Local beaches:
BEACHES.
Englewood has 4 beaches on the barrier island of Manasota Key. Manasota Beach, Blind Pass Beach, Englewood Beach & Stump Pass Beach. all offer a variety of amenities.
Manasota Beach boasts 14 acres of Gulf front beach & sand dunes with special areas set aside for sheltered tables, barbecue pits, boardwalks & bathhouse facilities.
Blind Pass Beach is ideal for swimming, fishing & has more than 60 acres of nature trails. There's a docking area for boaters on the intercoastal waterway.
Englewood Beach has recreational areas, boardwalk, picnic tables & concession stands as well as conveniently located nearby restaurants, shops & nightclubs. Walking south from Englewood beach is Stump Pass Beach a narrow strip of beach that offer anglers a great place to fish.
Barrier Islands:
There are several offshore keys to explore, some accessible by road bridge; others only by boat. Perhaps one of the most attractive and quaint get-away keys to visit by road is Gasperilla Island. Approx.20 minutes easy drive from Rotonda the island is reached via a toll bridge from the mainland. Visitors to the key will drive along a road surrounded on both sides by shimmering waters and white sands and millionaires Condo's.
There is a wonderful public beach on the key (with a Caribbean feel to it) called Boca Grande. Every year between April and June, Boca Grande Pass fills with thousands of Tarpon fish churning the water all around the boats. Major fishing tournaments are held here, each year. In Boca Grande, the locals use golf carts as a major form of transport and can be easily hired on a daily basis.
If you want to experience total isolation and a real unspoilt barrier island, visit Cayo Costa (itself a state park) located south of Boca Grande accessible only by boat.
