68 | SaundersBEST Country Living
he countryside in Southwest
Florida is a picturesque landscape
of flourishing natural beauty.
Beneath the starlit sky, horses graze
leisurely while citrus fruits hang loosely
from the trees. The Gulf Coast is home
to many remote, yet modern communities
that satisfy the need for space and country
air. A rural home in sunny Florida may
be as quaint as a country cottage or as
extravagant as an estate on several acres of
well-manicured land. Sarasota combines
a distant country feel with access to urban
amenities making it an ideal destination
for dual purpose living. Organic products
are plentiful as farmers markets support the
regional economy and provide residents
with fresh local fare.
Superb horse ranches as well as superior
polo and country clubs inhabit neighboring
Lakewood Ranch, where homes sit
comfortably on expansive, unspoiled
acreage. Manatee County is a nature
lover's paradise offering indigenous grounds
for hiking, nature trails or fishing. Several
of the county's parks are historically
significant and thoughtfully protected
by conservation associations. Rippling
mineral springs house the area's beloved
and endangered manatees while exotic bird
watching is both a popular attraction and a
casual pastime.
Venice, rated as one of the top places to
live and retire, is the unassuming jewel of
the southwest. Mediterranean-style homes
and Northern Italy inspired architecture
complement its name while the natural
waterways continue to delight. The earliest
residents of Venice were frontier cowboys,
clearly attracted to the area for its inland
ranges. The rural environs surrounding the
city remain reminiscent of this period. The
Legacy Trail, walking tours and Myakka
State Park are only a few ways to enjoy
scenic country living in Venice.
Whether it's the bountiful fishing,
hiking on the terrain or simple backyard
entertaining by moonlight, country living
on the Gulf Coast has an abundance of
natural beauty to enjoy.
T
Country Living
