A Sarasota Kayak Tour Can Bring You
Up Close and Personal to Nature..

There are literally scores of Sarasota kayak tours you can take on your own, or guided, at places around the sun coast area where you may not only paddle your way to relaxation, but you’ll also find some amazing wildlife and nature before your very eyes.

Paddle out on your own or go with a tour group.

The Sarasota waterways and Keys are a paradise for kayaking, whether you're a beginner or an old hand, although I would urge beginners to stay in calmer waters until they get some more experience.

You can bring your own kayak or use a rental from any number of rental outfitters that will be happy to accommodate you around the sun coast area.

Places to kayak in and around Sarasota, her Keys and Islands include:

• Sarasota Bay
• Blackburn Bay just south of the Swing Bridge on Blackburn Point Road in Osprey
• The Intra-Coastal Waterway, being careful to watch for larger traffic

Off the beaches of:

• Casey Key (Nokomis Beach)
• Siesta Key directly on the Gulf of Mexico
• Turtle Beach Lagoon at the south end of Siesta Key
• Lido Key
• In South Lido Beach Park on the bayside where you can paddle your kayak through the mangroves and mangrove tunnels (take Ben Franklin Drive south and turn left on Taft where there’s a kayak launch and also tour operators and outfitters on hand with kayak rentals)
• Venice Beach
• Longboat Key and Whitney Beach and north of Whitney Beach between Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island
• Off Anna Maria island, gulf side and bay side

A Sarasota Kayak Tour

Another spectacular place to go on a Sarasota kayak tour is on Myakka Lake at Myakka River State Park. Here you will be able to get another real up close and personal view of nature from the water.

You’ll see alligators, birds of prey and perhaps snakes along with gorgeous nature views of Myakka State Park from the water. Myakka Park is about 30 minutes east of Sarasota on US RT. 72/Clark Road.

One more place you can go kayaking in Sarasota County is at Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey, on US Rt. 41. There you can kayak around the State Park’s Lake Osprey which flows into Osprey’s South Creek which in turn flows into the Intra Coastal Waterway.

Now, this is definitely one way to have some fun and adventure, solo, but I will tip you off that there are any number of places from where you can not only rent your kayak but where you can also get a guided Sarasota kayak eco-tour with a real eco-tour guide along.

While it may cost a few bucks, taking advantage of a guided kayaking tour may be more cost effective than paddling along in your own small group, especially if you want to see the places, the wildlife and nature up close that a tour guide can provide, rather than just going out for a solo paddle.

Going with an eco-tour guide will shave hours off of just hunting around by yourself for something neat to see and experience.

If you want to see mangroves and wildlife like dolphins and manatees, gators, all kinds of water fowl, tropical birds and birds of prey, then you most likely want to take advantage of a guided kayak eco-tour.

Tips: Where a hat and sunscreen.

I would wear polarized sunglasses as well with a sports strap or cord so they don’t accidentally fall into the water, like happened to me on the Intra Coastal Waterway a couple years ago! (“Poof” – gone!)

Take along a water proof camera or a plastic bag if it’s not water proof.

Where comfortable shorts or a swim suit and flip-flops if the weather permits.

Depending on time of year you may also want to wear/bring insect repellant.

Enjoy the natural scenic beauty. Happy paddling!

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