5581 Gulf of Mexico Drive · Longboat Key, FL 34228
Reservations 1.800.285.3481
Everything worth knowing about the island — its waters, its wildlife, its history, and the people who can make your time here extraordinary.
Longboat Key rewards guests who know where to look. These guides were written to help you find the best of it.
The best spots, the right tides, and how locals have always done it.
Read Guide →Lightning whelks, horse conchs, sand dollars — what you’ll find and how to recognise it.
Read Guide →Loggerhead sea turtles nest on these beaches every summer. Here’s what happens and what you might see.
Read Guide →A designated bird sanctuary. Herons, spoonbills and ospreys, year-round.
Read Guide →Dolphins, manatees, turtles, sharks — the Gulf here is the main event.
Read Guide →A barrier island built in a century, a hotel that has survived everything the Gulf could throw at it.
Read Guide →Sarasota Bay to the east, the open Gulf to the west — among the best inshore and nearshore fishing grounds on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Tarpon, snook, redfish, grouper, and shark all within twenty minutes of the inn.
Local Longboat Key legend. Inshore specialist with exceptional knowledge of the bay and nearshore Gulf. Consistently rated the top charter in the area.
30+ years on these waters. Inshore and offshore, family-friendly, USCG licensed. Born and raised in Sarasota — nobody knows the local grounds better.
Fishing, eco tours, sunset cruises and snorkeling all departing from Longboat Key. Excellent for families and groups. Bait, tackle and fishing license included.
Specialist in sight-fishing for tarpon — the Silver King — with nearly two decades of experience on these flats. The best dedicated tarpon guide on the coast.
Fishing charters, dolphin tours and sunset cruises from Anna Maria and Longboat Key. Captain Mason is a local native with deep knowledge of the Gulf.
The bay side of Longboat Key — mangrove islands, seagrass beds, tidal channels — is ideal kayak and paddleboard territory. Manatee and dolphin encounters are common on guided tours.
Award-winning, Longboat Key-based. Two-time Small Business of the Year. Guided eco tours from the north end of the key — manatees, dolphins, and mangrove tunnels. Reservations required.
SUP and kayak rentals and guided eco tours from $55 per person. Self-guided 3-hour rentals also available. Mobile operation covering the full coastline.
Guided tours for all ages and skill levels across Longboat Key, Lido Key and Siesta Key. Fully certified guides, educational and wildlife-focused.
World-class marine research institution open to the public. Sharks, sea turtles, touch tanks and hands-on exhibits at the new Nathan Benderson Park location. Book tickets in advance.
Ten acres of tropical gardens, flamingos, daily reptile and parrot shows, and a chance to hold a baby alligator. Family owned since 1939. Open 363 days a year.
Florida’s best mini golf five years running. 18 adventure-style holes with pirate ships, caves, waterfalls, and a live alligator exhibit.
Tiger Woods-designed mini golf — two 18-hole courses, full restaurant and sports bar at University Town Center.
A 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay. Art museum with over 10,000 works, the Ca’ d’Zan mansion, Circus Museum, and the historic Asolo Theater. Free admission Mondays.
Fifteen bayfront acres of extraordinary orchids, tropical plants, and rotating world-class art exhibitions. Named one of TIME’s World’s Greatest Places.
Contemporary art in a beautifully renovated historic building on the Ringling College campus.
The result of decades of patronage by wintering residents who expected the best. You are twenty minutes from all of it.
Florida’s premier professional theatre and the largest equity theatre in the Southeast. Up to 15 productions per season, located beside The Ringling.
The iconic purple-shell hall on Sarasota Bay. 100+ events per year — Broadway, national performers, symphony and dance.
Professional opera in a stunning 1926 Mediterranean Revival opera house. Winter season runs February through March.
Five stages, 20+ productions annually, and the largest subscription theatre in Florida. Adventurous programming in the heart of downtown Sarasota.
Professional ballet company performing at the Asolo, Van Wezel and Sarasota Opera House throughout the season.
Florida’s oldest continuing orchestra. 100+ chamber, classical, pops and community concerts per year.
One of Florida’s most distinctive outdoor destinations — 140+ shops, galleries and restaurants arranged around a beautifully landscaped tropical circle on Lido Key. Columbia Restaurant (Florida’s oldest, since 1905), Crab & Fin, Tommy Bahama, Café L’Europe. Lido Beach is five minutes’ walk.
Visit St. Armands Circle →Sarasota-Bradenton International (SRQ) is about 45 minutes from the inn, and downtown Sarasota around 20 minutes. During high season, allow extra time for island traffic. All services below serve Longboat Key directly.
On-site kiosk at SRQ Baggage Claim #3 for immediate on-arrival pickups. Luxury sedans and SUVs, available 24/7. The most convenient option from SRQ.
Longboat Key specialist serving all Southwest Florida airports. Luxury fleet, round-trip packages, professional chauffeurs.
Flat-rate pricing, 2025 fleet of luxury SUVs and sedans. Covers SRQ, TPA, PIE, MCO, MIA and more. Flight monitoring and door-to-door service.
Premium black car service with BMW and Infiniti fleet. Airport transfers to SRQ and TPA, plus point-to-point throughout the Sarasota area.
