Sarasota - Bradenton

There's something for everyone in the Sarasota-Bradenton area of Central West Florida. Bradenton is home to the great fishing and uncrowded, white sand beaches of Anna Maria Island, while Sarasota has long been known for its cultural offerings. It's here that John Ringling built his Venetian-styled mansion and housed his priceless 17th-century Baroque art collection. Elsewhere in town, a ballet company, an opera company, a symphony orchestra, an arts cinema, numerous theaters, and galleries round out a diverse cultural scene.

Venice offers small town charm in its Main Street shopping district (Venice Avenue) along with good shelling and prehistoric sharks' teeth on area beaches.

Sarasota exudes an air of relaxed sophistication. Long considered the cultural capital of Florida, the Ringlings and other wealthy families made Sarasota their winter playground, imparting the legacy of the arts early on. This fair city soon became a haven for artists, thespians and musicians. The powder white sands of the keys attracted more visitors and they soon developed into rustic, laid-back beach communities.

Beautiful Siesta Key on the Gulf of Mexico is blessed with wonderful beaches, including Crescent Beach, rated as having the "World's Finest, Whitest Sand" in the Great International Sand Challenge.

One of the few cities on Florida's West Coast without a barrier island, the soft white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico form the western boundary of Venice. Fourteen miles (22.5 km) of beaches from Casey Key to Manasota Key offer unparalleled recreational opportunities including swimming, sunbathing, fishing and boating. Shelling is also a favorite pastime, and fossilized shark teeth can be found in abundance by sifting through the sand. Golfers enjoy excellent courses in the greater Venice area.