Things to do

Professional theater company on the Ringling campus.

Wetlands and a hilltop known for bird-watching.

City regional park with three double-lane boat ramps, picnic tables, public art and a canoe and kayak launch.

City regional park with a boat ramp, a fishing pier, a mangrove boardwalk, a playground and walking trails.

Bayfront gardens known for orchids and air plants.

Mote Marine's new aquarium.

Rowing venue and lake loop for walks and runs.

County preserve with paved and unpaved trails, a fishing pier, a playground and a picnic shelter.

Historic 1926 opera house downtown.

A 53-acre bayfront park with paths, events and kayak launches.

Art museum, the Ringlings' Cà d'Zan mansion, circus museum and bayfront gardens.

Sarasota's purple hall for touring shows and concerts.

State park along three miles of Lake Manatee with a boat ramp, a swimming beach, fishing docks and camping.

The Ranch's original downtown, home of Music on Main.

Huge state park with a treetop canopy walkway, river and wildlife.

Large sports complex that hosts tournaments.

Lakefront town center with restaurants, shops and a Sunday market.

County boat ramp with 10 launching lanes, 108 boat trailer parking spaces, a fishing pier and a bait house.

400-acre city preserve on Lake Maggiore with trails and an environmental education center.

Gallery of Dale Chihuly glass art.

City marina with 192 wet slips, a public boat ramp with 70 trailer parking spaces, a ship store and fueling stations.

Beach Boulevard cafés, the historic Casino and a small beach.

State park islands reached by causeway and ferry.

Fine arts museum on Beach Drive.

Pier district with restaurants, a playground and bay views.

City marina beside the St. Pete Pier with 640 permanent wet slips, a transient dock, fuel and a public boat launch.

Historic tropical garden in St. Petersburg.

County boat ramp on St. Joseph Sound with 50 vehicle and trailer parking spaces, a boat rinse area and restrooms.

Historic sponge docks with Greek shops and restaurants.

Major collection of Salvador Dalí's work on the waterfront.

3,000-acre county preserve on Tampa Bay with 4.7 miles of boardwalks and trails, a fishing pier and a natural history center.

Quiet beach at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island.

White-sand beach with nightly sunset celebrations at Pier 60.

County beach with lifeguards, a playground, sand volleyball courts, picnic pavilions and a concession stand.

Island park with beaches, trails and a historic fort.

County boat ramp with three launch lanes, trailer parking and fish cleaning stations.

Gulf beach a short walk from St. Armands Circle.

County beach with lifeguards, food concessions, a playground and sand volleyball courts.

County boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway with six boat lanes, 73 vehicle and trailer parking spaces and three floating docks.

Historic beach district at the southern tip of St. Pete Beach.

95-acre county park with two beach areas, seasonal lifeguards, a boardwalk and nature trail, a dog park and a playground.

Wide beach of fine quartz sand.

Circle of shops and restaurants between downtown and Lido Beach.

County park with boat ramps for motorized and non-motorized vessels, a canoe and kayak launch, a fishing pier and a rowing facility.

Natural beach famous for fossilized shark teeth.

Atlanta Braves spring training ballpark.

Bayfront history site with gardens and archaeological mounds.

County beach park on Manasota Key with lifeguards, boat ramps, a picnic pavilion, grills and restrooms.

City park on Myakkahatchee Creek with a boat ramp, a canoe and kayak launch, accessible docks, a pavilion and restrooms.

Boat ramp for motorized vessels with a picnic shelter. The City of Venice owns it and Sarasota County operates it.

County beach park with lifeguards, a fishing pier, a boat ramp, a playground, picnic shelters and a concession.

State park known for Florida scrub-jays and trails.

Paved rail-trail linking Venice and Sarasota.

Sarasota County beach with lifeguards, a concession, picnic shelters, restrooms and sand volleyball courts.

Gulf pier popular for fishing and sunsets.

Riverfront park with trails, playgrounds and events.

One of Florida's last working fishing villages.

National Park Service memorial to the 1539 Hernando de Soto expedition, with living history programs at Camp Uzita.

County preserve on Snead Island with hiking and kayak trails, observation towers, a visitor center and historic remains.

County park on the Manatee River with a boat ramp, a canoe and kayak launch, a pavilion and a rowing boathouse.

County boat ramp with one launch lane and docks.

Coastal preserve with trails, kayaking and an observation tower.

Colorful neighborhood of artist homes and galleries.