Visit This Manasota Waterfront Destination and Explore Nature
Quiet sunsets, uncrowded beaches, and a slower pace of life have drawn generations of families to Manasota Beach Club for over 65 years.
Today, the future of this historic gulf-to-bay property is being shaped by a renewed commitment to restoring and preserving its natural beauty and rich coastal environment.
Within the last few years, hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton caused significant damage to the property, but second-generation owner Buffy Crampton has focused on restoring, rebuilding and preserving the beauty of this treasured resort.
Renewal
After Milton, Buffy stood on the property and quietly assessed the damage, with her grandfather in mind.
Buffy spent winters in Florida and summers on the coast of Rhode Island, helping her family survive the challenges of life along the water.
In 1938, her grandfather survived the devastating New England Hurricane of 1938 that destroyed the family’s small coastal resort. He later rebuilt the property, helping shape the family’s resilient approach to life along the coast.
“I couldn’t help but think of him,” she said. “Now I know how he felt.”
Hurricane Milton destroyed two Manasota Beach Club cottages and extensively damaged the clubhouse after the storm surge swept over the dunes. Water filled the former Surf Room, overturning furniture and scattering decades-old fossil collections.
Despite the damage, the property’s historic character survived — several cottages dating back to the 1930s, 1940s, and 1970s remain standing. With its recent historic designation, restoration efforts can preserve the original look and feel that longtime guests remember.
Visitors Welcome
Today, the clubhouse restoration is still in progress, but renovated cottages welcome guests back to the property.
Guests can once again search for shark teeth on the shoreline, snorkel over the near-shore reef, kayak through Lemon Bay and relax beneath the oak trees that overlook the water.
Weekly socials, environmental lectures, guided nature walks, and watercolor workshops encourage guests to slow down and appreciate the surrounding landscape.
In its 66th season, Manasota Beach Club offers memberships, events, an artist-in-residence series, and coastal getaway accommodations.
Conservation
Growing up on both the New England and Florida coasts, Buffy felt inspired to pursue environmental science education.
Her work with the Lemon Bay Conservancy and advocacy for watershed protection on the Englewood Water District Board helps shape the educational programming at Manasota Beach Club.
Alongside volunteers and conservation groups, the club has planted sea oats, railroad vine, and other native vegetation to help stabilize dunes naturally and create habitat for wildlife.
Gopher tortoises roam the property, sea turtles nest along the beach, and migratory birds find refuge among the coastal vegetation.
The club has also partnered with MANG Foundation and Pine Island Redfish to support ongoing coastal restoration efforts, including the planting of sea purslane and other native plants along the shoreline. These species play a vital role in stabilizing the coastline, improving water quality, and providing essential habitat for the fish, birds, and wildlife that call this stretch of the Gulf Coast home.
“Everything we are doing is exciting,” Buffy said. “There’s a lot of hope for the future.”
Arts + More
Blending creativity with nature, Manasota Beach Club offers art workshops that teach watercolor techniques paired with materials found along the shoreline, including shells, leaves, and other coastal treasures.
The goal of these workshops is for every participant to create lasting memories inspired by the coastline, Buffy said.
Local residents are invited to join the fun through beach membership and other community programs designed to reconnect people with this historic waterfront property.
“We want to preserve a place where families can make memories and learn why Florida’s fragile coastal ecosystem deserves protection,” Buffy said. “We want to keep that legacy going.” To learn more about memberships, reserve a cottage, or explore upcoming programs, visit manasotabeachclub.com
