There are plenty of tour operators who offer these excursions, so you can choose the perfect one for your level of fitness and experience.
Tours start from easy-to-reach locations within the city of Sarasota itself. Kayak tours generally last a few hours and begin in the open water, moving into the maze-like mangrove forests.
During our tour, we started in the bay and saw a school of dolphins right off the bat. Seeing them swim so close in the water is truly awesome. Then we headed into the mangroves which were fascinating and almost reminded us of the Everglades. While you don’t need any kayaking experience to navigate them, it would be difficult not to run into low-hanging logs and roots on either side of the narrow waterways as a beginner.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see any manatees as we wove through the intricate paths of the mangroves. But we did come away with a nice tan, an arm workout, and a deep appreciation for the complex, beautiful ecosystems right next to Sarasota’s beaches.
