Navigation:
- Florida Maritime Museum
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
- Longboat Beaches (Whitey Beach, Longboat Key Beach and Beer Can Island)
- Boat Shows
- Myakka River State Park
Longboat Key is city located in Manatee and Sarasota counties in Florida. It lies south of Anna Maria Island and the Gulf of Mexico. The town is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice statistical area. In the 2010 US Census, it has an approximate 6,888 residents.
Native Americans used to inhabit Longboat Key. The first known man to explore the island was Juan de Añasco, who founded the Native Americans hostile. Añasco spent two months just to find a landing site and the first outsider to laid eyes on Sarasota Bay, Manatee River, and Boca Ciega Bay. Urban legend said that the notorious Pirate Jean Lafitte had been shipwreck near Longboat Key and for the next 300 years, no one believed the stories. Today, Longboat Key offers a wide range of activities for the family.
Florida Maritime Museum
The Florida Maritime Museum rests
on 4 acres of land on a historic 1912 Schoolhouse. Located in the famous
fishing village of Cortex, it would take a short drive from the island.
Hurricanes usually bouts Cortez Village that greatly suffers from the storm’s
aftermath. Residents of the village help the maritime museum in their endeavors
preserving the environment and teaching about the importance of maritime
history.
The Cortex Nature Preserve
surrounds the maritime museum, making it one of Longboat Key’s hidden gems. The
Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Courts sponsors the activity of Maritime
Museum, which was founded to raise awareness about the fishing industry in the
region. Join them as they explore maritime tradition and learn all about
Florida’s maritime history. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Marie Selby Botanical Garden is
one of the most magical places in Longboat Key. It aims to boosts appreciation
of tropical plants and its conservation. They offer programs about its
conservation, research and continuing education about the plants.
Seven greenhouses serve as the
heart of the botanical research boasting of more than 6,000 beautiful orchids.
These are the main reason why the Marie Selby Botanical Garden garnered
international recognition.
Many people who visited the
botanical garden are captivated by an ancient huge ficus tree called as Banyan.
Its large branches overshadow other plants in the garden, providing shades for
visitors and the perfect environment for plants to flourish. Another attention grabbing tree in the garden
is the Rainbow Gum Tree, known for its astonishing rainbow-colored trunk.
Explore the grounds of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens which include areas of the
towering Bamboo Pavilion, Banyan Grove, Tropical Display House, Cactus and
Succulent Garden and Cycad Collection.
Longboat Beaches (Whitey Beach, Longboat Key Beach and Beer Can Island)
A trip to Longboat Key would not
be complete without visiting some of its amazing beaches. A 30-minute drive
northwest of downtown Sarasota, Longboat Key is a great place to enjoy pristine
beaches without the usual crowds of Florida. It does not matter where you
choose to stay; every beach in Longboat Island has the same pristine white sand
beaches. Try to collect seashells along its beaches. Rumor has it that you can
find some interesting sea shells along its beach shores that you cannot find
elsewhere.
Boat Shows
Before Longboat Key becomes a
holiday destination for some, merchants and pirates roam its waters. It is just
right to say that they earned some of the best boat shows in Florida. Most
boating enthusiasts visit Longboat Key when they held boat shows like St.
Armands Boat Show. Both experienced boaters and first-time boaters would come
to see the latest model or latest trend in the boating world.
Myakka River State Park
Another nearby tourist spot in
Longboat Key lies in Sarasota. Myakka River State Park is one of the oldest and
largest state parks in the US. The state park has a diverse natural habitat for
animals that stretches 58 miles of both dry and wetlands. You can explore and
learn about wildlife up close. The park is home to raccoons, deer, turkeys,
vultures, barred owls, and red-shouldered hawks. You can also walk to their
wooden boardwalk that spreads all throughout the Upper Myakka Lake. Look out
for wading birds, wood storks, ducks, roseate spoonbills, eagles, ospreys and
even alligators. Keep in mind that the park maintains the place as a natural
habitat for these animals, try not to disturb them.
Remember your time in Longboat Key with 3-D Wood Map of Longboat Key accurately depicting the shorelines and bottom contours of the island. Maybe share this with a friend for a gift idea!
Remember your time in Longboat Key with 3-D Wood Map of Longboat Key accurately depicting the shorelines and bottom contours of the island. Maybe share this with a friend for a gift idea!
