Day Trippin' › Florida › From Sarasota
From Sarasota, the Selby Gardens are minutes away, the Ringling under 10, Siesta Beach about 10, Myakka River State Park about 25, the De Soto National Memorial under half an hour, Anna Maria Island about half an hour, and St. Petersburg's Dali Museum about 45. The best day trips from Sarasota, by drive time.
119 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Beach · 54 min northwest
Nearly three miles of beach, a historic fort, fishing piers, a dog beach and a big campground at the mouth of Tampa Bay.
Historic site · 25 min north
Tour the only surviving antebellum plantation house in South Florida and learn about the people enslaved there.
State park · 25 min southeast
Huge wild park with gators, a canopy walkway in the treetops, airboat tours and a scenic drive.
National park · 29 min northwest
Shaded waterfront trail where Spanish explorers are thought to have landed in 1539. Free and quiet.
Museum · 45 min north
Huge collection of Salvador Dalí art in a striking glass building on the St. Petersburg waterfront.
Garden · 46 min north
Century-old garden in a sunken sinkhole with waterfalls, flamingos and thick tropical plants in the middle of St. Pete.
Island · 54 min northwest
Boat-only island with old fort ruins, a lighthouse, gopher tortoises and quiet beaches.
Island · 33 min northwest
Laid-back barrier island with old Florida cottages, piers and white beaches. A free trolley runs the length of the island.
Wildlife · 1 hr 52 min southeast
Drive, bike or walk a four-mile loop on Sanibel past roseate spoonbills, pelicans and wading birds.
Theme park · 1 hr 56 min northeast
Cinderella Castle, classic rides and parades. The heart of Walt Disney World.
Food town · 1 hr 18 min north
Greek town on the water with sponge boats, bakeries and Greek restaurants along Dodecanese Boulevard.
Bike trail · 1 hr 32 min north
Florida's longest paved rail trail, about 46-47 miles through small towns and forest.
Historic site · 1 hr 1 min north
Learn about Tampa's cigar-making past in an old bakery and restored worker cottages in the heart of Ybor City.
Beach · 1 hr 4 min south
Narrow strip of natural beach on Manasota Key with shelling, shark teeth and a walk to the pass.
State park · 1 hr 6 min north
Rare Class II rapids on a Florida river, shady trails, paddling and a campground close to Tampa.
Garden · 1 hr 51 min southeast
Big garden with Caribbean, Asian and Florida sections, water lilies and a children's garden.
Springs · 2 hr 36 min north
A former roadside attraction with waterfalls, gardens and a buoyed swim area at the head of the Rainbow River.
Springs · 2 hr 44 min northeast
The best place in Florida to see manatees in winter, hundreds at a time, from a boardwalk.
Museum · 2 hr 46 min northeast
See the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and launch pads. A must for space fans.
Wildlife · 2 hr 14 min north
Boardwalks over clear springs where hundreds of manatees gather on cold winter days.
National park · 3 hr southeast
Bike or take a tram along a 15-mile paved loop with gators everywhere, and climb the observation tower at the halfway point.
Small town · 2 hr 11 min east
Sugar town on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, a base for bass fishing and airboat rides.
Hike · 2 hr 14 min north
Quiet trails and a long loop through salt marsh and pine flatwoods on the Nature Coast. Great for birding and biking.
Bike trail · 2 hr 47 min north
A 16-mile paved rail trail through forest and along Paynes Prairie.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 34236 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.