As you beginning planning your Siesta Key vacation, your bucket list either has a long list of things you want to do or is short and too the point, but whichever list you are writing out, “go to the beach” is definitely included! How can you go to paradise without planning on spending time on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world? The sun, the sugar white sands, and the clear emerald waters of the Gulf offer up a recipe for fun, peace, and tranquility, and the only way to improve upon your sand time is by choosing Rent Siesta Key for your accommodations. Fill your daylight hours with sunscreen and sandcastles and come home every night to the cool luxury and comfort found inside spaces designed to pamper and spoil. This guide to Florida Keys beaches and our sensational sanctuaries will help you enjoy a vacation that is a dream come true!
Life’s a Beach
Rent Siesta Key properties can be found all over Siesta Key, but if you are planning a beach vacation, your first choice is probably one of our beachfront vacation rentals, injecting the beach into all aspects of your getaway! Offering kitchens that are the heart of the home, dining spaces where meals will be devoured and games will be played, and living spaces that are comfortable and relaxing, the comforts found inside our beachfront properties will make you feel right at home. Access to community amenities, including community pools and hot tubs, fitness centers, and game rooms, are all designed to give you the ultimate in vacation experiences.
It is the proximity of the beach, however, that takes these already wonderful properties and makes them extraordinary! Sit out on the balcony, listening to the waves crashing on the sand and feeling the Gulf breezes kiss your cheeks as you watch the sun set over the water in a kaleidoscope of colors. Wake up each morning, pour a cup of coffee, then sleepily making your way to “your chair” on the balcony to watch the beach below you come alive as hard-working men and women set up lounge chairs for the day’s rentals, senior citizens get in their steps along shore’s edge, and young parents start claiming their spot on the sand, kids, coolers, and beach toys in tow.
Each night, as you slide between the silky soft linens of our beds, feeling the sheets slide smoothly over skin that is slightly sunburned, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep will be the highlight of your day. These are the moments you will never forget, the memories that will hold close to your heart, and the dreams that will be realized during your fabulous Florida getaway on a Siesta Key beach!
This Way to the Beach
Siesta Key is only 8 miles long, with just 2.4 square miles consisting of land space, but the three beaches that take up this compact region are considered the most beautiful beaches in the nation! Start with Siesta Beach, where you may notice the pure white sands feel finer and softer between your toes. Composed of almost pure quartz, these sands are what make our beaches so popular and are your first hint that this beach getaway will be like no other. Siesta Beach is home to Drum Circles, held every Sunday evening, taking place an hour before sunset. Offering drum music, dance, and a celebration of nature’s most spectacular performance, we recommend adding this fun event to your vacation itinerary! Also offering two concession stands, tennis and volleyball courts, and a shaded playground for the youngsters, this beach can be crowded with tourists and residents, so be sure to arrive early and stake your claim on your piece of paradise.
After a long day spent playing on Siesta Beach, locals and residents alike often find themselves drifting to the back porch of Siesta Key Oyster Bar, located just steps away; it is often considered an important part of the beach experience! Tap your toes to live music, sip your favorite cocktails (Rum runners are a popular Florida cocktail, made with fruit juices, brandy, and of course, rum.) and fill up on oysters, tacos, or tasty grouper sandwiches!
Crescent Beach, which is just south of Siesta Beach, is a little quieter, tucked away in a setting that is secluded and sensational. This beach offers access to one of the more popular snorkeling and diving spots, Point of Rocks, which is an anomaly in a region known for its sugar sand beaches. The rocky shores of this spot lead to rocky waters where the undersea life thrives, hiding in crevices and niches created by the rocks. Ride and Paddle, located on Siesta Key, rents snorkel equipment as well as boogie boards, kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes, so if you need anything water related during your stay, this is the shop to explore!
After snorkeling with the fishes, your hunger for a good seafood dish intensifies, and Clayton’s Siesta Grille has exactly what you need. Located just 5 minutes from Crescent Beach and offering a menu filled with all your seafood favorites (and a few new ones you will have to try!), a dinner at Clayton’s is the perfect way to end a day of beach fun! Also featuring a strong land lubbers’ menu that includes pizza, filet mignon, and a vegetarian meat loaf guaranteed to make the veggie lover in your group ecstatic, we suggest you save room for the dessert sampler which offers a taste of all their desserts, including their uniquely wonderful vanilla lavender crème brulee!
Our final beach on Siesta Key, Turtle Beach is the furthest south on the Key and is one that offers an experience that kids and grownups will love. Play horseshoes with your teens, volleyball with new friends, and when your littlest travelers want to try something new, a playground in the shade will turn the sulks to smiles! Turtle Beach is also one of our favorite beaches to go searching for shells and the occasional shark teeth, and if you are traveling with your own children, the thrill of finding one is always memorable! The boat launch area allows visitors to continue their adventures on the water, so if you happened to travel by car and brought your own boat, this is a great place to visit. Take your boat out into deeper waters and troll for grouper, snapper, or speckled trout, but if you are landbound, it is ok. Blind Pass Lagoon is a popular fishing spot found here, so bring your fishing pole and gear and spend the early morning hours angling for your dinner; many of our Rent Siesta Key hideaways come with a barbecue grill in the backyards, and nothing tastes better than the catch of the day that you have prepared yourself!
After a day of fishing, horseshoe playing, or frolicking in the waves at Turtle Beach, your traveling party will definitely be ready for the happy hour specials found at Turtle Beach Grill, located just down the road and open for lunch, dinner, and happy hour every day of the week. Their menu is huge, offering everything from crab cakes to pizza and fried seafood baskets to chipotle barbecue ribs and if you are thirsty? Try a Strawberry Mojito or a Tropical Turtle (made with coconut rum, blue curacao, coconut vodka, and pineapple juice) and feel your muscles melt!
Adventures in the Area
Up to this point you have spent a lot of time playing at the beach, and if you can tear yourself away from the white sands, there is plenty of more to do! The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota entertains and educates with exhibits that include alligators, otters, sharks, sea turtles, and the unofficial Florida mascot, the sweetly lovable manatee. Their virtual reality experience allows visitors to swim with humpback whales, dive with the largest sharks in the world, and dive deep into the undersea world to learn about the creatures that live there, all without leaving the aquarium!
On rainy days when the beaches are empty there is no need to feel bored or depressed, especially when you visit the Sarasota Classic Car Museum! This ode to the history of automobile making includes luxury cars from Bentley, Porsche, and Ferrari as well as the earliest “horseless carriages.” Billed as the second oldest continuously operating car museum, the displays are ever changing, but the 1922 Silver Ghost Rolls Royce once owned by John Ringling is always there to be seen!
In the mood to experience a little wildlife? The Sarasota Jungle Gardens has been a popular local attraction for nearly 100 years! Spend your time at the Jungle Gardens meeting colorful parrots, feeding the flamingoes, or even getting your picture taken with an alligator! Learn how a snake feels as it slides through your fingers, feed a giant tortoise, and walk along the Jungle Trails reveling in their tropical beauty and feeling as if you have just stepped into the Amazon; the simple beauty of the flora and fauna of the Sarasota Jungle Gardens is guaranteed to bring joy!
When you have the luxury of time, however, you may want to take a day at home to play! Hang out by the pool, enjoying water adventures that do not involve sand, grill the fish you caught during your fishing expedition at Blind Pass Lagoon, and enjoy the luxury of spending uninterrupted time with your family or friends. These moments are the ones you will always remember and we at Rent Siesta Key are happy that we are able to bring them to you!
Back to the Beach
We have mentioned the three beaches on Siesta Key, but this whole section of the Florida Coast offers a giant selection of beaches to enjoy, you just have to get in your car and go! Point your rental car in the direction of Anna Maria Island and discover the joys of Bean Point. This quiet public beach is just that, a beach with sand and water, which means no public restrooms, no lifeguards, and no concession stands. If you like pets and want to see the doggies play, Brohard Park has a fenced-in doggy area, allowing pups to enjoy a good romp in the surf. Brohard is also a great place to fish off the 700-foot-long Venice Fishing Pier; open 24/7 and free to access, the fishing pier is one place you will not need a fishing license! Venice is home to Sharky’s on the Pier, a restaurant and bar you may have heard of as it is an extremely popular hangout after a day at the beach! Caspersen Beach, also in Venice, is a must see, as the sands are filled with prehistoric shark teeth and fossils, so bring along a cooler, some chairs, and something to store all the teeth and shells you find, because these make amazing souvenirs!
The last beach we are going to talk about today, Lido Beach, offers quite a scandalous history as it was once one of the only nude beaches in the area! Today, however, clothing is NOT optional and rules ensure that you and your children will not come across anything you do not want them to see. This beautiful stretch of beach offers picnic tables and grills, but if you are just looking for refreshments, Lido Key Tiki Bar is close by! This thatched roof outdoor tiki bar is a Sarasota tradition, offering the perfect ending to another beautiful day in paradise as you sit, sip, and watch the world pass by.
Every Day Will Be the Best Day at These Florida Keys Beaches
Choosing Rent Siesta Key for your Siesta Key beach escape will give you a vacation filled with all the comforts of home and all the luxuries you deserve. Reserve yours today and discover how every day can be the best day when you spend it with us!
