Longboat Key is an eleven-mile island with St. Armands and Lido Key to the south and Anna Maria Island to the north. Compared to other area islands, you could consider Longboat Key something of a late bloomer. When the town was incorporated in 1955, only 215 people called it home and there was no bridge on the north end.

After the Arvida Realty Company began to develop its southern shores in the early 1960s, the island began a period of growth that continues to this day. But what makes it special is the balance you’ll find between world-class amenities and the enduring spirit of Longboat’s not-so-distant past. The enchanting island doesn’t hide its treasures. It surrounds you in them.

Longboat Key is divided into three sections – south, middle, and north –with beaches running the length of the entire island. Gulf of Mexico Drive, the main road that connects both ends of the island, is beautifully manicured, paralleling the shore and a multi-use path where joggers and cyclists get their daily dose of exercise.

While there are numerous resorts on the gulf and bay sides, it would be impossible to describe the barrier island without mentioning the Longboat Key Club. The 410-acre resort includes a marina, restaurants, and white-sand beaches. Forty-five holes of championship-level golf are perched next to turquoise water and lined with thousands of tropical palm trees and pink and white oleanders.

With a mix of full-time and seasonal residents, Longboat Key feels cozy. While the community is split between two counties, the Town of Longboat Key is instrumental in cultivating the island’s charm and beauty. Homeowners know their commissioners and town administration by name and are engaged in future planning and growth.

The island’s restaurants are so good they alone are reason to visit. You are sure to bump into your neighbors upstairs at the Haye Loft at Euphemia Hay or dock your boat at Shore Longboat Key, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill, or Mar Vista. Locals will tell you Maison Blanche is the best restaurant in all of Sarasota with its dreamy atmosphere and artful food.

With limited public access, the beaches are never crowded — unless you count shorebirds, sea turtles, and dolphins. See a spectacular sunset as you walk along ivory sands and sparkling azure water. The bayside offers dog-friendly community parks with walking trails through mangroves and lookouts on Sarasota Bay.

Whether you love the beach, boating, golf, or freshly-caught seafood, Longboat Key is an island of unmatched amenities and natural beauty where the lines between a relaxing beach vacation and an active daily life are easily blurred.