Paddle Boarding in Sarasota, Florida

Traveling down to Sarasota proved to be the most “vacation” like out of any trip I’ve taken so far this year.

It was the ultimate retreat… Relaxing poolside, lazy afternoons on beautiful beaches, quality time with my family. We worked up a sweat, cooled off in the bathtub water of the Gulf of Mexico, and ate fresh healthy meals every day.

We also rented stand-up paddle boards with I Kayak Sarasota one morning. Since this was our first time, we thought for sure we’d be done with the activity after half that. But I’ve always wanted to try it, so I was game!

Little did we know we we’re about to wade through some of the coolest natural tunnels and wetlands of the Floridian west coast.

After a quick lesson on the basics, we drifted off from South Lido Beach and navigated our way through Sarasota Bay and over to the Mangrove Tunnels. Hundreds of mangrove trees grow up from the water and create a canopy above the water, with tons of tunnels for kayakers and boarders to float right through.

Now this was cooooool.

The peaceful state of paddle boarding and the magical Mangrove Tunnels just added to the retreat-like feeling of this getaway. Four hours flew by on the tranquil waters.

If you’re ever down in the Sarasota area of Florida and want to give paddle boarding a try, I highly recommend renting boards from I Kayak and checking out the Mangrove Tunnels!