#1 Beach Has More Than Soft Sand
Bikes on the Beach, Nesting Turtles and a Buffett Band
It's just six miles long but there's a lot packed into the Siesta Key beaches.
The main public relations attraction to Siesta Key, FL, is its soft white sand. And, as promoted, the sand is as soft as powdered sugar.
But that's only part of the story of Siesta Key, for there's more to know about this seaside section of Sarasota on the southern edge of Tampa Bay. Here are SurfsideSam.com's favorites:
People relax on the soft white sand of Siesta Key, FL.
The fine white sand is as soft as a mother's hug.
1.) The Sand. It's just as advertised, milk white that feels more like powdered sugar than sand and is as soft as a mother's hug. Oddly it doesn't even stick to the skin. It doesn't squeak when you walk on it like on the Gulf Coast panhandle of Destin; it's too fine for that to happen. This is why it was named the #1 Beach by Dr. Beach.
Close to the water, however, it's hard packed, so you'll see people running and even riding bikes on it. There are also a few small seashells by the shore, so those with tender feet step delicately into the water.
This main part of the key, by the way, is known as Siesta Beach and Crescent Beach is at and south of Stickney Point Rd.
The best way to see Siesta Key's beaches are on a bicycle.
2.) Riding Bikes on the Beach. The best way to get up and down the beach is on a bicycle. It's perfectly legal to ride bikes on the hard-packed section of the sand; just beware of bicyclists if you are walking along the shore or going in and out of the water. In front of the lifeguard stands at Siesta Beach, bikers must dismount and walk their bikes.
Off the beach, Siesta Key has given part of the roads to bike lanes, and that is a great way to explore the rest of the area. For more on bicycling in Siesta Key and information on rentals, click here.
3.) You Can Drink on the Beach. This feature is especially welcoming to Surfside Sam, because trying such a thing at his home beaches in California would result in a very unpleasant conversation with someone in a blue shirt, blue shorts, a badge and a ticket book.
No such problem in Siesta Key, however. You can bring a cooler full of beer out to the beach and drink cold ones with no worries about being harassed by a police officer.
The popular Lobster Pot has plates full of lobster and more dishes.
4.) The Village, Shopping and Dining. The central gathering spot in Siesta Key is the Village. By looking at it on a map, it seems like a maze of streets and shops but in reality, it's just one main road of about five blocks.
There's a couple of "Florida-style" t-shirt and souvenir shops (meaning you can get everything from small license plates with your name to refrigerator magnets), a very popular ice cream parlor, a creeky old bookstore down an alley, and a few other trinket shops.
Mainly, tho, it's the prime place to go out to eat and drink. One of the oldest places – and certainly the most popular for beers during the day and at Happy Hour – is Siesta Key Oyster Bar, a rustic place if ever there was one. But hey, a raw bar is supposed to be a bit, raw, right!? You'll also see it as S.K.O.B.
One of the most popular dining places is by the gazebo, the Lobster Pot. The food is good and priced to eat in the $15-20 range. Lobsters are $25+ – market price varies – but are so big two can share one plate with an appetizer, and Lobster dishes lobster Newberg, Thermidor and Duchess are on the menu. To drink, the place make its own sangria, and when Surfside Sam suggested adding in a bit more brandy, the owner declared he would NEVER change his recipe!
There's also BBQ, Italian, Mexican and south of the Village, pizza and a French bistro (both in a small shopping center on Midnight Pass Road past the 7-11). and down by Turtle Beach, Ophelia's On The Bay with its very popular Sunday brunch.
Best burgers in Siesta Key? The very casual Turtle Pub across from Turtle Beach is the place.
For breakfast, there's The Broken Egg in the Village.
Here's an FYI for the Village: There's very little parking. There are only a few spots on the street and the only public lot is behind the hardware store by the gazebo, and it only holds about 40 cars. Places with posted signs do ticket, so your best bet is to find a spot in the residential sections.
5.) Great Chowder And A Buffett Cover Singer. A couple of miles south of Siesta Key Village – at Midnight Pass Road and Stickney Point Road; just look for the huge American flag – is a shopping center. In it is a restaurant serving awesome chowder and a tiki bar.
This is Captain Curt's, and the thick seafood chowder is served at the Crab & Oyster Bar. It comes in a cup or a bowl – with oyster cracker,s of course – and the latter is a full meal.
After 9, there's live entertainment and the Buffett cover singer is a regular on Tuesdays.
Next door is the Sniki Tiki Bar, which has a tiki bar on a patio, also with live music, and a bar inside.
Both spots have big TVs for watching sports and the Tiki Bar even has a fireplace on the patio.
Kayaking around the Neville Wildlife Preserve is a relaxing activity.
6.) Go Kayaking. Behind the beach – Turtle Beach, to be more specific – is an inland waterway that's a gateway to a nature preserve. If you have a kayak. Spend two or three hours looking at birds, seeing if you spot any dolphins or manatees or having a picnic on a near-private beach. For more on kayaking in Siesta Key and information on rentals, click here.
Bay Island Park is an ideal place to relax and even have a picnic.
7.) A Place to Picnic. You can have a picnic at one of the tables in the park at Turtle Beach or get in your car – (or bikes, as Surfside Sam prefers– and head to Bay Island Park.
This is a quiet, peaceful area at the big bridge headed to the mainland of Sarasota. Its white, crushed-shell surface right on the water is an ideal place to relax and have a meal. This is one of the true gems of Siesta Key. For more on this picnic spot, click here.
8.) Turtles Nesting On Turtle Beach. Yes, there are turtles on Turtle Beach. Each summer, they come here to lay their eggs and in October or November, they hatch in one of nature's great moments.
There are more than 700 turtle nests along Siesta Key's beach fronts and the eggs usually hatch at night at Turtle and also Crescent Beach. Disturbing turtle nests is against state federal laws and come with fines of up to $500. Reporting someone disturbing a turtle nest can result in a reward of $1,000.
Turtle Beach has full facilities: Picnic tables, grills, a volleyball court, RV hook-ups, a boat ramp, camping and free WiFi hotspots. Parking at the beach is free.
How does a free ride in a pedicab sound!?
9.) Free "Cab" Rides. This is not a misprint; there are free taxis in Siesta Key.
Actually, they are pedicabs and large golf carts, but they will pick you up and deliver you to a destination and can't charge you. So how do they make money? They are sustained only by tips. It's a great, inexpensive way to get around the small spot of sand.
There is also a Sarasota city bus service.
People take in the sunset from the end of Siesta Key's Crescent Beach.
A couple sits on a jetty and takes in the sunset in north Siesta Beach.
Park the bike and take in the sunset in Siesta Key.
10.) Siesta Key Sunsets. Because Siesta Key looks toward the west, it has what the other side of Florida does not: Sunsets. They are spectacular anywhere, so just get out to the beach.
11.) Siesta Key's Key Events. The big event – and it makes sense – is the Siesta Key Master Sand Sculpting Competition the second weekend of November. The previous week, there's Sandfest; a dinner and dance at sunset. Also, there's the Siesta Key Craft Fair in February, a two-day food festival in April called Siesta Fiesta, 1-mile fun runs for kids each Tuesday in June and a fireworks celebration on July 4 (it cost $75 to go to an annual event with a VIP party).
• SurfsideSam.com
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