Must Do Sarasota Visitor Guide Summer/Fall 2018

MUST DO BEACHES
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.
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 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.
Concessions Dog-Friendly Fishing Parking Restrooms
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.
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.
CHECK IT OUT
PET FRIENDLY BEACHES
Pets are not allowed on Siesta,
Lido, and Longboat Key beaches.
The only beach in Sarasota County
that allows pets is Brohard Beach
in Venice. Off-leash pets are
welcome providing you pick up
after them. Please don’t bury pet
waste–children like to dig in the
sand as much as pets!
CHECK IT OUT
SEA TURTLE
NESTING SEASON
From May through August
hundreds of sea turtles lay their
eggs on Sarasota area beaches.
Hatchlings emerge through
October to make their way to the
water. Please do not approach
or disturb nesting females or
hatchlings. Remember to fill in any
holes dug on the beach, ensuring
they have a clear path to make it
safely to the Gulf waters.
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