Longboat Key is a barrier island: the Gulf of Mexico lies to the west, and Sarasota Bay to the east. This location between two bodies of water gives the destination a clear geographic setting. Nature and history also offer different perspectives on the island: restored habitats, wildlife viewing, a bike ride across Longboat Key, and historic traces. If you are considering a stay, you can weigh whether nature, outdoor activity, or island history should be your focus.

Nature: restored habitats and wildlife viewing

Joan M. Durante Park was created by enhancing and restoring one of the few remaining undeveloped parcels on Longboat Key. This resulted in a functioning wetland and a coastal hammock forest. Its significance lies both in the undeveloped island parcel and in the result: two specifically named habitats created through restoration.

Quick Point Nature Preserve offers a different perspective on nature: visitors can observe lightning whelks, fighting conchs, juvenile crabs, and many small fish in a man-made tidal lagoon. Birds include waders such as Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, Great American Egret, and Osprey. Wildlife sightings naturally vary by season. While Joan M. Durante Park is shaped by its restored habitats, the focus at Quick Point is on animals in the lagoon. The two sites therefore offer distinct nature experiences: habitat restoration at Durante Park and seasonal wildlife viewing in the Quick Point lagoon.

Getting around by bike or ride service

There are different options for getting around, too. A nearly 10-mile bike path runs across Longboat Key and offers a specific way to take a cycling trip on the island. Breeze OnDemand, by contrast, is a ride service offering curb-to-curb service in Lido/Longboat Key. Plan the bike path as an activity in its own right, or consider the ride service as a separate transportation option; check Breeze OnDemand’s route status before traveling.

Historical markers and early island history

Seven historical markers on Longboat Key highlight events from the island’s history. One marker identifies a house from the 1900s at 631 Broadway. A few houses built in the early 20th century also remain at the northern end of Longboat Key. The island’s history can therefore be explored through both marked events and individual early houses.

The Rufus P. Jordan House, also known as Mar Vista, offers a closer look at one person and the island’s early subdivision. The house was built in a subdivision that Rufus Jordan platted between 1911 and 1914. Because of its local significance through its association with Jordan, Mar Vista was nominated for the National Register under Criterion B. It is the only surviving building on Longboat Key, and elsewhere in Florida, directly associated with Rufus Jordan. Unlike the seven markers, which highlight events in the island’s history, Mar Vista brings together a specific connection between a building, a subdivision, and a person.

Discover more destinations: Osprey, Sarasota, Venice Gardens, Venice, Englewood, Siesta Key, Gulf Gate Estates, The Meadows.

Go to the main travel overview: Sarasota.