Must Do Sarasota Visitor Guide Winter/Spring 2018

BEACHES
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Experience the
10
Concessions Dog-Friendly Fishing Parking Restrooms
Brohard Beach • Paw Park
• Venice Fishing Pier
1600 Harbor Drive South, Venice
A paved walkway leads
directly to the area’s only beach where
dogs can be off-leash. Paw Park features
shaded fenced play areas, doggie waste
bags and receptacles, doggie fountains,
dog showers, and leash posts. No fee or
license required to fish from the Pier. Bait
shop available. Wetland area is ideal for
fishing and bird watching. Limited free
parking and restrooms available.
Nokomis Beach
100 Casey Key Road, Casey Key
The area’s oldest beach
is quite popular with families. Though
not as prevalent as on Caspersen Beach,
there are sharks’ teeth that can be found
washed up on shore. Offers some of the
best surfing on the Gulf Coast. Fishing
enthusiasts will enjoy shoreline fishing.
Lifeguards on duty year-round, free
parking, concessions, picnic tables,
and restrooms available. Also features
a boat launch.
Beach
Scavenger Hunt
CHRIS L. SMITH
Fun Starts
Here!
Southwest Florida is home to some of the best beaches in the world. The
blue-ribbon winner in the area, Siesta Beach, earns its bragging rights from its
99% pure-quartz sand. It has been included on numerous “Best Of” and “Top”
lists. Once you dig your toes into the powdery soft sand, you’ll understand why
folks come from all over the world to relax and play on these shores. Families will
want to include a trip to the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World”. On Caspersen
and Venice beaches you can hunt for washed up sharks’ teeth of all types and
sizes. Visit Lido Key’s beaches for scenic Gulf and Bay views or head north on Gulf
of Mexico Drive to Longboat Key’s unspoiled beaches.
Slather on the sunscreen, grab your towel and some beach games or a good
book, and then head out to find out what all the fuss is about! To see more photos
and learn more about Sarasota area beaches visit MustDo.com.
Check It Out
Award-Winning Key Sailing
Join Tim and Jan for an affordable,
personalized dolphin or sunset sail. Sailing
together since 1973, these Siesta Key residents
will show you their hometown from the water.
Winner of multiple small business awards.
TripAdvisor five star Certificate of Excellence.
Docked at Marina Jack, Sarasota
941.346.7245 • SiestaKeySailing.com
Caspersen Beach
4100 Harbor Drive, Venice
Known for the many prehistoric
sharks’ teeth of all types and sizes
that wash up on shore. There is over
9,000’ of Gulf beach frontage where
beachcombers will also find a great
selection of shells. Features a boardwalk,
canoe/kayak launch, paved and unpaved
walking/hiking/biking trails, fitness park,
canopied ADA playground, restrooms,
outdoor showers, and ample free parking.
No lifeguards on duty.
Coquina Beach
South end of Gulf Drive, Anna Maria Island
At 1 ½ miles long, this is the
longest stretch of beach on Anna Maria
Island. Features soft white sand and
often very clear water. Amenities include
plentiful free parking, picnic tables,
lifeguards, and restrooms and showers.
Boat launch nearby. Alcoholic beverages
are prohibited. Accessible from Longboat
Key via Gulf of Mexico Drive or from Bradenton
via Cortez Road or Manatee Avenue.
Lido Beach
400 Ben Franklin Drive, Lido Key
A great place for a beach
stroll. Offers a wide span of more than one
mile of white sand beachfront extending
through North Lido. Ample free parking,
lifeguards on duty year-round, concessions,
picnic tables, daily-fee heated swimming
pool, playground, and umbrella and chair
rentals make it a family favorite. Beach
wheelchair rentals available. Located
one-half mile southwest of St. Armands
Circle.
Longboat Key Beaches
Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key
Longboat Key’s access to its beaches
is limited, but your reward is 10 miles of
uninterrupted, uncrowded beach with
wonderful Gulf of Mexico water and white
sand. Whitney Beach, at the north end of
Longboat offers public parking, all other
access points have very limited parking.
No amenities. Alcoholic beverages
are prohibited.
Siesta Beach
948 Beach Road, Siesta Key
Powder-soft, sugar-white sand
is 99% quartz. Awards include America’s
Best Beach and Top U.S. Family Beach.
Family-friendly amenities include year-round
lifeguards, concessions, playground, tennis
courts, sand volleyball, grills, and picnic
tables. Beach wheelchairs and floating
wheelchairs available. A great place to fly a
kite. Although there is a large parking area,
it fills up quickly during peak season so plan
to arrive early in the day.
South Lido Park Beach
2201 Ben Franklin Drive, Lido Key
A favorite with families, boaters,
kayakers, and fishermen. Located on the
southwestern tip of Lido Key, the 100-acre
park is surrounded by water—Gulf of
Mexico, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay, and
Bushy Bayou. Offers shaded picnic areas,
grills, playground, volleyball, canoe trail,
nature trails, restrooms, and free parking.
Swimmers beware strong currents and no
lifeguards on duty.
Turtle Beach
8862 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key
Located at the southernmost
end of Siesta Key and features some of
the tallest dunes in the area. Amenities
include a handicap accessible boardwalk,
pavilion, boat ramp, kayak launch,
horseshoe courts, picnic shelters, free
parking, restrooms, and playground.
No lifeguards on duty. Fishing is
permitted in Blind Pass Lagoon.
Popular campground adjacent.
Venice Municipal Beach
101 The Esplanade, Venice
A favorite beach spot for locals
and divers who come for its coral reef
located ¼ mile off-shore. Like Caspersen
Beach, you have a good chance of finding
sharks’ teeth washed up on the sand.
Amenities include a boardwalk,
concessions, picnic area, lifeguards,
restrooms, sand volleyball courts, and
beach wheelchairs. Parking is free but
limited, so plan to arrive early in the day.
Sarasota County has 35 miles of beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Challenge
your kids to find starfish, egg casings, sea glass, sand dollars, coral, and more
while exploring the white sandy beaches. They will enjoy exploring the coastal
environment and delight in having found a natural treasure to take home. And,
who doesn’t love beach combing? One important caution: Make sure the shells
your kids collect are not live (inhabited). Aside from the surprise you’ll get back
home, it’s illegal to remove living shells from the beaches. This includes sand
dollars, starfish, and sea urchins.
Scavenger Hunt List Suggestions:
Three different kinds of shells.
A feather.
A unique piece of driftwood.
A creature’s home
(crab holes are a good one).
Something swimming
in the water. What is it?
A whole sand dollar.
A starfish.
A piece of seaweed.
A piece of coral.
Three pieces of trash.
A piece of sea glass.
An egg casing.
An animal track in the sand.
What type of animal made
the track?
Count how many waves crash
into shore in one minute.
How many paces wide
is the beach?
Wade into the water. Time
how long it takes for your
feet to dry.
Find something red.
SHUTTERSTOCK
10 WINTER | SPRING 2018 MustDo.com