Exploring Sarasota Beaches
Welcome to Sarasota, Florida! We love this beautiful sunny beach town and are excited to share some of our beautiful beaches with you. Not only do we have the #1 Beach in America, Sarasota is full of shopping, food, culture and nature!! Take a moment and cherish the beauty of the beaches! All pictures were taken within the last year!
Siesta Key
Siesta Key is our personal favorite of the Sarasota Beaches and its culture/vibe is one of a kind! It is centrally located just south of downtown Sarasota. There are three main beaches of Siesta Key: Siesta Key Beach, Crescent Beach and Turtle Beach.
Siesta Key Beach:
Siesta Key Beach was rated the #1 beach in America in 2017! It is known for its fine white sand that you barely even notice is sticking to you! This beach is the most touristy/crowded so get there early to find a parking spot and to claim a spot on the beach. From the public parking lot, there is a bit of a walk across the amazing sand to get down to the water, FYI. You will definitely be ready for a nap in the sun once you get your spot!
Siesta Key Beach is very close to the Siesta Key Village. The village offers a vast array of restaurants, shopping, and nightlife on the Key. There is a Siesta Key trolley that connects you to all the beaches and the village – so you won’t need to give up your parking spot to take a trip to the village (or the other beaches)!
Crescent Beach:
Crescent beach is secluded and beautiful. It has similar amazing sand to Siesta Key Beach, to its north, but with way less people! Crescent Beach is a little more challenging to visit out of the Sarasota Beaches. You may want to stay at a beach cottage nearby, hop on the Siesta Key shuttle, or bike over to enjoy this beautiful beach because there is not really any public parking! Crescent Beach is mid Siesta Key – it is very close to the southern bridge over to the mainland. There are many cute shops/restaurants in this area, as well!
Turtle Beach:
If you like to avoid the crowds of Siesta Beach and have easier parking, this beach will be your favorite on Siesta Key! It has public parking and is a short walk to the water. Because it doesn’t have the same sand as the other beaches (not as fine as Siesta) and is on the southern side of the Key (opposite of the Village)- it is much less crowded! If you rent a boat – you can also pull your boat to the back side of the beach (south of the public access point) and walk straight over to the water. This is a very fun way to explore this beach! Be on the lookout for sea turtle nests!
Lido Key
Lido Key is the closest to downtown Sarasota and has the very popular St. Armands Circle – full of shopping and restaurants! The beaches at Lido Key are quite popular given the close proximity to downtown Sarasota. There is the public beach, Lido Beach, and to the south, a nature park at South Lido Beach. We prefer to visit the southern part of Lido Beach to avoid crowds and get a more secluded (non-touristy) vibe. The nature park is a popular spot to pull up a pontoon boat on the sand and hang out for the day at the beach. It’s truly an amazing experience!
Casey Key
If you drive south on Casey Key you will reach the only public beach -Nokomis Beach. For public beaches, we personally prefer Siesta Key and Lido. But for sightseeing – you must drive all of Casey Key (the homes are incredible)! There are beautiful beaches but with no public access/parking on this mostly residential island. Drive north and watch the sunset over the beach alongside the road. We like to pull over for fifteen minutes or so (parked on the side of a secluded road) to take pictures of the sunset and it is very worth it!!
Ready to find your dream home in beautiful Sarasota?!
If you are ready to find your home in Sarasota, or if you are already living in this paradise, contact us for all your real estate needs!
Brooke & Zain Hartman are part of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. Brooke & Zain have a unique background from real estate attorney to real estate developer, which provides additional expertise and skills to best serve our clients. We specialize in residential and investment properties primarily in Sarasota and the surrounding keys. We would love to help you find your dream property in the beautiful beach communities of Sarasota!
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~ Brooke Hartman
