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Sarasota/Bradenton Area Beaches and Beach Communities
Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota and Bradenton area beaches are privy to some of the state's most beautiful sunsets. Soft sand and wide expanses that are perfect for walking and shelling define the area.
Anna Maria Island
This quiet island is a retreat if you are a beach-goer. A number of beach front parks offer you'll youll need for your next vacation. Anna Maria Bayfront Park features more than 1,000 feet of sandy beach that overlooks the waters of Tampa Bay on the northern tip of this quaint island. An abundance of parking, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, picnic shelters and a view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge make this a family favorite. Anna Maria Beach is a quiet, undeveloped sandy Gulf beach that offers more than three acres of beautiful views and the soft sound of waves lapping at the shore. Its a quiet and secluded beach thats great if you are searching for some privacy.
Holmes Beach
Located at the center of Anna Maria Island, it features a full range of amenities including grills, a playground, showers and a picnic area, as well as, plenty of wide, sandy beach. This is a surfers paradise when the waves are high.
Manatee County Beach
Features 900 feet of sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Cortez Beach showcases 140 feet of undeveloped beach. It has free parking, lifeguards on duty, restrooms, picnic tables and showers. Coquina Beach located on the islands southern tip is a popular public beach lined with towering Australian pines. A full-service concession stand, ample parking, barbecue pits, picnic facilities, a boat ramp, a playground, restrooms, showers and lifeguards make this beach a popular, bustling beach.
Beer Can Island Beach
This is a secluded peninsula at the northern tip of Longboat Key. Its 2,000 feet of sandy beach are excellent for shelling. It is best to come by boat or walk to the island at low tide.
North Longboat Key Beach
Longboat Key is for those who prefer seclusion. These pristine beaches are a well-kept secret and public access is at a minimum. Try the undeveloped sandy beach extending from North Shore Road south to the county line, accessible at the ends of residential streets.
North Lido Beach
North Lido Beach is a gorgeous half-mile stretch of golden beach floating on the Gulf of Mexico. This beach is popular for sunbathing and quiet reading.
Lido Beach
Located mid-island on Lido Key, this beach is only minutes from St. Armand's Circle, a popular shopping and dining district. The facilities here are outstanding, including showers, lockers, dressing rooms, concession stand, public meeting rooms, a beachwear/souvenir boutique and playground.
South Lido Park
This park, located on the southern tip of Lido Key, is well shaded by Australian pines. The 100-acre park is surrounded by four bodies of water the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, Big Pass and Brushy Bayou. Its a great place to grill-out and chill-out. South Lido is a popular spot for boaters and for family outings. Don't miss the nice view of the Sarasota skyline.
Siesta Public Beach
Judges in Great International White Sand Beach Challenge decided in 1987 that Siesta Beach had the "whitest and finest sand in the world" and no one who's ever visited is likely to dispute that claim. The award-winning sand is 99% quartz and is snow-white and feathery-soft. The area's most popular public beach, this 2,400 feet of beachfront attracts sun worshipers of all ages. Facilities include beach wheelchairs, tennis courts, volleyball nets, concession stand, ball field and fitness trail. Pine trees shade an area for picnicking with grills for cookouts and a playground.
Crescent Beach on Siesta Key
The clear, warm waters along this gently sloping shore make for ideal swimming. The beach is hundreds of yards wide, and its crescent shape only adds to the picturesque quality. The public park features picnic tables, shelters, showers and restrooms.
Turtle Beach
On the southern end of Siesta Key, Turtle Beach has some of the highest beach dunes in the area. The site is perfect for family outings with picnic areas, dune walkovers, a playground and restrooms.
Nokomis Beach
Nokomis Beach is found off Albee Road on Casey Key. Ample parking, lifeguards, picnic tables, grills and bathrooms lead to this wide beach. This family-oriented beach is also popular for fishing; a public boat ramp is conveniently located across the street.
North Jetty Park
Located on the southern tip of Casey Key, the jetties make this one of the most exciting surfing beaches on the west coast of Florida, as well as a great spot to watch boats go in and out to sea. It is a very popular picnicking spot for families and large groups; this is a popular fishing spot.
Venice Municipal Beach
At the west end of Venice Avenue is the smooth, white sand and crystal-blue waters of Venice Beach. If you enjoy diving in your leisure time, a reef containing fossilized material is located a quarter mile offshore. You will enjoy collecting prehistoric, fossilized sharks teeth while you walk its shores.
Brohard Beach and Service Club Park
This city-owned park features a 300-foot beach and a 740-foot fishing pier. The Service Club Park offers a playground, boardwalks and covered picnic areas. You will also find the U.S. Coast Guard Flotilla Training Center, as well as, wetlands and several areas that are great for bird watching.
Caspersen Beach
This 1,100 feet of untouched and secluded beach is one of the best shelling beaches in Sarasota. You'll also find it to be a great location for picking up prehistoric sharks teeth. A nature trail guides you through freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangroves and tidal flats.
Manasota Beach
These 1,400-feet of beachfront at the end of Manasota Beach Road will charm you. Its a quiet place to walk or collect seashells, and a winding boardwalk will lead you through the coastal mangrove forest.
Blind Pass Beach
This is an isolated beach featuring picnic tables, showers and restrooms. There's also a nature trail with dunes and wildflowers. If a quiet day on the beach is what you are looking for, you'll find it here.
Sarasota Beach communities:
Sarasota's beach communities are as diverse as its sunny shores. Each area has its own personality and unique coastal strands. From island boutiques to designer stores, you can shop til you drop, then refresh on a beach only steps away. You'll discover that in Sarasota, you really can have it all.
Siesta Key
Theres nothing like early morning in Sarasota. Begin your day by devouring a sumptuous breakfast al fresco at the Broken Egg Restaurant and Gallery on Siesta Key. This is a formidable way to start an ambitious day, or even a not-so-ambitious one. Sample the fresh brewed coffee, Norwegian smoked salmon, bagels and crab cakes benedict from a seemingly infinite menu of creative egg dishes, pancakes and more.
If you have shopping on your mind, Siesta Village is the quintessential beach community: quaint, laid-back and, well, "beachy." If you peek past the thick clusters of palms and sea grapes along the roads, you might glimpse one of many waterfront mansions, where some of the country's rich and famous and some just rich live and play. Yet, despite abounding affluence, locals navigate by bicycle, and flip-flops, T-shirts and cutoffs are de rigueur. Casual outdoor cafs dot the streets amid beach boutiques, art galleries, salons, ice cream parlors and gift shops. As a suggestion, pick up a fabulous straw hat just perfect for a sunny seaside day.
Picnic areas, concession stands, lifeguards, a playground, trails, tennis and volleyball courts make Siesta Public Beach a family favorite, but its the expanse of floury sand that truly sets it apart; the beaches here are known as the worlds finest and whitest. Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up of coral, quartz and shell fragments, Siesta's sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest days, it is so reflective that it feels cool under foot. The water is as unique, safely shallow near the shore and a calming mint green color with a hint of baby blue.
Siesta Beach Awards
Dr. Stephen Leatherman, also known as "Dr. Beach" has named Siesta one of the "Top 10 Beaches in America," USA Today International Edition rated it "The Third Best Walking Beach in the USA," the Travel Channel hailed it as the "Best Sand Beach" for two years running," and Conde Nast Traveler Magazine awarded it "The Best of the Best Sand." Siesta Beach also flies the distinctive Blue Wave flag, indicating its environmental certification as one of Americas cleanest, safest and well-managed beaches. All of its amenities, coupled with free parking, also make it one of the most popular. Plan to arrive early.
Venice
Venice Florida is a historical gem graced by Northern Italian architecture and beautifully landscaped boulevards dating back to the original city plans of 1925. Parks, fountains, statuary benches and nostalgic streetlights add to the Old World ambiance. True to its name, Venice is surrounded by waterways; three bridges lead to downtowns "Island Avenues." One of the few carefully planned cities in the United States, Venice is artistically landscaped with palms, flowers, silver trumpet trees, live oaks and pines.
It is now a Florida Main-Street City, a designation awarded by the State of Florida for historic preservation.
Walking west down Venice Avenue, which leads straight to the Gulf, one can explore the antique shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries and craft stores along the way. The sidewalk cafs, gourmet restaurants.
One of the few cities on Florida's West Coast without a barrier island, Venice is known as "The Shark Tooth Capital of the World." The fossil-laden shores of Venice Beach are celebrated annually at Venice's Sharks Tooth Festival in April. Combing the beach for prehistoric sharks teeth has always been a favorite pastime of visitors and residents here. Success is practically guaranteed; sharks have lived and died in the Gulf for millions of years, and since they regenerate their teeth, a single shark can produce thousands. The teeth may be black, brown, or gray, depending on the minerals in the soil in which they have been buried. Fossilized bones of other prehistoric animals such as camels, bison and tapirs can sometimes be found washed up on the shore as well.
Another Blue Wave certified beach, this one also boasts excellent shelling, smooth white sand, crystal-blue waters, lifeguards, a fishing pier and popular restaurant, Sharkys On the Pier. Casual indoor and outdoor dining, a panoramic view of the Gulf and live music and dancing in the evenings render this island-style restaurant a popular place among locals and tourists alike.
Lido Key
St. Armand's Circle is the place for some serious, sophisticated shopping (or rather, window-shopping). The European-flavored complex is world-renowned for its collection of upscale clothing and jewelry stores, art galleries and array of fine eateries. A venue for concerts, contests, art shows and festivals, it seems theres always a celebration underway. Off-season finds fewer events but fabulous sales. Unique boutiques with catchy names like Oh My Gauze, Jamaican Me Crazy and Dream Weaver are no less tempting than the homemade fudge at Kelwin's Chocolates, a St. Armand's institution.
The Circle is a charming synthesis of past and present, with lush tropical plantings, courtyards and patios, antique Italian statuary and contemporary architecture, all contributing to an international atmosphere of warmth and elegance. Fringed by lovely Lido Key, St. Armand's is one of the reasons we adore Sarasota; Lido is a favorite spot to watch a sunset. If out od door dinning is one's preference try a leisurely dinner at Crab and Fin.
Discover Vancouver Fanny Bays, Washington Skookums and Washington Belons, each with a distinctive flavor, accented by a lovely house chardonnay. Smoked salmon pizza with caramelized onion, dill creme fraiche and caviar will complete your feast. Watch passersby as you dine to the soft sounds of conversations, clinking glasses and live, mellow piano music.
No T-shirts and cutoffs here. Locals dress resort-chic, even en-route to, or returning from, the beach. And where better to walk off dinner? Mid-key, Lido Public Beach conveniently has a concession stand and beach chairs for rent, as well as public restrooms, showers, lockers, dressing facilities, lifeguards and plenty of parking. At the south end, South Lido Park has tall pines, inland trails, picnic tables and ample parking as well. To the far north and within easy walking distance of St. Armand's, its just wild, natural beauty; sea oats, Australian pines and sugar white coastline hug sparkling, turquoise waters. Parking is limited but privacy is plentiful. Sunday mornings are great for relaxing here with newspaper, coffee and breakfast in tow. Evenings are just as soothing, with the added bonus of spectacular sunsets. |
