Siesta Public Beach
The sand on Siesta Beach is so fine it is almost like powder. It's very pleasant to walk on.
In 2008 it was #3.
In 2009 it was #2.
In 2010 it held the #2 spot.
Finally, in 2011, Siesta Key Beach has been named the number 1 beach in the nation!
Dr. Leatherman ranks major recreational beaches based on 50 criteria that include adequate access, parking, safety, cleanliness, beauty, water and sand characteristics, and others.
In addition to two major public beach parks, Siesta Key provides numerous smaller public access points (without amenities), many with space for 20 or so cars.
Here’s a quick look at why Siesta Key made it to the #1 spot:
More often than not, the Gulf of Mexico at Siesta Beach is quite clear. You can see your toes easily when you are waist-deep.
Siesta Key Beach: white quartz sand, flat beach, shallow calm, clear water.
Siesta Key's flat, hard-packed beach is great for walking, jogging and bike riding. The beach usually has very few shells.
Siesta Key's brilliant white quartz beach on a hot summer day.
Siesta Public beach can get crowded. Upwards of 30,000 people may visit the beach on a busy weekend. Lifeguards and Sheriff patrols keep the peace very well. Even on the most crowded day there's plenty of room on the beach for everyone, though the parking lot does fill up early.
Some facts about Siesta Public Beach:
Pets: Not allowed
Surfing: Not allowed in the public beach swimming area.
Lifeguards: Yes, excellent lifeguard coverage during posted hours.
Driving on the beach: No.
Camping: No.
Glass containers on the beach: Not allowed.
Alcoholic beverages: Yes, allowed as long as they are not in glass containers.
Smoking: NO! Smoking is not allowed on the beach.
Fires: Not allowed. Fires in the picnic area must be in a BBQ grill.
Beach wheelchairs: Yes, during lifeguard hours.
Nudity: No way.
Thongs: They seem to be tolerated.
Parking: FREE!
Cell phone signal: Amazingly, I get 5 bars on my iphone, so you should have no problem getting a signal.
Restrooms, showers, food and drink sales: Yes, yes, yes and yes.
Shells: Not many shells at this beach.
Beach Conditions: For daily beach reports you can visit this website: http://coolgate.mote.org/beachconditions/ . Siesta Beach is in Sarasota County.
Web cams on Siesta Key: Crescent Beach live web cam , Sarasota Surf & Racquet Club web cam
One of the best features of Siesta Beach is that it is probably the best swimming beach in Florida for small children, and for people who have limited mobility. It is a very wide beach, so it’s a pretty good walk to the water, but the beach is very flat and slopes gently into the water. There is no steep drop-off and no strong currents (except when there is surf, which isn’t very often). Siesta Beach does have a sand bar a short distance out, but continues to slope very gradually.
Siesta Key has excellent lifeguards and beach patrol.
Sheriffs maintain law and order on the beach, and help find lost kids.
The concession area at Siesta Beach has restrooms with changing areas, a full-service snack bar, tables and vending machines.
There are plenty of outdoor rinse-off showers at Siesta Beach to wash the sand and salt off before you get back in your car.
Siesta Beach has quite a few picnic tables, both at the south end and north end of the beach. But you'd better arrive early to get the choice locations.
Sarasota beaches are designated a smoke-free zone. No smoking. No se permite fumar.
There are plenty of kids and young adults at Siesta Beach, and a volleyball area and playground offers a little something extra for them.
Siesta Beach's pure white quartz sand is just as white as the sand on Florida's panhandle beaches, but is much finer-grained.
Here's a close up of sand grains on a black background for comparison. The smaller quartz crystals above the red line are from Siesta Beach. The much larger quartz crystals below the red line are from Grayton Beach in the Florida panhandle.
Late Sunday afternoon and evening, the Siesta Beach Drum Circle is in full swing. It's definitely something you should see at least once.
Drumming with friends at the Siesta Beach Drum Circle.
Here’s a link to a blog post I wrote about the Siesta Beach Drum Circle (includes video).
More info and photos of Siesta Beach.
If you visit Siesta Key, don’t overlook other beaches on the island. Here are a few with public access:
Crescent Beach and Point of Rocks
Crescent Beach is south of Siesta Public Beach and stretches all the way to Point-of-Rocks. It only has one public access point (no amenities) with limited parking. This beach is used mostly by the visitors staying in the beachfront resorts and condominiums that line Crescent Beach.
Crescent Beach, as viewed from Point-of-Rocks. Equal in every way to Siesta Public Beach as a place to swim. Great for kids and older folks too.
Crescent Beach, Siesta Key, Florida.
If you’re not staying in a resort or condo on Crescent beach, but you’d like to visit, refer to my directions below on parking for Point-of-Rocks. There are no beach facilities such as restrooms or refreshments, and there are no lifeguards at Crescent Beach or Point-of-Rocks. However, there are several restaurants and a small grocery store within walking distance.
Point-of-Rocks offers excellent shallow-water snorkeling when the water is calm and clear enough. The water is in the zero to five foot deep range and offers safe, comfortable snorkeling.
Flat, smooth limestone rock makes for interesting and safe snorkeling at Point-of-Rocks, Siesta Key.
A child snorkeling over the rocks in small waves. Not the best conditions for snorkeling, but kids seem to have fun no matter what.
Low tide at Point-of-Rocks makes for some very interesting tide pool exploring.
A view of the narrow beach at Point-of-Rocks.
Fishing at Point-of-Rocks, Siesta Key.
Getting to the parking area for Crescent Beach and Point-of-Rocks.
Turtle Beach
Turtle Beach, Siesta Key.
Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, Florida.
The character of the beach changes dramatically south of Point-of-Rocks. The beach is steeper and the sand is full of crushed shell and fossilized material making it harder to walk in. It is way too soft to ride a bike on, and too steep and soft for jogging. That’s a good description of the beach at Turtle Beach. It is a good surfing spot though, when the waves are up. Turtle beach has restrooms, a boat launch, and a small picnic area.
Turtle Beach, Siesta Key, Florida.
The sand at Turtle Beach is darker and softer than the pure quartz sand at Siesta Beach, just a half-mile or so to the north.
Here's what Turtle Beach sand looks like close-up.
Your humble correspondent, David McRee, at Siesta Beach, May 2011.
