With sugar-sand beaches, excellent restaurants and bars, and plenty of indoor and outdoor amenities, Sarasota is a perfect place for a girls’ trip. Gather your besties, pack your swimsuit and prepare for a weekend of Instagram-worthy fun.

Where to Stay

The Ritz-Carlton. Not only will your gal group be recipients of the Ritz’s best-in-class hospitality, you’ll also get access to its Beach Club—a major perk only available to hotel guests.

Day One

After a leisurely breakfast at the Ritz’s Jack Dusty, shimmy into your swimsuits (don’t forget the SPF!) and hop on the hotel’s shuttle to The Beach Club on Lido Beach. Settle into a group of lounge chairs and alternate between basking in the sun, swimming and walking the few steps from the pool to the beach to dip your toes in the turquoise water of the Gulf. Friendly staffers will help you adjust your umbrellas and keep ice-cold drinks flowing. For lunch, order mahi sandwiches or shrimp po’ boys from the Ritz’s Lido Beach Tiki Bar and think about how everything somehow tastes better in the salty sea air with friends. Don’t forget to take tons of group photos. It’s not a true girls’ trip if you don’t.

After you’ve had your fill of fun in the sun, head to downtown Sarasota’s charming Burns Court for pedicures at L. Spa. If your girl gang includes more than five people, you can reserve the cozy nail spa for a Pedi Party, which includes a bottle of Champagne to share.

Once you’re sufficiently sunned and pedicured, head back to the hotel and get glammed up for a night out on the town. If you’re in the mood for a casual evening, head to Owen’s Fish Camp (also in Burns Court) and settle in with wine at a picnic table in the restaurant’s backyard while you wait for a table. (Heads up: The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so the waits can get lengthy—but there’s often live music and someone grilling oysters out back to tide you over.)  Once you’re filled up on seafood, head to Bar Hana on Palm Avenue for tiki-inspired cocktails in an Instagram-worthy space.

If you and your friends prefer to dance the night away, take an Uber straight to Siesta Key Village. Like Owen’s, Siesta Key Oyster Bar offers seafood and drinks in a casual atmosphere that’s great for people-watching, and there’s often live music. After you eat, head to the famous Beach Club and hit the dance floor for live music and a true nightclub vibe. Down the street at Gilligan’s, you’ll also find live music nightly.

Day Two

Sleep in, then lace up your sneakers and take a group walk over the Ringling Bridge to St. Armands Circle. You’ll sweat off what remains of last night’s adventures and catch breathtaking views of the city skyline and Sarasota Bay. (Make sure to take a group selfie at the crest of the bridge.) Then refuel with brunch and coffee at Shore and relive last night’s shenanigans. If you’re feeling virtuous, get the acai bowl with mixed berries, coconut yogurt, granola, nuts and seeds, seasonal fruit and a drizzle of agave nectar. If you’re in full hair-of-the-dog mode, well... hello, French toast or crab cake Benedict.

After brunch, spend a few hours wandering around the circle and dipping in and out of shops like The Met for high-end designer names and Influence Style for of-the-moment pieces and accessories. Stop at Kilwins for an ice cream cone—you can smell the sugar from the sidewalk—if you need a midday pick-me-up.

After your walk back over the bridge to the hotel, you’ll want to cool off, so spend some time together at the hotel’s pool before heading back to your rooms to get dressed for dinner. Sage, which is easy to walk to and offers seasonal, global-inspired food—like its signature Thai bouillabaisse—and craft cocktails in a historic 1925 building that used to be home to the Sarasota Times, Sarasota’s first newspaper. After dinner, head up to the restaurant’s pretty rooftop bar and cap off your trip with drinks and twinkly views of downtown Sarasota.

Insider's Tip

Don’t leave town without matching Tervis tumblers. The local company, which has been around since 1946, has tons of designs to choose from to commemorate the trip, and they’re available all around town.