Day trip to Myakka City from Saraosota
Myakka City, Florida, is a hidden gem located just east of Sarasota and Bradenton. Its rural surroundings make it an ideal day trip destination for those seeking some more off-the-beaten-path sights to see from Sarasota, Bradenton, and the Tampa Bay area. Here’s an itinerary on how to spend the perfect day in Myakka City, Florida.
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It is east of Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota, and Southeast of Tampa. This hidden gem of a city can be a great day trip for those who are visiting the Sarasota, Bradenton, or Tampa Bay area since it’s less than a 2-hour drive one-way, depending on where you are coming from.
In no particular order, here are the 5 best things to do in Myakka City based on our personal experiences of visiting said sites. Some of these sites have Bradenton addresses, but they’re actually closer to Myakka City than Bradenton itself!
Myakka Elephant Ranch is one of a few places where you can interact with elephants in Florida and in the US in general. Entrance to the site is available through advanced tour bookings only through their website. No walk-ins are allowed, and slots for the spa encounter experience sell out weeks and months in advance.
Myakka Elephant Ranch’s address is at 4450 Verna Bethany Rd, Myakka City, FL 34251
Three tours are available at the Myakka Elephant Ranch, each with different price points and catering for every budget. The tours on offer from the highest to the lowest price point are the Rise and Shine All Access, the Spa Encounter, and the Educational Encounter. Some tours are not advisable to do with toddlers, so best to leave the toddler with another family member in case you want to do one of the higher experiences they offer.
The most expensive tour of the three, the tour costs $199 as of the time of this writing and has a 10-guest limit every time they offer the tour. You’ll get to feed the elephants their breakfast and wash them after, and the entire experience should last more than 2 hours. Since you’re inside the elephant’s pen, you’ll also get closer photos than those who only opt for the educational tour. The Rise and Shine access tour also gives you a chance to bathe the elephants as well as learn more about the animals during the educational encounter.
Note that if you do the Rise and Shine all-access tour or the Spa encounter tour, the people in your party need to wear closed-toe shoes.
The middle option on the Elephant Ranch is the spa encounter. Since spots are limited like the Rise and Shine All access tour, spots get to sell out pretty fast so expect to book a few weeks or months in advance. This experience gives you the chance to bathe the elephants in their habitat. You’ll get to brush them and hose them down with water, with a small group size of 25 people maximum.
This is the cheapest tour available and the one that we booked. You get to sit in with the other folks who did the Rise and Shine and Spe Encounter tours as the owners of the place tell you more about the elephants they have. They have African and Asian elephants and give a history of every elephant. They then open the floor up for Q&As and the final part is the photo experience.
You won’t get inside the elephant’s pen but you will get up close to them. You can touch their trunk and get a photo with them. It’s really very organized, where you’ll queue in front of the elephant you’ll like to meet and interact with and when you’re done, mvoe to a different queue if you want.
Every single tour does an educational encounter in the end. It’s usually held around 11am, but you’ll need to check in to the desk 15 minutes before the educational encounter starts so they can scan your tickets and find a seat in the amphitheater-seating area.
Yes, it is. Not only do you get an hour of educational information from the people who run Myakka Elephant Ranch, but you’ll also get your photos taken with them. Plus, you can get to touch them up close! These gentle giants have been born in captivity and are rescues, and you can see that they are well taken care of in the ranch.
For $29 per person, we feel as if it is a donation from us going there. The gift shop also has great elephant-themed souvenirs that you can buy. We usually buy souvenirs for our boy from these non-profits and small businesses so we can help support their cause and have something nice to bring back to the toddler!
The educational encounter usually lasts for an hour. It could be more or less depending on the number of questions the group asks. You will then be sent to a viewing area after the questions and the photo experience
Bearadise Ranch is a non-profit that rescues bears. However, they only have different brown bear species in their facility, no native black bears, just to set expectations. Bearadise Ranch is open on certain days to the public, but you will need to put your name down in advance by contacting the facility by phone or through Facebook Messenger. No walk-ins are allowed as capacity is strictly controlled.
When you first visit, you’ll see the bear theming all over. It is a great photo area and they rent out the barn to parties and events. The bears are located in a separate enclosed area with their own pools and a huge pond and play area for them.
Where is Bearadise Ranch’s Address? It’s at 6908 245th St E, Myakka City, FL 34251
No. Bearadise Ranch only offers educational tours where the owner and trainer of the bears is the only one who goes inside the bear pen. She then feeds the bears as she begins her talks about how the bears got to the ranch and their previous job experiences. Some of these bears worked in films and television.
You can see the bears from 2 floor-to-ceiling cages, so your only photos will be of them in the enclosure. There’s a fence before the enclosure to ensure you won’t be able to put any part of your body close enough to the fence to be close to the bears.
The entire bear encounter lasts between 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how many questions were asked during the talk. You are free to leave after the talk.
Hunsader Farms is a KOA campsite and an organic food market. The place is huge and has a petting zoo and play areas for children. It is a very picture-friendly site, especially during fall with all the hay bales and the decorations.
Extra fees apply for the petting zoo and other events that they may have.
Yes, but it can get really busy during one of their events. There’s overflow parking right beside their facility, which is an open field.
Within Hunsader Farms, there are plenty of parking spots near the entrance. The parking spaces are not paved, so it may be a bit bumpy if you are traveling with a stroller or a wheelchair.
Crowley Museum and Nature Center is a hidden gem in Myakka City. It has authentic buildings dating back from Florida’s cracker past, as well as its tools and other bric-a-brac. There are animals on site, like horses, pigs, and goats, and you are more than welcome to touch them.
There are nature trails, with lots of palmetto palms. Bring bug spray because this is Florida, after all. And there may be snakes on the ground, which is totally fine.
A Florida Cracker is the name for the original cowboys that settled in Florida. They were named for the cracking sound of the whip whenever they corral their cattle.
Florida at one point consisted of cattle farms and ranches. The iconic orange farms and fields too. That was the primary source of income for the state, way before Walt Disney World and tourism dollars came in.
It depends. If you want to just see the historic buildings and what’s inside them, an hour. If you would like to do the hiking trail and see the animals, maybe a maximum of two hours. Our child was running around, looking at the animals and through the hiking trails until he got tired.
Myakka River State Park is a massive park going from Sarasota to Myakka City. It is home to diverse wildlife, including deer, armadillos, and of course, alligators. Since the park is massive, you can also opt to take a scenic drive.
You can hike one of the many trails that crisscross around the park. There’s also a suspension bridge you can climb up that’s built on top of trees, which is a highlight of the park. The bridge is not even that far of a hike from the parking lot.
Yes, there are two tours available in Myakka River State Park. One is a tram tour that takes you around the park. The tour is narrated and is not a strenuous activity.
However, to see a lot of alligators at once, you can take a boat tour to Lake Myakka. The 1-hour boat tour takes you to the lake’s middle and edges, and alligator sightings are almost always guaranteed. The boat tour is a must-do, where you get to go see the other side of the lake where it’s off-limits to hike.
Yes, Fiorelli Winery is located in Bradenton, although it is closer to Myakka City. Fiorelli Winery blends its own grapes with other varieties to create its own red, white, and pink wines.
Fiorelli Winery is very local. We have not seen their stuff from big box chains, but their store is well stocked. You can do a wine tasting, available for a small fee, and held once an hour. You can pay an extra $3 and bring home a souvenir wineglass with their logo and company.
If you are feeling peckish, Fiorelli Winery also offers food. There’s live music every weekend on the outdoor tables, and there’s also grape and fruit picking during the season.
For those with little ones, they have a playground onsite and within sight of the tables. You can let the kids run around and play while you enjoy your food and wine! The winery is also dog-friendly!
There are other things to do within the area, a lot of which we have not visited yet. Here are a few more ideas:
Dakin Farms is a local dairy farm. Their milk and dairy drinks are a staple in local grocery stores in the area. They are open on weekdays only, making it harder for the weekend traveler to visit.
Home to Lipizzan horses, they have weekday and weekend shows. These horses are known throughout Austria and are an endangered horse species. This place is on our list for a long time but we just have not found the time to visit yet!
Tickets can be bought online but walk-ins are allowed and cost $12 per person, free for children under 10.
Address of Hermann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions: 32755 Singletary Rd, Myakka City, FL 34251
We did a Tree-Umph close in the Daytona Beach area pre-baby and it was pretty challenging. You’ll be doing obstacle courses on top of trees and ziplines from certain places. Not the best place to bring a toddler since it is a very strenuous activity that takes hours to finish and there are really no activities for them to do.
Myakka City is a hidden gem that has everything for animal lovers and outdoorsy folk. From interacting with elephants and bears to visiting local farms and wineries and exploring the natural beauty of the state, this charming rural community has it all. Make sure to add it to your list of places to visit next time you’re in Florida.
Have you visited Myakka City before? Did I miss out on any spots you want me to add to the list? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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