Best Things to Do in Englewood Florida (2026)

Englewood is one of Southwest Florida's best-kept secrets — a quiet, unspoiled beach town where the Gulf waters are turquoise, the beaches are uncrowded, and the Old Florida charm is still very much alive. Straddling the border of Charlotte and Sarasota counties, this laid-back community on the shores of Lemon Bay and Manasota Key offers everything from world-class shark tooth hunting to pristine state parks, kayak eco tours, and a walkable downtown packed with local restaurants and shops.

Whether you are planning a family vacation, a romantic getaway, or considering retiring to Englewood, this guide covers the best things to do in Englewood Florida so you can make the most of your visit.

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Explore Stump Pass Beach State Park

Stump Pass Beach State Park sits at the southern tip of Manasota Key and is widely considered the crown jewel of Englewood's outdoor attractions. The park protects 1.3 miles of pristine Gulf shoreline along with coastal hammock, mangrove forests, and two small islands — Whidden Key and Peterson Key.

What makes Stump Pass special is its largely undeveloped character. There are no high-rise condos or beach bars here — just natural Florida coastline the way it looked decades ago. The beach is excellent for swimming, snorkeling, fishing from shore, and especially shelling. The southern tip of Manasota Key tapers to a narrow point that acts like a natural scoop, collecting conchs, murex shells, tulip shells, and fossilized shark teeth with each incoming tide.

Beyond the beach, nature trails wind through coastal hammock ecosystems where you can spot ospreys, herons, and the occasional bald eagle overhead. Kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders can launch from a quiet area with direct access to the Gulf through Stump Pass.

Practical details: The park is located at 900 Gulf Blvd, Englewood, FL 34223. It is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset. Entrance costs $3 per vehicle (up to eight people) or $2 per person on foot. Parking is limited to about 50 spaces, so arrive early during peak season. Pets are allowed on the main trail but not on the beach.

Hit the Beaches on Manasota Key

Manasota Key is an 11-mile barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico that serves as Englewood's beach playground. Four distinct public beaches line the key, each with its own personality.

Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park

Englewood Beach is the most popular and family-friendly option. Managed by Charlotte County, this 12.67-acre park features a 900-foot boardwalk with three covered lookouts, a playground, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoe pits, picnic shelters with charcoal grills, restrooms, and outdoor showers. The sand slopes gently into shallow emerald waters, making it a safe choice for toddlers and less confident swimmers.

Parking costs 75 cents per hour, but Charlotte County Transit runs a free park-and-ride shuttle from Tringali Park (3460 N. Access Road) to Chadwick Park, operating Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beach wheelchairs are available on a help-yourself basis starting at 7:30 a.m.

Blind Pass Beach

Located midway along Manasota Key, Blind Pass Beach is the spot serious shark tooth hunters head to first. The beach has earned a reputation as one of the best shark tooth hunting locations on Florida's Gulf Coast — some visitors report finding dozens of fossilized teeth in a single visit. The key is to search along the waterline at low tide, where wave action deposits piles of shells and fossils.

Blind Pass also offers a bayside lagoon that is excellent for wading, fishing, and spotting dolphins and manatees just feet from shore. Parking is free, and there are restrooms on-site. The beach is located at 6725 Manasota Key Rd.

Manasota Beach

At the north end of the key, Manasota Beach provides a quieter alternative with free parking, lifeguards, outdoor showers, and covered picnic pavilions with grills. The sand here is rich with colorful shell fragments, black and brown fossils, and quartz crystals — a paradise for beachcombers. This beach sits in Sarasota County, so parking is completely free. Arrive early on weekends for the best spots.

For more Gulf Coast beach recommendations, check out our guide to the best beaches in Southwest Florida.

Go Shark Tooth Hunting

Englewood is home to some of the best shark tooth hunting in the world. Millions of years ago, this region sat beneath a shallow sea teeming with prehistoric sharks, and their fossilized teeth now wash ashore with every tide. The teeth are typically small (thumbnail-sized), jet black, and shiny — unmistakable once you know what to look for.

Best spots for shark teeth:

• Blind Pass Beach — Widely considered the top spot. Fewer visitors mean the beach is not picked over, and fossilized teeth are plentiful along the waterline.
• Stump Pass Beach State Park — The tapered southern tip of Manasota Key collects teeth like a funnel.
• Manasota Beach — Productive hunting with a more relaxed atmosphere.

Tips for success: Visit during low tide when wave action exposes fresh deposits. Bring a sand sifter or a Florida snow shovel (a mesh scoop on a handle) to sift through shell beds efficiently. Breezy days with larger waves tend to churn up more teeth. Walk away from the main beach access points where fewer people have searched.

Discover Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center

Lemon Bay Park is a 210-acre nature preserve with 1.7 miles of shoreline on the Lemon Bay Aquatic Preserve. The park protects a range of Florida habitats including black mangrove forest, mangrove fringe, and pine and scrubby flatwoods.

More than four miles of trails wind through the preserve, including the Bayside Trail with overlooks for scanning the shoreline for shorebirds, and the Flatwoods Trails where you can spot Red-shouldered Hawks, Pine Warblers, and Bald Eagles soaring overhead. The park's Environmental Education Center hosts interpretive displays about local ecosystems and offers guided nature walks, bird walks, and educational programs throughout the year.

A butterfly garden, canoe and kayak launch, and a building with a large veranda round out the amenities. Morning visits are best for birding — arrive early and you may spot everything from Great Blue Herons to Magnificent Frigatebirds.

The park is located at 570 Bay Park Blvd. and is open daily from 6 a.m. to sunset. Admission is free.

Hike Cedar Point Environmental Park

Cedar Point Environmental Park is Charlotte County's flagship environmental park, protecting 115 acres along Lemon Bay where Oyster Creek meets the bay. The park features 2.5 miles of easy-to-follow trails through pine flatwoods, scrub, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, and wetlands, with three trails leading directly to Lemon Bay shoreline.

Wildlife is abundant. The park has been home to nesting American Bald Eagles since at least 1999, and the pine flatwoods shelter bobcats, grey foxes, and pileated woodpeckers. Birders will find Great Horned Owls, herons, egrets, and during winter months, Common Loons and Lesser Scaup on the water.

The Visitors Center is a highlight in its own right. Inside you will find a sea shell display, a "touch table" for hands-on learning, an observation honey bee hive (with locally produced honey for sale), and plenty of free maps and educational literature. Do not miss the historic "Cookie House" — a 1931 log cabin made from cross-sections of lighter pine, the only known remaining cabin of its type in Florida.

The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) offers free guided nature walks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from November through April, starting at 9 a.m. The park is at 2300 Placida Road and is open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Kayak and Paddleboard the Waterways

Englewood's position between the Gulf of Mexico and Lemon Bay makes it an outstanding destination for paddling. The calm, protected waters of Lemon Bay are ideal for beginners, while more experienced paddlers can venture through Stump Pass into the open Gulf.

SUP Englewood is the area's top-rated eco tour and rental company, operating out of Stump Pass Beach State Park and Don Pedro Island State Park. Their guided kayak eco tours are led by certified naturalists and run daily at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. On a typical tour you can expect to see bottlenose dolphins, manatees, live shells, sea stars, and a variety of coastal birds including ospreys, herons, and bald eagles. Tours cost $65 per person, while kayak rentals start at $45 for a single kayak (up to four hours).

For those who prefer to explore independently, kayak and paddleboard launch points can be found at Lemon Bay Park, Cedar Point Environmental Park, and Indian Mound Park.

Book a Fishing Charter

Fishing is woven into the fabric of daily life in Englewood. The waters around Lemon Bay, Stump Pass, and the nearshore Gulf offer diverse angling opportunities year-round.

Inshore and backwater fishing targets snook, redfish, speckled sea trout, and snapper in the mangrove-lined bays. Nearshore trips venture into the Gulf for grouper, mackerel, and cobia, while offshore charters go after amberjack, red snapper, and even tarpon during the summer months.

Several well-regarded charter captains operate out of Englewood. Anchors Away Charters, led by Captain Jeff Watkins with over 40 years of experience, offers everything from inshore fishing to sunset cruises, dolphin tours, and a lunch cruise to the famous Cabbage Key Restaurant. MM Charters with Captain Tim Hermus specializes in back-bay redfish and snook trips as well as offshore grouper and tarpon expeditions.

Most half-day charters run four to five hours and include all tackle, bait, and licenses. Book at least a week in advance during peak season (December through April).

Stroll Dearborn Street in Old Englewood Village

Dearborn Street is the heart and soul of Englewood — a walkable, tree-lined strip of locally owned restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops, art galleries, and boutiques that feels more like a small Southern town than a Florida tourist destination.

Start your visit at Mango Bistro (301 W Dearborn St) for a morning coffee and breakfast panini, then browse shops like Sea Star Cove, which transforms driftwood and reclaimed materials into handmade coastal art. For lunch, pull up a chair at The Blue Pineapple for outdoor dining under string lights, or order wine and tapas at Vino Loco, which stocks more than 350 wine varieties and features a weekly-changing gourmet menu.

In the evening, catch live music at Englewoods on Dearborn, which hosts performers Tuesday through Sunday.

For more dining recommendations, see our guide to the best restaurants in Englewood.

Dearborn Street Events

Dearborn Street hosts a packed calendar of community events:

• Englewood Farmers Market — Every Thursday, October through May, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pioneer Plaza. Local growers, bakers, and artisan food makers.
• Cruisin' on Dearborn — First Saturday of every month, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hundreds of classic cars, live music, and a festive street party atmosphere.
• Englewood Fine Arts Festival — Late March on Dearborn Street, transforming the area into a pedestrian-only artists' village.
• Englewood Seafood & Music Festival — February. Concerts, fresh local seafood, and pet-friendly fun.

Visit Indian Mound Park

Indian Mound Park is a 10-acre waterfront park on Lemon Bay that combines natural beauty with thousands of years of human history. The park sits on the Paulson Point Midden, an archaeological site where Native Americans of the Manasota Culture lived from approximately 500 BCE to around AD 1400 — a span of nearly 2,400 years.

Archaeological excavations in the 1960s uncovered quartz arrowheads indicating trade networks reaching as far as Georgia, plus a copper bead suggesting contact with communities in northern Florida or beyond. Today, interpretive signs throughout the park tell the story of the people who once called this spot home.

The park also offers a free boat ramp, a canoe and kayak launch, shoreline fishing, picnic shelters, restrooms, and paved trails. Sunsets from Indian Mound Park across Lemon Bay are among the most photogenic in Englewood. Dogs are welcome on leash.

Catch a Show at Lemon Bay Playhouse

The Lemon Bay Playhouse has been Englewood's community theater since 1987, producing seven plays each season from September through June. The intimate 90-seat theater at 96 W Dearborn Street puts every audience member close to the action, and the talented local cast and crew consistently deliver performances that punch well above their weight.

The season typically includes a mix of comedies, dramas, and mysteries. Tickets are affordable and shows frequently sell out, so booking in advance is recommended. Check their website for the current 2025-2026 season schedule (their 38th season). Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Day Trips from Englewood

Englewood's central Gulf Coast location makes it an excellent base for exploring the wider region.

• Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island — A short drive south for charming shops, the Boca Grande Lighthouse, and world-class tarpon fishing.
• Venice — 20 minutes north, known as the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" with beautiful beaches and a lively downtown.
• Myakka River State Park — About 40 minutes northeast, offering airboat tours, canopy walkways, and alligator sightings in one of Florida's largest and oldest state parks.
• Sarasota — 45 minutes north for the Ringling Museum, St. Armands Circle, and Siesta Key Beach.

For accommodation options nearby, browse our guide to the best hotels in Englewood.

Insider Tips for Visiting Englewood

• Best time to visit: November through April offers cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and peak season for the farmers market and guided nature walks. Summer brings sea turtle nesting season and fewer crowds but higher heat.
• Parking strategy: Arrive at Stump Pass Beach before 9 a.m. on weekends — the 50-space lot fills fast. Use the free shuttle to Englewood Beach from Tringali Park to avoid parking hassles.
• Shark tooth timing: Low tide is essential. Check tide charts the night before and plan to be on the beach 30 minutes before low tide for the best picking.
• Bring bug spray: The mangrove trails at Lemon Bay Park and Cedar Point can have mosquitoes, especially in summer and after rain.
• Dining reservations: Dearborn Street restaurants are small and fill up quickly during season (January through March). Make reservations for dinner or plan to eat early.

More Englewood & Nearby Guides

• Best hotels in Englewood
• Best restaurants in Englewood
• Retiring to Englewood
• Things to do in Venice
• Things to do in Port Charlotte
• Things to do in Punta Gorda
• Best beaches in Southwest Florida
• Best boat tours in Southwest Florida

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best beaches in Englewood Florida?

Englewood has four main beaches on Manasota Key. Stump Pass Beach State Park is the most scenic and natural, ideal for shelling and nature trails. Englewood Beach at Chadwick Park is the most family-friendly with a playground, boardwalk, and full amenities. Blind Pass Beach is the top spot for shark tooth hunting with free parking. Manasota Beach offers a quieter experience with free parking and lifeguards. All four beaches provide Gulf of Mexico swimming and beautiful sunsets.

Where is the best place to find shark teeth in Englewood?

Blind Pass Beach is consistently rated the best spot for finding fossilized shark teeth in Englewood. The beach sees fewer visitors than Englewood Beach, so the sand is less picked over. For the best results, visit during low tide and search along the waterline where wave action deposits piles of shells and fossils. Stump Pass Beach State Park is another excellent option, especially at the narrow southern tip of Manasota Key where teeth accumulate naturally.

Is Englewood Florida a good place for kayaking?

Englewood is an outstanding kayaking destination. The calm, protected waters of Lemon Bay are perfect for beginners, while more adventurous paddlers can head through Stump Pass into the Gulf. SUP Englewood offers guided eco tours led by certified naturalists, with frequent sightings of dolphins, manatees, and coastal birds. Launch points are available at Stump Pass Beach State Park, Lemon Bay Park, Cedar Point Environmental Park, and Indian Mound Park.

What is there to do on Dearborn Street in Englewood?

Dearborn Street is the main strip of Old Englewood Village and offers a walkable mix of local restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops, art galleries, and boutique shops. Regular events include the weekly Farmers Market (Thursdays, October through May), the monthly Cruisin' on Dearborn car show (first Saturday of each month), and annual festivals like the Fine Arts Festival and Seafood and Music Festival. Evening visitors can enjoy live music at several venues along the street.

How do I get to Manasota Key from Englewood?

Manasota Key is accessible by car from Englewood via two main routes. From the north, take Manasota Beach Road to reach Manasota Beach. From the south, take Beach Road (SR 776) to reach Englewood Beach, Blind Pass Beach, and Stump Pass Beach State Park. The key is a residential barrier island with no bridge tolls. During peak season, consider using the free Charlotte County Transit shuttle from Tringali Park to Englewood Beach to avoid parking congestion.

What is the best time of year to visit Englewood Florida?

The best time to visit Englewood is November through April, when temperatures average 70 to 80 degrees, humidity is lower, and seasonal events like the Farmers Market and guided nature walks are in full swing. This is also peak season, so expect more visitors and higher hotel rates, especially January through March. Summer offers fewer crowds and sea turtle nesting season but brings higher temperatures, afternoon thunderstorms, and more mosquitoes on nature trails.