Longboat Key named one of the best US islands

Longboat Key continues to impress tourists, recently ranking No. 7 on Travel + Leisure’s list, Best Islands in the Continental U.S. 

Chamber of Commerce President Gail Loefgren said this is not something new for Longboat Key. Longboat Key has been known as a high-end destination for years, and has earned similar awards frequently since around 2016, she said.

“There are very few islands in the state of Florida that are consistently named like Longboat Key is,” Loefgren said. 

Loefgren said rankings like this are important for destination advertising. The Chamber of Commerce sends advertising to places it knows a lot of visitors come from, such as Georgia, Alabama and sometimes as far north as New York. 

Longboat Key receives revenue from tourism through the Tourism Development Tax. In fiscal year 2024, the estimated revenue from the tax for Sarasota County is $794,702 and for Manatee County is $500,000. 

Travel + Leisure’s island rankings are based on five core criteria: natural attractions/beaches, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people/friendliness and value. Readers are sent a survey and asked to rate each category on a scale from excellent to poor. Scores are averaged to obtain the final results. 

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

A recent surge in ecotourism is something Loefgren said attracts visitors to Longboat Key. Kayak and bike rentals allow visitors to explore Longboat’s natural environment, whether it’s exploring coastal mangroves or the wildlife of Joan M. Durante Park. 

Another key attractor, according to Loefgren, is the cultural attractions of two counties. Tourists on Longboat Key can take a drive to either Manatee or Sarasota County and go to events like plays, operas and museums. 

“But it’s still all about the water, always will be,” Loefgren said. “But people are finding more and more things to do.”

With the town center nearing completion, Loefgren thinks that will generate even more interest for tourists through events like a summer concert series. 

Aside from the events, though, Longboat Key is unique from neighboring destinations because of its quiet atmosphere. 

“People come to Longboat Key, they tell me, because it’s beautiful, quiet and if they stay on the island the traffic isn’t bad,” Loefgren said. “So they enjoy the peaceful nature and beauty of Longboat Key.”