Longboat Key named best island to visit in the South

By Dana Kampa
| 5:00 a.m. March 2, 2025

Gail J. Weiser captured this photo of a beautiful sunset from Isles Beach on Longboat Key.

Longboat Key
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Longboat Key has taken the first slot in Travel + Leisure's new list of Top 10 best islands to visit in the South.

The magazine labeled the Key "one of the region's best-kept secrets," citing its plethora of activities including kayaking with dolphins and manatees and sunset cruises, available to visitors "even in the depths of winter."

The article also highlighted the Key's "typically less crowded" beaches. Other states that made the cut included South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Texas and Mississippi.

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author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.