Sightseeing in Sarasota and discovering the grocery store

They do exist – these places where you come without expectations and then continue your journey full of positive impressions. That’s what happened to me in Sarasota, a small town (with 50,000 inhabitants) between Fort Myers and Tampa. The offshore beach islands are primarily known, of which Siesta Key is one of the most beautiful beaches in America. Instead of the beaches, we explored downtown Sarasota and there is also a lot to discover.

Things to do in Sarasota

The city centre is surprisingly easy to explore on foot and it’s worth taking the walk along pretty Main Street (with some interesting shops) to Marina Jack. Right next to the marina, Island Park is a green oasis that invites you to relax.

From the park it is not far to the Mary Selby Botanical Garden, which attracts visitors with a collection of countless orchids and other tropical plants. Even if the green thumb is not so pronounced (and believe me, my plants always die…), you should definitely pay a visit to this great facility – fantastic!

The pink Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is one of Sarasota’s cultural landmarks. Unfortunately, we managed to be on site on the only evening without an event…

For people who feel hungry in between, there is a wide selection of restaurants, especially around the intersection of Main Street / Lemon Avenue, and on Saturday mornings there is a so-called “Farmers Market”, which is really great. Also within walking distance is Whole Foods Market, a grocery store specializing in sustainable products that left me “flabbergasted”. I’ve always been of the opinion that American grocery stores, for reasons I can’t understand, are usually on the periphery and difficult to reach on foot and certainly don’t sell sustainable, seasonal, fresh fruits and vegetables. But I was very wrong and would like to thank the downtown Sarasota Whole Foods Market for the fantastic educational work ;).

We stayed for one night at the Hotel Ranola, which I am happy to recommend. The hotel is close to Main Street and we explored everything on foot from here. The rooms are individually decorated in a boutique style and even have a kitchen (to cook a delicious dinner with the produce of the Whole Foods Market). We booked the hotel through booking.com and paid $179 for one night.