Escape to Our Sarasota Beaches...and
Escape Your Everyday Life!
Sarasota Beaches are among the most beautiful in all of Florida and the United States.
That's not just my opinion. Our Siesta Key Beach has been rated #1 in a national poll of the Top 10 beaches of the USA. Not just once, but twice in seven years. Most recently in May, 2017!
And in February 2015 & 2020 Siesta Public Beach was named #1 beach in the United States by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards. In 2022 the same group named Siesta Public Beach the #14 Best Beach in the World! (The awards are based on authentic reviews from travelers on their site)
Breathtaking views of the sparkling Gulf of Mexico combined with balmy gulf breezes make most beach-going days of the year here in paradise about as enjoyable as they can be; bright sunshine, warm air and water temperatures, soft sand, blue water.
With six keys, or barrier islands in the immediate area, a Sarasota, Florida
beach vacation will present you enough options for beaches that you'll be kept
busy deciding which of the Sarasota beaches to check out next. After all, there are 35 miles of beaches in Sarasota County!
When only the best will do...
All the beaches are perfect for exploring, beach combing and sea shell collecting or just lying out on. And there are some beaches that are great for shark tooth collecting.
Sarasota area beaches are nationally recognized and have been awarded the “Blue Wave” Certification for their cleanliness and environmental conservation; Siesta Key Beach on Siesta Key, Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, Lido Beach on Lido Key and on Venice Island, Venice Beach and Caspersen Beach.
BEACH WHEELCHAIRS
Sarasota County offers, at no cost, beach wheelchairs at six area beaches:
- Lido Beach
- Manasota Beach Park
- Nokomis Beach Park
- North Jetty Park
- Siesta Beach
- Venice Beach
Beach wheelchairs are available to the public at no cost, year-round, for visitor use. To check availability, or to make special arrangements after the concessionaires or lifeguards have closed for the day, please call 941-861-5000.
The Mobi-Chairs are free to use and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Except for Siesta Key Beach, where you may sign out a Mobi-Chair at the concession stand area, at the other beaches simply present a photo ID to a lifeguard to sign out a chair. You can get more information at the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000.
Visiting Siesta Beach or Venice Beach? Look for the beach access mat, a nonslip semi-rigid and stable rollout pathway, perfect for wheelchair accessibility.
Find out the latest conditions on our beautiful Sun Coast Beaches with the Gulf Coast Beach Report.
On our Sarasota Beaches you can dream, explore
and fall in love...
What's your favorite Sarasota area beach and why?
Click here to share your favorite!
Sarasota Beaches
Siesta Key Beach / Siesta Key
Siesta Key Beach, the number 1 beach in the U.S.A., is the beach with fine white powdery sand. With lots to see and do, it's your choice whether to participate or to do perfectly nothing at all. You can people-watch, sun bathe and take long walks along the shore. With lots of amenities and conveniences nearby you'll easily see why Siesta Key Beach is a favorite of all Sarasota Beaches among locals and travelers and why it's the number one rated beach in the entire U.S.A. Click here for more about Siesta Key Beach!
Crescent Beach / Siesta Key
Want to stay at one of the best Sarasota Beaches, with the sand just steps from your door? Check out Crescent Beach on Siesta Key. Lined with condos and hotels, this beach is a popular vacation spot for anyone who wants to feel as though they live right at the beach. Great sunset views, too. Click here to learn more about Siesta Key's Crescent Beach!
Turtle Beach / Siesta Key
Turtle Beach, on the south end of Siesta Key is the less crowded of the Siesta Key, Sarasota Beaches, especially during “low season.” Walk north or south along the shore or just lay back on this family friendly beach. There are nearby picnic shelters and playground areas, boat launches at Turtle Beach Lagoon and a beautiful, wide expanse of sandy beach. Here's more about Turtle Beach on Siesta Key.
Lido Beach / Lido Key
Another one of our gorgeous Sarasota Beaches, “officially,” there are three beaches on Lido Key and it’s a difficult choice as to which beach to spend most of your day at. Each beach is special in its own way and there's a beautiful park also. Why not spend some time at each? Want to see? Check out more about Lido Key Beach, its park and beaches.
Brohard Beach - Dog Beach / Venice Island
Brohard Beach is known locally as Dog Beach and Paws Park. It's one of the only Dog Friendly Beaches Florida has on this part of the Gulf Coast and it's a wonderful place to bring your four-legged friend. You'll see so many of man's best friends on this beach, all happy and having fun in the sun. Woof Woof! Click here and see and read more about Dog Beach and Paws Park in Venice, Florida.
Caspersen Beach / Venice Island
Caspersen Beach is in a secluded area and its natural, unspoiled beauty has been left largely untouched. There are no distractions on this, the longest beach in Sarasota County, except for the occasional Pelican or frolicking Dolphin. This is a great place to lay back, watch the clouds go by and enjoy a warm breeze while taking in the turquoise clear water. Here's more about the beautiful Caspersen Beach!
Venice Beach / Venice Island
At Venice Beach you can become a great hunter of shark's teeth, as this is the best place in the world to find them. Or, you can simply luxuriate on the beach, soaking up the sun on your chaise lounge, swim in the clear, warm Gulf of Mexico waters or walk the long stretch of beach. Another of our Sarasota Beaches, Venice Beach offers the serious sun-worshiper all he or she could ask for in a beach. Click here and check out more about Venice Beach.
Nokomis Beach / Casey Key
At Nokomis Beach you can take a short walk to the south or a long walk to the north, sunbathe, picnic, or just enjoy a beautiful day on this family-friendly beach, enjoying nature at its finest. If you’re one who enjoys sea shell hunting and collecting, Nokomis Beach is a great place to find them. Click here for more about Nokomis Beach, one of many Sarasota Beaches.
Manasota Beach / Manasota Key
Manasota Beach is an old Florida style beach tucked in along the Gulf of Mexico just south of Venice. In far south Sarasota County on north Manasota Key, this beach is not hard to get to. With a long, wide strand of sand, you can stretch out and be at peace and communing with nature on this fabulously picturesque sea shore, where you can find your fun in the sun. Here's more about Manasota Beach in southern Sarasota County.
Blind Pass Beach / Manasota Key
Another of our Sarasota Beaches is at the far south end of Sarasota County: Blind Pass Beach. Far and away from the busy Sarasota area (a whole 15 - 20 miles on average), this off the beaten path beach is great for alone time or family time. The long and wide strand of sand provides plenty of places for you to stake out your own little personal place on the Gulf shore. Click here to learn more about Blind Pass Beach.
Whitney Beach / Longboat Key
At the northwestern-most tip of Longboat Key you'll find the somewhat secluded Whitney Beach. With a white sandy beach and beautiful Gulf of Mexico blue and turquoise waters, Whitney Beach is ready for your discovery. There are no amenities here, like other Sarasota beaches, but it is well worth experiencing for it's clean waters, natural beauty and out of the way location. This is a one of a kind beach. Here's more about the sparkling Whitney Beach.
Coquina Beach / Anna Maria Island
Coquina beach is full of tall, shady pine trees lining the shore of this, one of Florida's most beautiful old style beaches. There are of amenities to make for a comfortable beach side day under the sparkling Florida sunshine. Find a picnic table, set yourself up for your day and just kick back and relax on the beach or in the shade of the trees. Check out more about Coquina Beach on Anna Marial Island.
Cortez Beach / Anna Maria Island
Close enough to Sarasota Beaches to take a scenic drive, Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island Florida, just north of Coquina Beach, is another old style Florida beach worth experiencing. This beach is on the "main drag" of the south part of AMI, Gulf Drive South. Pull over and into roadside parking, walk down to the beach, spread out your beach blanket and enjoy! Click here and learn more about the gorgeous Cortez Beach.
Sarasota County reminds beach-goers to keep light out of sight during turtle nesting season!
Each year as summer approaches and trips to the beach become more frequent, Sarasota County reminds all visitors and residents to keep light out of sight during sea turtle nesting season from May 1 through October 31. Sarasota County beaches play host to the largest population of nesting sea turtles on the Gulf Coast of Florida, with over 200 nests per mile. According to Sarasota County Wildlife Specialist Jaclyn Irwin, the biggest threats to sea turtle survival are often man-made. Artificial lighting, beach furniture, coastal structures and indigestible plastic all pose serious threats, she said. "Only one out of every 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. Each year thousands of hatchlings die from predation, exhaustion and starvation due to the disorientation caused by bright, artificial lights," Irwin added. Click here for some ways you can help sea turtles beat the odds.
Now it's your turn...
What's Your Favorite Sarasota Beach?
Our Sarasota beaches are like sparkling gems, shimmering in the sunlight, along the Gulf of Mexico. Each has it's own unique charm and special feel.
Which Sarasota beach or other suncoast area beach is your favorite? Do you have a great story about a fun experience or memory on a Sarasota beach? Share it with others here.
Which is the best beach for sea shells? For romantic walks? For sunsets? For wildlife? For..? Tell others!
Your Favorite Sarasota Beach
Click on the links below to read about the favorite Sarasota Beaches of others.
I love Caspersen Beach Not rated yet
This is not a typical Florida beach, and not one that a lot of people would like due to the rockiness.
But it reminds me of beaches you would see only …
Your Favorite Sarasota Beaches Not rated yet
I actually had the opportunity to go with my family to this wonderful beach.
I was impressed!
I'm from Miami and when I saw this beach I stood …
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