Welcome to Sarasota, Florida! We are brand new residents of this beautiful sunny beach town and are excited to share our insights into this amazing city with you! Sarasota is full of shopping, food, culture and beaches!! This post is dedicated to some of our favorite Sarasota beaches! So, let’s get to it…

Siesta Key

Siesta Key is not the key closest to downtown Sarasota – but it has our personal favorite Sarasota Beaches (and is closest to South Sarasota – where we live)! 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. Be aware that it is a bit of a walk across the sand to get down to the water. 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 a little more challenging to visit out of the Sarasota Beaches. You may have to stay in walking distance, hop on the shuttle (parking somewhere else) or bike over to enjoy this beautiful beach because there is not really any public parking! Crescent beach is secluded and beautiful. It has the same amazing sand as Siesta Key Beach to the north but with way less people (and less of a walk across the beach to the water)!

Turtle Beach:

If you like to avoid crowds and have easy 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 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!

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/crowded given the close proximity to downtown Sarasota. There is the public beach, Lido Beach, and to the south a nature park. We prefer to visit the nature park to avoid crowds and get a more secluded (non-touristy) vibe. The nature park is a popular spot to pull up a pontoon on the sand and hang out for the day at the beach. It’s truly an amazing experience!

Casey Key

Arguably, Casey Key shouldn’t make the list for Sarasota Beaches because you can’t technically spend the day at this beach – but it’s so gorgeous I could not leave it out!!! Casey Key doesn’t have much to offer for public beaches and definitely doesn’t have the best parking (most of the Key is solely residential). However, we like to take drives up and down this amazing island for pictures and sightseeing.

We like to pull over for thirty minutes or so (parked on the side of a secluded road) to take pictures of the sunset and it is very worth it!! If you keep driving south on Casey Key you will reach the only public beach -Nokomis. For public beaches, we prefer the ones already mentioned above. But for sightseeing – drive Casey Key! Drive north on the island and watch the sunset over the beach that alongside the road.

Ready for a vacation to visit Sarasota’s Beaches?!

If you want more information or assistance planning your trip be sure to contact us for your beach vacation!

Be sure to give us a follow @HartmansTravel and join us as we #TravelinLove!

~ Brooke Hartman

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