Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
Kayaking subsequent to curious dolphins is likely one of the many highlights friends expertise whereas staying at Manasota Key Resort.
Whereas Miami and Fort Lauderdale are in style trip cities in Florida, vacationers searching for a slower tempo seashore expertise will benefit from the boutique Manasota Key Resort. This hidden gem is surrounded by white sand seashores touching the Gulf of Mexico’s turquoise blue waters.
There are two Worldwide Airports – Sarasota Bradenton Worldwide Airport and Fort Myers Southwest Florida Worldwide Airport providing flights from most main cities. The resort is a couple of one hour drive from these airports. When you arrive, depart your automobile parked and stroll, journey a bicycle or take a complimentary golf cart shuttle into the primary areas of city.
Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
ACCOMMODATIONS
It’a a picturesque resort surrounded by water and towering palm timber. Lodging vary from studio rooms to a few bed room cottages and houses. This number of lodging is right for {couples}, households, bachelor and bachelorette events, weddings and reunions.
Household Residence at Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
The most important house provides two ensuite bedrooms with a rest room, plus a fantastically embellished dwelling and eating room, a connoisseur kitchen, recreation room, an adjoining three-bunk bed room, and a connecting visitor bed room excellent for group get-togethers.
Bunk Room at Manasota Key Resort
There’s additionally a big waterfront yard with a fire-pit and boat dock alongside the picturesque Lemon Bay.
Connoisseur Kitchen. Picture Jill Weinlein
The resort provides a typical space that includes outside barbecues and a pizza oven for many who take pleasure in cooking and eating alfresco at a picnic desk or whereas sitting round a flickering fireplace pit.
There’s additionally a small health middle and a laundry facility.
Complimentary Kayaks. Picture by Jill Weinlein
KAYAKING
Kayaks are complimentary for friends to take from the resort to discover the calm Lemon Bay to see dolphins, cormorants, eagles, and pelicans fly overhead.
Visitors can discover fascinating wildlife up shut whereas taking within the breathtaking pure magnificence surrounding the realm.
Dolphin and Sundown Cruise. Picture Jill Weinlein
DOLPHIN SIGHTINGS
One other technique to see dolphins is to take a Lemon Bay Dolphin and Sundown Cruise. Board a pontoon boat to discover the calm water because the captain enlightens passengers about dolphins and different marine life.
This unique space in Manasota Key has been house to some movie star residents through the years, together with the Vanderbilt household, tennis icon Martina Navratilova, singers Donna Summer season and Bobby Vinton.
FISHING
All through the resort alongside Lemon Bay are piers and fish cleansing stations for anglers of all talent ranges. On this space tarpon are prime to catch from April to October. The Boca Grande Cross is a famend space, often known as top-of-the-line locations in North America to catch these silver kings. Widespread Florida saltwater fish embody Pinfish, Pink Grouper, Sheepshead, Snook and Black Drum.
Boogie Boards and Bicycles. Picture Jill Weinlein
RIDE A BIKE
Seize a motorbike to take for a spin round the important thing. The resort provides cruiser bikes for friends to take into city. Cease for a beverage and hearken to dwell music at one of many in style waterside venues. The paved bike paths meander alongside harborfront trails, historic neighborhoods, colourful murals, cafes and retailers.
Boogie Boards are additionally accessible for friends to glide on the mild Gulf of Mexico waves earlier than touching down on the smooth sandy shore.
Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
PICKLEBALL
Pickleball courts can be found for friends to play on earlier than the solar goes down. Ping pong tables, corn gap and garden video games are additionally accessible all through the day.
Two swimming swimming pools at Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
POOL TIME
Go for a swim in one of many swimming swimming pools on the resort. There are lounge chairs for sunbathing and umbrellas for these searching for some shade.
Stump Cross Seashore Park. Picture Jill Weinlein
STUMP PASS BEACH PARK
Simply past Manasota Key Resort is Stump Cross Seashore Park. This space is house to sea turtles and gopher turtles. There have been 911 sea turtle nests found in 2023 throughout nesting season from Could to October. Loggerhead, Inexperienced and Kemp’s Ridley nests have been found. Park rangers mark the realm with stakes and flags for the general public to keep up a respectful distance from the turtles.
This space can be Florida’s second-largest estuary. It’s a water wonderland providing 830 miles of sandy shoreline, with 80% of the shoreline preserved as a breeding floor for marine life.
Luckiest place in Manasota Key Resort. Picture Jill Weinlein
Some say Stump Cross Seashore Park is the luckiest place on earth. Guests are inspired so as to add a shell to driftwood stumps or timber within the space and make a want.
There’s a flat pathway all through the park’s peninsula with retailers to the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay on the opposite facet. Gathering seashells alongside the shoreline is a well-liked exercise. The seashore is plagued by hundreds of shells of all colours and sizes. Hidden within the piles of shells are black fossilized shark tooth. These tooth are mostly present in Florida.
Based on Robert L. Fuqua’s ‘Florida Fossil Shark Enamel Identification Information’, beachcombers search all through the day for a prized shark tooth. The grand prize is a megalodon tooth. “Sharks have rows of tooth and might produce as much as 3000 tooth or extra in a lifetime. When a shark bites its prey after which struggles with it, each the shark and the prey flip and twist. Sharks typically lose a tooth or break one within the battle,’ stated Fuqua.
The easiest way to discover a tooth is to scoop up sand and shells with a sand sifter to attempt to uncover one or two.
Lemon Bay Market and Cafe. Picture Jill Weinlein
DINING
Discover the small-town meals scene beginning with an elevated meals truck expertise at Lemon Bay Market outdoors of the Manasota Key Resort Welcome Middle.
Seize at desk and chairs overlooking the recent water river for a breakfast burrito, avocado toast or Greek yogurt fruit parfait. The lunch menu consists of freshly made wraps, salads and a fried grouper sandwich. The fries have been named ‘top-of-the-line’ within the space.
Dine after sundown. Picture Jill Weinlein
Exterior of the resort there are a number of eating venues. Gear up for recent seafood at Sandbar Tiki & Grille. It is identified for crispy shrimp fritters, fried gator bites, recent salads, lobster rolls, totally different flatbreads and wholesome bowls. Their do-it-yourself white cheddar mac n’ cheese could be topped with quite a lot of enhancements that features pulled pork, fried onion petals, lobster, Buffalo Wings or smoked barbecue brisket.
Through the day, dwell music and joyful hour specials herald a crowd. Many take pleasure in sitting close to the Manasota Key sandbar overlooking a canal to look at for dolphin sightings.
One other favourite spot for grilled or blackened grouper, salads, burgers and sandwiches is Beachcomber. Order from the meals truck window and discover a surfboard-theme desk with chairs alongside the water. Dolphins are identified to swim down the channel entertaining friends.
For dinner, dine the place the locals prefer to go for nice cocktails and wines by the glass to take pleasure in with butter and cheese boards. Specialty menu gadgets embody fried avocado, recent grilled fish, pastas and steaks at The Waverly Restaurant and Bar. House owners Jill and Scott Hemmes’ two-story restaurant provides an intensive menu that can attraction to all.
Manasota Key Resort. Picture by Jill Weinlein
Uncover the sights and sounds of the beachfront Manasota Key Resort for marine and wildlife sightings surrounded by a relaxed pure sanctuary.
