of nice family-friendly accommodations you can book. We list some of these family-friendly accommodations in Sarasota.
Budget accommodation: Lantern Inn & Suites – Sarasota
Mid-range accommodations: Kompose Boutique Hotel Sarasota
Luxury Accommodation: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
Also, take a look at the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Sarasota.
About the author: We, Ronald and Maartje love to go “on adventures” with our 2 kids, discovering the world and making memories for life.
