Exploring Sarasota

If you are looking for a spot in Florida that doesn’t involve being chased by a person in a giant mouse costume, Sarasota is quite the find. It is a place where "culture" isn't just a word used to sell yoghurt; it is actually baked into the foundations. I recently spent some time there, and I must say, it is a refreshing blend of high-brow art and the kind of natural beauty that makes you want to chuck your mobile phone into the Gulf of Mexico and live in a hut.

The first thing you have to do is accept that the circus is, quite literally, everything here. John Ringling, one of the famous circus brothers, basically built the town. You simply cannot miss The Ringling. It is a sprawling estate that houses a massive art museum, a circus museum, and Ca’ d’Zan, which was Ringling’s winter mansion. It looks like a Venetian palace that took a wrong turn at the Atlantic and decided it liked the Florida weather better. Standing on the marble terrace overlooking the water, I felt significantly more sophisticated than I actually am, right up until I accidentally tripped over my own flip-flops.

If the opulence of the Ringlings makes you feel a bit "common," you can equalise your soul at Siesta Key Beach. Now, I have seen some sand in my time, but this stuff is different. It is ninety-nine per cent quartz, which means it is brilliant white and, crucially, doesn't get hot. You can walk on it in the midday sun without doing that frantic "burning feet" dance that usually entertains onlookers. The water is a shade of turquoise that looks like it has been through a heavy Instagram filter in real life.

For those who prefer their greenery without a side of sunburn, the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a must. It is right on the bay and specialises in epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants, which sounds a bit lazy of them, but the results are stunning). Walking through the banyan groves, I found myself reflecting on how peaceful life could be if I just stayed there and became a professional gardener. Then I remembered I can’t even keep a cactus alive in London, and I decided to stick to being a tourist.

When the hunger kicks in, head over to St. Armands Circle. It is a posh little shopping and dining hub on Lido Key. It is laid out in a circle, obviously, which is helpful if you have no sense of direction like me; eventually, you will end up back where you started. I highly recommend grabbing a table at one of the sidewalk cafes and people-watching. You will see everything from multimillionaires in linen suits to families covered in ice cream. It is a glorious cross-section of humanity.

Sarasota manages to be fancy without being a snob. It is a place where you can spend the morning looking at a Rubens painting and the afternoon looking for prehistoric shark teeth at Caspersen Beach. It is beautiful, slightly eccentric, and perfectly laid back. If you go, just remember to bring your sunglasses and a sense of wonder. And maybe watch your step on the marble terraces.