Once upon a time, the idea of Southwest Florida adventures conjured up images of bloodthirsty pirates and intrepid explorers braving raging seas and treacherous swamps in search of new discoveries. Today’s outdoor adventures don’t require swords or submersion in swamp water, and the riches you discover are likely to be those of nature, but there’s still ample opportunity to raise your heartbeat. Our trails, waterways, and the occasional alligator or manatee are guaranteed to take your breath away in one manner or another. Some of our favorite adventures will test you physically, at least one requires nerves of steel, and we’ve also included a few that provide serene escapes from everyday stress. So grab your sneakers, sun hat and water bottles and venture out of the air conditioning and into our great outdoors.  

     Captain Rob Roberts operates one of only six or so offshore boat charters in Sarasota. He’s been fishing Sarasota’s waters for more than 20 years, so trust him when he says there are big game fish to be caught here. From his 31-foot Tiara, which docks at New Pass, you can travel as far as 50 miles offshore in search of sailfish, blackfin tuna, goliath grouper and snapper so pink they could upholster Bruce Springsteen’s famous Cadillac. His charter’s biggest catch was a 58-pound kingfish landed by a Swedish tourist.

“The folks back at New Pass were going crazy,” says Roberts. “But being Swedish, he [the fisherman] really had no idea what he’d caught.”

     Roberts says the boat is licensed for six but fits four more comfortably. In season, book at least one month in advance for one of Captain Rob’s charters. Half-day trips are the norm, and Roberts reports that half the sailfish he’s caught have been inside 30 miles. But for the ultimate charter experience, splurge for a 12- to 16-hour full-moon trip. “Fifty miles out, you’ll see a lot of neat things on a full moon,” says Roberts. When the moon casts its pale glow on a glassy sea, he says, “squid swim right up to the boat lights, and it gets kind of spooky.”

The majority of Roberts’ customers are men, but the Tiara’s fully equipped head is attracting more women. Bring the kids, too. As Roberts, who hosts a local cable show called Fishin’ Fever, loves to say, “If you’re too busy to take a kid fishing, you’re too busy.” Call (941) 922-1045. It’s $520-$1,800 for tours that run from four to 16 hours. The price includes filleting your catch.

     This is not a trip for the faint of heart. Guides will instruct you to make noise when rounding a bend in the river to warn the alligators of your impending arrival. Even so, don’t be surprised if you spook a few, who will dive right under your kayak on their way into the water. Eventually, the river opens into an expanse of clear, beautiful water, where exotic birds feed and clouds reflect back at you when you look down. Here you’ll see the few full-sized boats that are allowed into the area (each must register with park officials) gathered in a circle around an area known as the “deep hole.” Fishing lore claims this hole is so deep that even the alligators can’t find the bottom. Some of the largest reptiles in the park keep watch on the shore adjacent to this hole.

     If you do take this trip, be sure to stay with your tour guide. The sea grass grows high along the river’s channel and can confuse the casual kayaker. Also be aware that the current travels down toward the deep hole, so paddling back can be a challenge.  13208 S.R. 72 (Clark Road), Sarasota, (941) 361-6511. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. $5 per vehicle of 2-8 people. Bring your own boat or rent a kayak ($25-$50) or canoe ($15-$40).You must register to enter this part of the river—only 20 boats per day are allowed. Economy Tackle (941-922-9671) offers 2½-hour guided tours down the river’s southern portion for $65 a person.

     The demise of rail travel has prompted communities across the country to convert unused tracks into neighborhood bicycle trail systems. In Sarasota, a new trail system in the footprint of the old CSX line that ran through the area is loads of fun to bike. The 12.4-mile trail stretches from just over a mile south of Clark Road by Sawyer Loop Road to the rail’s end near Center Road in Venice.

     Along the way, you’ll find natural areas covered by tree canopies and lined with gopher tortoise nests, easily distinguished by half-moon-shaped entry holes dug into the sides of sandy inclines. You can usually spot at least one gopher tortoise with its head poking through, and if you approach cautiously, you should be able to get a good look before the tortoise pops back into hiding. Look skyward, too—portions of the trail weave around the edges of Oscar Scherer Park, where you can see American bald eagles, friendly little Florida scrub jays and even the elusive American swallow-tailed kite.

     All the old rail ties and irons have been removed, leaving a hard, crushed-shell path that’s a great surface for hybrid bikes. Much of the trail is shaded in the early morning, so that’s the time to ride during the sweltering summer months. Even though most of the path is natural, it’s a good idea to take a bike helmet; it’s not yet continuous, and at one point it crosses U.S. 41.

     Wooden trestles carried the former railroad over several bodies of water, including Shakett Creek and Dona Bay. The Coast Guard has ordered Sarasota County to replace those trestles with safer crossovers, so each one has been gated. The longest section open between trestles right now is three miles between Dona Bay and South Creek.

     So far, few people have discovered the trail. It’s worth biking it in splendid solitude before the trestles are built and asphalt gets laid, which will certainly draw skateboarders, inline skaters and more recreational walkers. 

     Finding a trail head is an adventure of its own. You can currently reach the section between Dona Bay and South Creek from the asphalt trail at Laurel Park (509 Collins Road, Laurel). Follow that trail to Bay Street and then Laurel Road. There is also a two-mile section between South Creek and the trestle north of East Bay Street. Access this leg at the Wal-Mart on U.S. 41 and East Bay Street. Future trail heads include the Venice Train Depot, Patriot’s Park, Nokomis Park, Laurel Park, Oscar Scherer Park, Potter Park and the Sarasota County wastewater facility on McIntosh Road.

More access points are planned in the future.

     Jetties, those manmade structures created from stone or concrete and supported by large boulders, may not be the most attractive—or effective—methods of controlling beach erosion. But whatever their aesthetic shortcomings, two jetties in South Sarasota are the site of some of the county’s most beautiful beach adventures.

At the North Jetty in Nokomis, the sand may not rival the quartz splendor of Siesta Key, but the park’s virtues outweigh this minor flaw.

The beach is narrower than Siesta or Lido, but on some stretches of sand you can stake a claim and not be within 100 yards of anyone on either side. Even during a beach buster like the Fourth of July holiday, a couple can find a spot so secluded, they’ll imagine they’re filming a new Corona commercial. Seaward, dolphins dance in and out of Venice Inlet, which flows between the jetty rock beds. Most days, fishermen settle on those beds, battling the tide and hungry pelicans, herons and egrets for snook, snapper and Spanish mackerel.

The bait shop is pure Old Florida, a ramshackle fixture held together by invisible forces and plastered with fading color Polaroids. Food is cheap here—corn dogs cost just a buck. On any given afternoon, locals huddle around the wooden picnic tables sipping two-dollar cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer while million-dollar yachts and sailboats churn up and down Venice Inlet. On the jetty’s south side, younger folks barbecue in their truck beds while their stereos blast country music. Parking is abundant here, and you’ll find showers, clean restrooms and playground equipment for the youngsters.

And just a few miles to the south, Venice’s South Jetty is one of Southwest Florida’s great unsung spots to catch the sunset. Parking is minimal, but this is one of the last places you can still drive directly up to the water. The jetty is especially beautiful after a thunderstorm blows in from the Gulf, when the clouds are mostly overhead and inland behind you. Out to sea, the sun basks in a glorious canvas of lavender and orange. Occasionally a rainbow forms. To your left, water crashes against the rock revetments; in front of you, a manatee might heave against the strong outgoing current while a dolphin blows a whoosh of air through the water’s surface. You’ll find yourself lingering long after the sunset to watch the entire sky blaze with color. Then you’ll count yourself among the lucky few who’ve seen such a sight, and you’ll want it to last forever. North Jetty, 1000 S. Casey Key Road, Nokomis. South Jetty, Humphris Park in Venice, at the end of Tarpon Center Drive.

Part RV park, part cozy restaurant, Snook Haven is one of Sarasota’s finest local examples of Old Florida. It has been around since 1948, and thanks to the county’s recent purchase of the land on which it sits, it will not go the way of the bulldozer.

     Snook Haven is on the sun-dappled shores of the winding Myakka River in Venice. Think giant oaks draped with Spanish moss, graceful cabbage palms, and tea-colored waters flowing by. Two movies have been filmed there, the most famous a Tarzan flick called Revenge of the Killer Turtles. On Thursdays, the public is invited to hear the Gulf Coast Banjo Society practice from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and every Sunday the place overflows with weekend bikers and other regulars who gather round the shaded outdoor picnic tables to listen to live music.

     For overnight stays, you can bring your own RV or rent one of the fully furnished cabins. Call first, though, as many are undergoing renovation. Snook Haven also offers guided pontoon boat charters up and down the Myakka River. Bring a camera; one November afternoon, one of the largest alligators the boat captain said he’s ever seen charged the charter and dove straight under. Even grown men shrieked. But the boat also meanders down some spectacularly scenic stretches of pristine county-owned lands that will never be developed. River tours are available Wednesday through Sunday. You can eat indoors or dine outside at a wooden table overlooking the river. Lunch is served from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; dinner runs from 4-9 p.m. seven days a week. Specialties include gator bites (of course!) and grouper, fried, grilled or blackened. Try it stuffed with crab or with the shrimp and clam platter. December, when the early mornings and evening are cool, is a splendid time of year for this experience. Bring bug spray, as the mosquitoes can be vicious. 500 E. Venice Ave., Venice, (941) 485-7221. Take I-75 south to exit 191 and go west about a mile, then turn left onto East Venice Avenue. River tours run Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., $10-$12 person.