Lido Key ranks among top trending fall vacation destinations

Fall travel is typically dominated by trips to the mountains or cooler weather destinations to view the changing foliage as it clings to branches before succumbing to oncoming onslaught of winter.

Then there are travelers who prefer the feeling of sand between their toes rather than the crunching of leaves beneath their boot-laden feet.

That’s one reason why Sarasota’s own Lido Key is ranked among the nation’s top trending autumn travel destinations by vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo in its 2025 Fall Travel Report.

With an increase of 327% year-over-year in vacation rental searches, Lido Key ranks as the sixth-highest trending destination, one spot behind Disney’s Celebration near Orlando at 343%. The list is topped by Oro Valley, Arizona, with a 779% gain, followed by Evergreen, Colorado (710%), Kanab, Utah (423%) and The Galena Territory, Illinois (397%). 

“Seeing Lido Beach continue to rank as one of the most-searched fall travel destinations proves what Sarasota County locals have always known: trading scarfs for sandals is the way to vacation,” said Visit Sarasota County President and CEO Erin Duggan. 

Following Lido Key in the HomeToGo Top 10 trending destinations was Solana Beach, California (313% gain), Mineral Bluff, Georgia (300%), Mystic, Connecticut (285%) and Brookings, Oregon (280%).

Duggan in part credits the growing popularity of Lido Key as a fall vacation destination to a recent marketing campaign. 

“This past spring and summer, we ran a campaign we affectionally called ‘The Sarasota Keys are Calling’ to remind travelers why they fell in love with our barrier islands in the first place,” she said. “Now as we head into fall, we’re once again striving to build on awareness of our area, including our various islands and keys, to our friends up north.”