Esplanade Communities in Sarasota & Manatee County: The Complete 2026 Guide
Esplanade Communities in Sarasota & Manatee County: The Complete 2026 Guide
By Tana Showalter, Broker/Owner — Rogue Realty
If you've spent any time researching Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, or Wellen Park, you've probably come across the Esplanade name. And for good reason — it's one of the most recognizable resort-lifestyle brands in Florida new construction.
But here's what most people scrolling Zillow don't realize: there are multiple Esplanade communities across Sarasota and Manatee Counties right now, and they are at completely different stages of development. The opportunity in each one is very different — and choosing the wrong one for your timing can cost you.
This guide covers every active Esplanade community in the region: what's available today, what's under construction, what just launched, and what's still coming. By the end, you'll know exactly where the right window is for your situation.
What Is the Esplanade Brand — and What It Isn't
Before we get into the communities, let's set expectations.
When people picture Esplanade, they usually picture the same thing: resort-style pools with cabanas and towel service, fitness centers, pickleball and tennis courts, culinary centers, Bahama Bars, and a full-time lifestyle director whose entire job is organizing events and activities. Taylor Morrison has absolutely delivered on that vision.
But not all Esplanade communities are built the same. Taylor Morrison has different tiers within the Esplanade brand. The flagship communities — the ones with the full amenity package, including restaurant-style dining, golf, and the most expansive clubhouses — are the larger developments. Smaller communities offer the Esplanade lifestyle at a more intimate scale, with amenities sized accordingly.
The other variable that most buyers underestimate: the stage of construction matters enormously. A community that's fully built out offers instant lifestyle but no builder deals. A community that's just launching offers maximum selection and personalization but requires patience. And a community in closeout offers a rare combination of a fully functioning neighborhood and potential negotiating leverage — for a limited window.
Let's look at each one.
Community 1: Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch — The Original
Status: Sold out. Resale only.
Before we get to everything that's active, a quick note on where it all started.
Esplanade Golf and Country Club at Lakewood Ranch is the original — the community that established the brand in this market. It's a beautiful, fully mature community built around a golf course, with all the hallmarks of the Esplanade lifestyle: resort amenities, an active social calendar, and the kind of landscaping that only comes with time.
The critical thing to know: it has been sold out for years. There is no new construction available. No builder incentives, no design center, no lot selection. If you want in, you're looking at the resale market only.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Buyers who want a community that's fully alive — established neighbors, mature trees, social programming that's been running for years — often prefer resale. But go in with clear eyes.
Contact Tana for current resale availability and pricing at Esplanade Golf & Country Club.
Community 2: Esplanade Azario at Lakewood Ranch — The Flagship
Status: Closeout phase. Approximately 10% of lots remaining.
Price Range: $349,000 – $1,500,000
If you've done any research on Esplanade communities in this area, Azario is probably the one you've heard the most about. There's a reason for that.
Esplanade Azario is Taylor Morrison's flagship Esplanade product — roughly 1,500 homes across 600 acres, built around an 18-hole golf course. Some lots have golf deeded directly to the home with no equity buy-in required. For buyers who want the golf lifestyle without six-figure initiation fees, that's a genuinely rare offering.
The amenity package here is the full picture:
- Resort pool with cabanas and towel service
- Culinary center with a poolside restaurant and bar
- Spa and full fitness center
- Pickleball, tennis, and bocce ball courts
- Dog parks and walking trails throughout
- Full-time lifestyle director
Why the Closeout Phase Is a Window — Not a Warning Sign
Here's the piece that most buyers miss: Azario being in closeout is an opportunity, not a red flag.
The amenities are fully complete and operational. You're not waiting for a clubhouse to open, a pool to be built, or programming to get started. Move in on day one and you plug directly into resort living. That is a massive advantage over every other Esplanade community I'm about to describe — all of which have amenities still in progress.
When a builder is closing out a community, there's often more room to negotiate — on price, on upgrade packages, on closing cost contributions. And the risk of living next to active construction disappears almost entirely.
The tradeoff: lot selection is limited. You're choosing from what's left, not what you'd ideally design from scratch. But for many buyers, a fully functioning community with less construction noise is worth that trade.
If Lakewood Ranch is on your list and the Esplanade brand appeals to you, Azario's closeout phase is a genuine window — and windows close.
Community 3: Esplanade at Coasterra — The Under-the-Radar Option
Status: Early construction. Strong selection available.
Price Range: Mid-$300s – Low $1 millions
Location: Palmetto, Northern Manatee County
Coasterra has been flying under a lot of people's radar — and that's exactly why buyers paying attention right now have a real advantage.
With 960 homes at full buildout and construction still in its early phases, you have genuine options: lot selection, floor plans, and full access to the design studio for personalization. The entry point here is the most accessible of all the Esplanade communities in the region, starting in the mid-$300s.
The amenity package includes:
- Resort-style pool with cabana seating
- Fitness center and pickleball courts
- Community garden and dog park
- Lakeside trails and curated lifestyle programming
- Bahama Bar (coming)
The Location Advantage
Coasterra sits strategically between Tampa and Sarasota — positioned in northern Manatee County in Palmetto. If you work in Tampa or St. Petersburg and want the Sarasota lifestyle, or if you're splitting time between cities, this location makes genuine sense in a way that Lakewood Ranch or Sarasota proper simply doesn't.
The honest tradeoff: amenities are still in progress. You'll be building into a community as it comes alive rather than walking into one that's already running. But the upside is being there at the beginning — with pricing that reflects that.
Community 4: Esplanade at Skye Ranch — The Most Underrated Community in Sarasota
Status: Approximately half built. Strong selection still available.
Location: Sarasota, East of I-75 at Clark Road and Lorraine Road
This is the one I'm most excited to talk about — and the one that most buyers don't have on their radar yet. That's exactly why you should be paying attention.
Why Location Is the Story at Skye Ranch
Skye Ranch sits in Sarasota, east of I-75. Here's what makes it genuinely different from every other community on this list: Skye Ranch is not inside a master-planned community right now. But it's about to be in the center of everything.
If you haven't heard of 3H Ranch, Palmer Ranch East, and Hi-Hat Ranch — the three major developments coming east of I-75 that will bring more than 25,000 homes to the area over the next 20 years — go read our East Sarasota County guide. All of that development is coming around Skye Ranch. The people who bought in early here are going to be very glad they did.
The Esplanade section at Skye Ranch will have 898 homes at full buildout, and sitting around it, Cassia at Skye Ranch adds another 1,235 homes — all sharing the same master association and the same amenity ecosystem.
The Amenity Story — This Is Where Skye Ranch Separates Itself
Esplanade residents at Skye Ranch get the standard Esplanade amenities — Bahama Bar, pickleball, dog parks, lifestyle programming. But they also get full access to something that most Esplanade communities simply don't have.
The Hub is not your typical HOA clubhouse. We're talking a resort-style pool, spa, lap pool, top-class fitness center with movement spaces, indoor basketball courts, a rock climbing wall, a café, and activity rooms. Think country club-level indoor and outdoor recreation, fully included in your HOA.
The Cove takes it up another level entirely — an additional resort-style pool and the Skye River, a lazy river running right through the community.
The trail system is one of Skye Ranch's most underrated features: over 25 miles of trails winding through lakes, preserves, wetlands, and wildlife corridors, with connected paths linking every neighborhood directly to the amenities. A lot of communities talk about outdoor living. Skye Ranch actually delivers it.
Esplanade residents get all of this — the full resort amenity campus, the sports complex, the lazy river, and the trail ecosystem — while living in a one-story, maintenance-included neighborhood with their own Esplanade-specific programming layered on top.
That combination is hard to find anywhere in this region. And that story is only just starting to get told.
Community 5: Esplanade at Wellen Park — Brand New in 2026
Status: Just launched. VIP sales opened late April 2026.
Price Range: $400s – $1 million+
Location: Wellen Park, Venice/North Port area
Esplanade at Wellen Park is the newest entry in the brand — VIP sales launched in late April 2026, and public tours have just opened. If you've been watching Wellen Park grow (and it has grown extraordinarily fast over the past few years), this is the Esplanade brand finally planting its flag inside one of the most talked-about master-planned communities in Southwest Florida.
877 homes at full buildout — villas, condos, and single-family — priced from the $400s to over $1 million.
The amenity center, called The Venue, clocks in at 16,800 square feet — one of the largest clubhouses in the entire Wellen Park area. Resort pool, spa, fitness center, Bahama Bar, pickleball, tennis, and a full-time lifestyle manager. Select homes surround Myakka Pines Golf Club, offering gorgeous golf course views with no membership required.
The Beach Factor
This is the variable that makes Wellen Park genuinely different from every other Esplanade community in the region.
Venice Beach and Manasota Key are already within easy reach. And once the Manasota Beach Road extension opens, you're looking at roughly 10 minutes to the beach. For buyers coming from landlocked cities in the Midwest or Northeast, that number is life-changing. You're not vacationing near the beach — you're living there.
Being among the first buyers in means choosing your lot, your floor plan, and your finishes. It means buying into Wellen Park before it hits full stride. And it means 2026 construction standards built to current Florida hurricane codes.
Community 6: Esplanade at Cammaray — The One to Watch for 2027
Status: Pre-sales anticipated early 2027.
Location: Lakewood Ranch Southeast
And finally, the one I most want you to hear about even though you can't buy today.
Esplanade at Cammaray is the third Esplanade community coming to the Lakewood Ranch market — located east of a future extension of Bourneside Boulevard, between University Parkway and Fruitville Road, right at the front door of the Lakewood Ranch Southeast expansion.
Approximately 1,200 homes — single-family, condos, and twin villas — with a planned amenity package that includes a resort-style pool and spa with towel service and poolside cabanas, a Culinary Center with multiple dining experiences, a Wellness Center, state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis, pickleball, bocce ball, a Bahama Bar, event lawn, and multi-use trails connecting into the broader Lakewood Ranch trail system.
Sales are anticipated to begin in early 2027.
Why You Should Be Thinking About It Now
Here's the reality of new construction: the buyers who reach out before the general public are the ones who get the best lots, the best positioning, and sometimes the best pricing. Pre-sales and VIP lists exist for a reason — and being on them costs you nothing.
If Lakewood Ranch is where you want to land and the Esplanade brand is what you're looking for, Cammaray is the conversation to be having right now, not in 2027 when the sales center opens and the best lots are already spoken for.
How to Choose the Right Esplanade Community for You
Here's the honest framework I use with buyers:
If you want to move in and be fully plugged into resort living from day one: Azario's closeout phase is your answer. The amenities are done, the community is alive, and there may be room to negotiate.
If you want maximum selection and the most accessible pricing: Coasterra offers the widest range of options at the lowest entry point in the region.
If you want the best overall amenity package and don't mind being part of something still growing: Skye Ranch is the answer — especially if you're excited about what's coming to East Sarasota County.
If beach proximity is the deciding factor: Wellen Park. Nothing else in the Esplanade lineup gets you closer to the Gulf.
If Lakewood Ranch is non-negotiable and you're willing to plan ahead: Get your name on the Cammaray list now.
Working With a Buyer's Agent in Esplanade Communities
One thing I want to be direct about: the sales agents at every one of these communities work for the builder. They're friendly, knowledgeable about their community, and good at their jobs — but their obligation is to the builder, not to you.
My representation costs you nothing. Builders budget buyer's agent commissions into their cost of doing business. Whether or not you bring representation, the builder's price is the same. When you choose not to bring a buyer's agent, that commission stays with the builder.
What I bring to the table in new construction:
- Contract review — builder contracts are written by the builder's attorneys. I walk through every clause before you sign.
- Design center strategy — buyers routinely spend 10%–20% over base price at the design center. I help you prioritize what adds resale value versus what you can do after closing for a fraction of the cost.
- Incentive timing — builders offer significant incentives at specific moments. I know when to push and what to ask for.
- Local knowledge — I know which lots are worth the premium, which builders are running behind schedule, and which communities are delivering on their promises.
- Out-of-state coordination — I've helped countless buyers close remotely. Virtual tours, FaceTime walkthroughs, remote closings — I make it work around your geography.
Frequently Asked Questions About Esplanade Communities in Sarasota
What is the difference between Esplanade communities in Sarasota? There are six Esplanade communities across Sarasota and Manatee County, each at a different stage of development. Esplanade Azario at Lakewood Ranch is the flagship and is in closeout phase. Esplanade at Skye Ranch is approximately half built in Sarasota. Esplanade at Coasterra in Palmetto is in early construction. Esplanade at Wellen Park just launched in 2026. Esplanade at Cammaray is coming in 2027. And Esplanade Golf & Country Club at Lakewood Ranch is sold out — resale only.
Is Esplanade Azario sold out? Not yet, but it's close. Approximately 10% of lots remain as of 2026. The amenities are fully complete and operational, which makes the closeout phase a genuine opportunity — you move in and plug directly into resort living from day one, with no waiting for construction to finish around you.
What amenities does Esplanade include? Flagship Esplanade communities include resort-style pools with cabanas and towel service, culinary centers with dining and bar service, spas, fitness centers, pickleball and tennis courts, bocce ball, dog parks, walking trails, and a full-time lifestyle director. Amenity packages vary by community — larger communities like Azario and the upcoming Cammaray have the most expansive offering.
Is there golf at Esplanade communities in Sarasota? Yes — Esplanade Azario at Lakewood Ranch has an 18-hole golf course, and some homes have golf deeded directly to the property with no equity buy-in required. Esplanade at Wellen Park surrounds Myakka Pines Golf Club, offering golf course views for select homes with no membership required. Not all Esplanade communities include golf.
What is the price range for Esplanade homes in Sarasota? Pricing varies significantly by community. Esplanade at Coasterra starts in the mid-$300s, making it the most accessible entry point. Esplanade Azario ranges from approximately $349,000 to $1.5 million. Esplanade at Wellen Park starts in the $400s. Wild Blue at Waterside and luxury communities range from $1.5 million to $5 million. Contact Tana Showalter at Rogue Realty for current pricing on any specific community.
What is the difference between Esplanade Azario and Esplanade at Skye Ranch? Azario is the flagship — larger scale, 18-hole golf, the most expansive amenity package, and in closeout phase with amenities fully complete. Skye Ranch is in Sarasota rather than Lakewood Ranch, is approximately half built with strong lot selection still available, and offers a different amenity story: access to The Hub, The Cove, and over 25 miles of trails in addition to standard Esplanade amenities. Skye Ranch is also positioned inside what will become one of the fastest-growing corridors in Sarasota County.
Can I buy in Esplanade communities without visiting in person? Yes. Many buyers — particularly those relocating from out of state — close remotely using virtual tours, video walkthroughs, and digital signatures. That said, at least one in-person visit before going under contract is strongly recommended. There's no substitute for standing in a community and understanding the scale, the surroundings, and how it actually feels to be there.
What is a CDD fee and do Esplanade communities have them? Most master-planned communities in Sarasota and Manatee County — including Esplanade communities — have Community Development District fees. A CDD fee is an annual assessment that appears on your property tax bill and covers infrastructure bonds and ongoing maintenance. Amounts vary significantly by community. Always factor the full CDD into your total monthly carrying cost before comparing communities.
Is Esplanade at Wellen Park a good investment? Wellen Park has been one of the fastest-growing master-planned communities in Southwest Florida, and Esplanade at Wellen Park is the newest addition to the area. Being among the first buyers means the widest lot selection and floor plan choices. The planned Manasota Beach Road extension would put residents approximately 10 minutes from the Gulf — a significant lifestyle factor for buyers from inland states.
When will Esplanade at Cammaray be available? Sales at Esplanade at Cammaray at Lakewood Ranch Southeast are anticipated to begin in early 2027. Buyers interested in this community should connect with a knowledgeable agent now — before the sales center opens — to be positioned for early lot selection and VIP access.
Ready to Find Your Esplanade Community?
Download the free Esplanade Communities Guide — a full breakdown of every community, with pricing, amenity details, and a comparison table.
📞 941-842-0005 📧 tana@rogue-realty.com 🌐 rogue-realty.com 📅 Schedule a free call: calendly.com/tana-rogue-realty/30min
Tana Showalter is the broker and owner of Rogue Realty, specializing in new construction and relocation for out-of-state buyers across Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
Information current as of May 2026. Pricing, availability, and community details are subject to change. Contact Tana Showalter at Rogue Realty for current market data.
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