Sarasota
Beaches
Sarasota
Beaches
COQUINA BEACH
ANNA MARIA ISLAND
Bradenton’s “AMI” boast 3 unique beach areas starting with Coquina Beach just north of Longboat Key’s bridge. Steps to Historic Bridge Street’s iconic vintage vibe, Coquina’s soft, white sandy beach exudes that Authentic Florida satisfaction.
LIDO BEACH
LIDO KEY
Sarasota’s “other beach” relishes in obscurity. Simply crossing the Ringling Causeway prepares visitors for a unique beach experience. You’ll appreciate fewer steps to the water’s edge from the parking lot and A+ lobster rolls for “beach” food.
SOUTH LIDO BEACH
LIDO KEY
At the little-known South Lido Beach, you’ll swear it’s a locals-only hangout. Here, you’ll discover picnics under towering Australian pines; boats lining the shore in one big party flotilla; paddle boards and kayaks bobbing around in mangroves; and hikers exploring South Lido’s trails.
WHITNEY BEACH
LONGBOAT KEY
At the north end of LBK, this small iconic beach area offers a handful of parking spots to early birds. The beach area that time forgot. No towering condos or parking garages. Rustic and quiet, Whitney Beach reminds locals of what a Florida beach used to be before overcrowding.
LONGBOAT KEY BEACH
LONGBOAT KEY
Along the 10-mile stretch of 2-lane Gulf Drive, Longboat Key’s beaches attracts people who seek more elbow room and quiet. Parking, restrooms, and refreshments are limited. Even a cell signal is unpredictable on LBK. If you’re lucky, you can pop out of your beach cottage on Longboat Key and celebrate empty beach to your right and left.
SIESTA KEY BEACH
SIESTA KEY
Siesta’s sand is 99.9% quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is cool to the touch. Both pro beach volleyballers at “Dig The Beach” tourneys and internationally-acclaimed sand sculptors at the annual Crystal Classic love Siesta sand. Siesta’s zero-depth Gulf and compacted shoreline encourage strolling, jogging, biking, and playing in the sand.
POINT OF ROCKS
SIESTA KEY
Limestone formations jet out from the shoreline at the north end of Crescent Beach. Here is where you’ll experience the best snorkeling, shelling, or fishing on Siesta. Adventurers know this unique area as Point of Rocks. To get there, people wait for low tide or boat, kayak, paddle board, or jet ski in.
TURTLE BEACH
SIESTA KEY
At the south (quiet) end of Siesta lies Turtle Beach, a rustic beach area with few condos, houses, and development. On a warm summer day, you can expect to be one of only a handful of beachgoers for miles and miles. Turtle Beach, like all other area beaches, couldn’t be more different. What a treat to experience a different beach vibe at each of these area beaches.
VENICE BEACH
VENICE
On Venice Island, imagine a small town look and feel where you stroll along a tree-lined, shaded sidewalk after lunch and while enjoying a cone from the ice cream shop. You spot the iconic beach pavilion ahead, anxiously stepping onto a darker sandy beach comprised of crushed shell. It’s not the soft white sand of Siesta but at Venice Beach you might just score the ultimte prize, a Megalodon shark’s tooth (or more).
VENICE JETTIES
VENICE
On the Venice side, the south Jetty, a man-made paved rock jetty, offers wonderful fishing, surfing (during storms), awesome sunsets, dolphin and manatee sightings, and a walkway cutting into the Gulf. When you have an urge to sit on a park bench & enjoy boats passing through the Inlet, the Venice Jetties is the place to be.
VENICE PIER
VENICE
This pier is not just a pier. It’s included in countless photos, especially gorgeous sunset photos. It’s the place where countless sharks have been snagged by fishermen. It’s the after-lunch or -dinner entertainment for diners at Sharky’s on the Pier and Fins. Grab one of those tropical slushies and enjoy a stroll along the water’s edge.
CASPERSEN BEACH
VENICE
Off the beaten path is Venice’s Caspersen Beach, a tribute to a bygone era with no development or hustle & bustle. A simple parking lot at a dead-end road welcomes visitors, who encounter coarse sand, typical of Venice’s beaches. No condos. No retail development. No heavy crowds…for now.
NOKOMIS BEACH
NOKOMIS
A stone’s throw across the Venice Inlet, Nokomis Beach offers a simple vintage beach experience. A simple dirt parking lot with towering Australian pines, picnickers enjoy plentiful shade on a hot, humid summer day. Rustic lodging dots the landscape on either side of Casey Key Road, leading to a stunning display of multi-million dollar beachfront bungalows while crawling along on a two-lane winding road.
MORE TO EXPLORE
BEACHES
BEST OF SARASOTA
7 DAYS TRIP
THINGS TO DO
WATER FUN
CASUAL DINING
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
LIFESTYLE GEAR
TIKI BARS
ROAD TRIPS
FESTIVALS
PLACES TO SEE
14 local beaches you must experience
Sarasota Lifestyle’s Mike Payne shares top picks
Experience the “best of” the Sarasota area
All ages will love this “to-do” list
Sarasota’s best water fun hotspots
Best casual dining around Sarasota
You’ll bookmark this growing events calendar
Secret to good beach vibes in frozen tundra
8 local bucket list tiki “bars”
BEST one-tank Florida road trips
You MUST experience these festivals
Discover Sarasota’s off-the-beaten path
MORE TO EXPLORE
BEACHES
BEST OF SARASOTA
7 DAYS TRIP
THINGS TO DO
WATER FUN
CASUAL DINING
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
LIFESTYLE GEAR
TIKI BARS
ROAD TRIPS
FESTIVALS
PLACES TO SEE
14 local beaches you must experience
Sarasota Lifestyle’s Mike Payne shares
top picks
Experience the “best of” the Sarasota area
All ages will love this “to-do” list
Sarasota’s best water fun hotspots
Best casual dining around Sarasota
You’ll bookmark this growing events
calendar
Secret to good beach vibes in frozen
tundra
8 local bucket list tiki “bars”
BEST one-tank Florida road trips
You MUST experience these festivals
Discover Sarasota’s off-the-beaten path
MORE TO EXPLORE
BEACHES
BEST OF SARASOTA
7 DAYS TRIP
THINGS TO DO
WATER FUN
CASUAL DINING
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
LIFESTYLE GEAR
TIKI BARS
ROAD TRIPS
FESTIVALS
PLACES TO SEE
14 local beaches you must
experience
Sarasota Lifestyle’s Mike Payne
shares top picks
Experience the “best of” the
Sarasota area
All ages will love this “to-do”
list
Sarasota’s best water fun
hotspots
Best casual dining around
Sarasota
You’ll bookmark this growing
events calendar
Secret to good beach vibes in
frozen tundra
8 local bucket list tiki “bars”
BEST one-tank Florida road
trips
You MUST experience these
festivals
Discover Sarasota’s off-the-
beaten path
Sarasota US
86°
7.33 m/s/62 %sky is clear
Wed
90°
Thu
89°
Fri
89°
Sat
89°
Sun
89°