Day Trip: Englewood

Photo by Pure Florida

With roots as a fishing village, a day trip to Englewood feels like an experience with the charms of Old Florida.

For a quiet day on the water, check out blind pass park. Located on the Sarasota side of Englewood (the community is part of both Charlotte and Sarasota Counties), Blind Pass Park is home to a beautiful mangrove trail, 3,000 feet of beachfront along with a fishing dock and canoe launch. It’s also a great beach for shelling.

For a lively, family-oriented beach day, head to Englewood beach for activities galore. Englewood Beach has grills, picnic shelters, a playground, horseshoe pits, and volleyball and basketball courts. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas on site, and you can stroll down the 900-foot boardwalk to get great views of the water from three covered lookouts. Englewood Beach is also a great spot to collect shark teeth.

Englewood is located along Lemon Bay, one of the five aquatic preserves of Charlotte Harbor. A great way to get an up-close look of the Bay is to reserve a cruise with Lemon bay Dolphin Tours, led by Englewood naturalist, Captain Bruce LaMotte. The two-hour sunset cruise will give you an unforgettable view of Florida’s natural beauty, and the nature cruise will give you not only wildlife descriptions, but information about the area’s history.

For dining, you can’t go wrong with the venues in and around Englewood’s Historic District. Mango bistro is owned by chefs from France and Brazil, so the restaurant itself and the food served has a bright, tropical flair that guests love. Visit Mango Bistro for gourmet wraps, paninis, crepes, plant-based meals and wine and beer.

Another dynamic spot is Vino Loco gourmet, which serves tapas and wine on a garden patio, and has an attached wine and cheese shop. For live music, you can’t beat Englewoods on Dearborn. This energizing restaurant features three bars, live blues music and indoor and outdoor seating. If you’re going to extend your Englewood day trip into a weekend stay, palm island resort offers beautiful accommodations. It is home to 160 vacation villas with 1, 2 and 3-bedroom options, and kitchens and screened porches for each unit, making your stay feel more like a trip to your Florida vacation home than a temporary resort visit. Activities at the resort include tennis and fishing, and there are nine golf courses within just 25 minutes of the villas.