Kris Davidson

Southwest Gulf Coast

People who prefer Florida's Gulf side over its Atlantic one generally fall in love with this stretch of sun-kissed coastline from Sarasota to Naples. These two affluent, cultured towns set the tone for the whole region, where visits sway between soporific beach days and art-museum meanders, fine dining and designer cocktails. With their rowdy bars and casual fun, Siesta Key and Fort Myers Beach are slight exceptions, but even they don't reach the same pitch of spring break hysteria just north. No, in this region you'll remember hunting prehistoric shark's teeth in Venice and jewel-like tulip shells in Sanibel, a night at the circus in Sarasota and buying art in Matlacha.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southwest Gulf Coast.

  • Beach

    Venice Beach

    Where W Venice Ave dead-ends you'll find a covered beach pavilion with restrooms and a snack bar. Further south beyond the pier is Casperson Beach. Yoga at Venice Beach There's free yoga on the sand near the beach pavilion at 8am and 7pm daily. Sessions are open to all and no reservations are needed. Finding shark teeth This area is a top spot for fossil hunters, who often bring specialized sifting gear to search for valuable finds. Shark teeth wash up by the millions; all one needs is some patience and a keen eye. An hour or two of looking can net dozens of little teeth, some in excellent condition, others eroded by the waves. Sea turtles also nest here, and shorebird watching is excellent. Where to eat near Venice Beach Sharky's on the Pier is the social hub of Venice Beach. There are also a couple of cocktail bars and pubs surrounding Centennial Park in the city's center.

  • Museum

    Ringling Museum Complex

    The 66-acre winter estate of railroad, real-estate and circus baron John Ringling and his wife, Mable, is one of the Gulf Coast’s premier attractions and incorporates their personal collection of artworks in what is now Florida’s state art museum. Nearby, Ringling’s Circus Museum documents his theatrical successes, while their lavish Venetian Gothic home, Cà d’Zan, reveals the impresario’s extravagant tastes. Don’t miss the PBS-produced film on Ringling’s life, which is screened in the Circus Museum.

  • Museum

    Edison & Ford Winter Estates

    Florida's snowbirds can be easy to mock, but not this pair. Thomas Edison built his winter home in 1885 and lived in Florida seasonally until his death in 1931. Edison's friend Henry Ford built his adjacent bungalow in 1916. Together, and sometimes side by side in Edison's lab, these two inventors, businessmen and neighbors changed our world. The museum does an excellent job of presenting the overwhelming scope of their achievements.

  • State Park

    Cayo Costa State Park

    Slim as a supermodel and as lovely, Cayo Costa Island is almost entirely preserved as a 2500-acre state park. While its pale, ash-colored sand may not be as fine as that of other beaches, its idyllic solitude and bathtub-warm waters are without peer. Bring a snorkel mask to help scour sandbars for shells and conchs – delightfully, many still house colorful occupants (who, by law, must be left there). Cycle dirt roads to more-distant beaches, hike interior island trails and kayak mangroves.

  • Wildlife Reserve

    Myakka River State Park

    Florida's oldest resident – the 200-million-year-old American alligator – is the star of this 39,000-acre wildlife preserve. Between 500 and 1000 alligators make their home in Myakka's slow-moving river and its shallow, lily-filled lakes. You can get up close and personal via canoe, kayak and pontoon-style airboat. During mating season in April and May, the guttural love songs of the males ring out across the waters.

  • Gardens

    Naples Botanical Gardens

    This outstanding botanical garden styles itself as ‘a place of bliss, a region of supreme delight.’ And after spending some time wandering its 2½-mile trail through nine cultivated gardens you’ll rapidly find your inner Zen. Children will dig the thatched-roof tree house, butterfly house and interactive fountain, while adults get dreamy-eyed contemplating landscape architect Raymond Jungles' Scott Florida garden, filled with cascades, 12ft-tall oolite rocks and legacy tree species like date palms, sycamore leaf figs and lemon ficus.

  • Museum

    Baker Museum

    The pride of Naples, this engaging, sophisticated art museum is part of the Artis–Naples campus, which includes the fabulous Philharmonic Center next door. Devoted to 20th-century modern art, the museum's 15 galleries and glass dome conservatory host exciting temporary and permanent shows, ranging from postmodern works to photography and paper craft to glass sculpture, including a stunning Chihuly exhibition. Note that due to damage from Hurricane Irma, the museum was under repair at the time of research, scheduled to reopen in November 2019.

  • Island

    Anna Maria Island

    The perfect antidote to party-loving Siesta Key, Anna Maria Island appears beached in a 1950s time warp, with sun-faded clapboard houses, teenagers hanging outside ice-cream stores and a clutch of good seafood restaurants. The island is made up of three beach towns: at the southern end is Bradenton Beach, midisland is Holmes Beach, which is considered the hub, and at the northern tip is Anna Maria village.

  • Park

    Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

    The crown jewel in the National Audubon Society's sanctuary collection, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary provides an intimate exploration of six pristine native habitats, including saw grass, slash pine and marsh, along a shady 2.25-mile boardwalk trail. The centerpiece is North America's oldest virgin bald-cypress forest, with majestic specimens more than 600 years old and 130ft tall.