Highlights: Florida’s West Coast

We had a quick look at several Florida West Coast towns last month.  Certainly not exhaustive by any means: we never made it to Tampa / St. Pete, or Anna Maria Island, or Longboat Key.  Nor did we see Ft. Myers Beach. But of the towns we saw, albeit briefly, I believe Venice and Key West have a lot to praise.

Sarasota is certainly affluent, and it enjoys a great deal of support for the arts.  The plus, of course, is that it has museums and theater and music venues.  It can seem a bit like a big city, but within it are many small neighborhoods within walking distance of the water.  Very livable.

Naples struck me as flashy, with some great restaurants; it’s busy like Sarasota. 

Captiva has the most beautiful beaches, but there aren’t many restaurants or any other type of entertainment venues.  This is probably unfair, because I am essentially comparing a single resort (South Sea Island Resort) to cities.  Still, where would I buy?

Marco Island has beaches, but dogs aren’t allowed! And t is essentially a planned real estate development.

Venice is smaller than Sarasota or Naples, but it has a cute downtown, restaurants, and beaches (including a great dog beach).

And of course, Key West.  The magic here is the blend of authenticity and artifice.  This island town was not created by a developer; it grew organically.  Through multiple cycles of boom and bust: pirates, wreckers, spongers, shrimpers, the Navy, the Railroad, and finally, US1.

The indigenous architecture is charming (although some of it was built more recently in the authentic style.)  

There are authentic schooners in the harbor.  Sure, they are there to carry tourists on sunset cruises, but it’s the tourist trade that keeps these beautiful old ships afloat.

There’s a pleasant rhythm to the day; the schooners and party catamarans leave at the same times every day, with the same running commentary: “Hey! How’s everybody doing on the Party Cat today?”

Each afternoon, when the fishing boats come in, the crews clean the catch at the docks, and the pelicans and a group of 4-1/2 foot tarpon gather around to be fed.

It’s amazing that 4-to-5-foot tarpon are commonplace. And we saw that manatee again, and we measured him from the dock. He is not 6-feet, he is 9-feet long. Big animal.

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Of course there’s also a lot of silliness. Like this boat.

Let’s just say that Key west has a unique identity, and that’s not true of most towns in the US.

But no matter which West Coast town you choose, they ALL have those wonderful SUNSETS!

I’m sure many of my readers have thoughts to add to this opinion piece.  I just thought I’d pass my thoughts along for what they’re worth