When we went, the sand felt just like siesta beach and the water was super calm. There wasn't much…read moreshells. It was kind of crowded but we found a spot.

Running south from Siesta Key Beach, Crescent Beach is a popular spot for those staying in the many…read morenearby hotels and vacation rentals. (some count it as part of siesta key beach only). It's not a local favorite, it's one of the quieter destinations in the area for visitors looking for peace on their trips to one of the most popular islands in the U.S. With its sweeping coastline carves out a huge "C" where it meets the Atlantic Ocean (the crescent shape, of course, giving the area its name). it maintains an "old Florida" vibe as a quieter beach with white sand and is primarily residential. If you're staying along Crescent Beach, your accommodation may provide roped-off sections of glorious white sand for your enjoyment. beautiful crescent moon-shaped beach, just right for laying out on or for strolling the strand. Soft gulf breezes. Breathtaking sunsets. It gets no better. Parking: We used public beach access # 12 (I guess there is just one public access road, Midnight Pass Rd, and it's very easy to miss). it's a cramp, one-way alley and only suitable for compact cars. to go back, drive forward, take a K-turn, and merge into the main street. yup as it's one way you can find yourself stuck when someone comes from the same side. see the pic and you would understand.

I really love Long Boat Key Beach. It's Day and Night with Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island…read more It's Much Smaller, the parking lot for the access I went to is small, but it's like paradise. It's so quiet, no one is around compared to the other beach we just left a few hours before hand. I haven't really gone to this beach much. I was nervous I could never find parking. But it's a matter of just looking out for the public beach access signs and driving a little bit slower. We found one which is a small sign and ended up turning around to check it out. Parking is also free on the beaches here, so that's def a nice treat considering Clearwater and St. Pete Beaches for the most part are not. I'll def be back more often bc I loved the quietness here. It was quite beautiful. If you are looking other businesses in Longboat Key, there is not much but they do have some restaurants and cafes. They are open on Saturdays but last time I went on a Sunday, they were closed so make to check that out for yourself. We simply went to Tyler's ice cream, but ended up eating in Sarasota.

Went to Whitney Beach! Very peaceful. One thing to note: the seagulls are not afraid to rip through…read moreyour plastic bag into your chips. Other than that, parking wasn't difficult!

Wonderful beach! Sand is soft and not too hot. Water is warm and felt awesome. Ample parking…read more And best of all - not too crowded! Awesome afternoon here.

The beach and the water is very nice. Major problems: the lack of parking; very few amenities…read morelike showers and bathrooms; inconsiderate high powered Ebikes everywhere. Just try walking over the Cortez bridge and have an Ebikes barreling towards you or coming up from behind - so far after a week not a single one of dozens has bothered to slow down when passing me. I ride a bike all the time at home so don't think I'm a bike hater.

Beer Can Island, also known as Hooked Spit Island & Greer Island is located at the northern tip of…read moreLongboat Key, and is visible from the Longboat Pass drawbridge & Coquina Beach's most southern side. Beer Can Island is right across from Coquina beach and is located on Longboat pass which is a busy channel for boaters coming in and out so it's a good spot to see a lot of boats going by. This popular white sand beach has crystal clear blue waters on sunny days, was formed by tidal currents, and offers a beautiful undeveloped shoreline which is a popular stop for boaters. Over time, mother nature has eroded portions of the beach uprooting many of the Australian pine trees that once stood on the shore. The huge tree trunks and roots give the beach a real exotic feel and create an amazing landscape of fallen and weathered wood. A lot of people come to Beer Can Island by boat. There are no formal docking spots, but the shallow sandy water makes it a great spot to drop anchor and come ashore for a fun sunny day! If you're not coming by boat, you can take North Shore Road until you see signs for the beach, park, and walk north along the beach. You'll know when you're getting close by the driftwood becoming more and more plentiful on the shore. I saw a beached huge 10 foot lemon head shark and got some shark teeth from here! Although Beer Can Island is more secluded than some of the other area beaches, it does get busier on the weekends with all the boaters anchored up! All of the trees close to shore make this the perfect place to bring your hammock and lounge out! We saw a number of people who had strung their hammocks across two trees! Note, since this is a secluded island, there are no bathrooms or showers here.

Cool hangout spot! Kinda reserved from all the people at the other beaches. If you like hammocking,…read morethere are good spots for that too. Just keep two things in mind: - A lot of people like to come here to get drunk and high since it is reserved. Hence the name. Can sometimes get annoying and a little trashy. Kinda why I don't really come here anymore much. But recently local police have been cracking down a little on it. - The water on the side with the channel can be a little rough and unpredictable, so just be a little careful. Could possibly cause small rip currents.

This is about the Marina Jack 2 sunset cruise. A group of us took this two hour cruise around…read moreSarasota Bay from 5 PM to 7 PM. We travelled South to Siesta Key before heading back North under the Ringling bridge. The ship is large with 2 decks and dinner was provided; salad, au gratin potatoes, vegetables, salmon , bread and prime rib were served. Desserts were an assortment of cakes (chocolate, key lime, and strawberry). Given how beautiful the evening turned out, the scenery was revealing- beautiful homes, unfortunately Some destroyed by Helene and Milton- some being restored. Overall, a worthwhile experience that will be repeated. Full bar offered as well.

We went to the outside casual part. I've never been here, so wanted to try it. Mistake. The reviews…read moreweren't great but since our condo is across the street, needed to try it. My wife's grouper sandwich was raw. Waited for another and also raw. So she sent it back and didn't eat. I ordered salmon sliders. They forgot my order? Had to wait quite awhile. Our friends received wrong order. They had to bring the correct one. The manager came and we explained the issues. His response was we have a big party inside. Not our problem! 3 of 4 orders wrong! He said what do you want me to do? He should have said I will comp your meals. Just a horrible manager. Felt bad for waitress.

Predatory Parking Enforcement will ruin your day with $75 violations for subjective failure to…read moreachieve surgical grade precise compliance. No room for error with the both posted and unposted rules. Know before you go.

Anna Maria Island is just gorgeous, regardless of the section of beach you end up on. Even with all…read morethe rental properties and tourists, it was surprisingly clean on the sand and in the ocean. The waves were minimal, and there were so many fish swimming around us the whole time! I counted three different schooling fish species and a few crabs, which were unusually easy to spot because of how crystal clear the water is. I do want to note that we couldn't fins any public trash cans, showers, and bathrooms. It ended up wasting our water bottle reserves and probably led to spending more money at businesses that had these amenities than we would've otherwise. Options for surrounding businesses are limited and pricey. For instance, the only pizza place within walking distance is great if you can afford $20+ average-sized pies. There's also only one beachside bar along this stretch of beach access that has a long wait time and doesn't list cocktail prices on their menu. Parking is slim, but a lot of it is free if you park on gravel roadsides. Since it has always been extremely windy when I've visited, I definitely suggest firmly anchoring any tents or umbrellas. Also bring materials to hold down blankets and towels. They don't allow alcohol on these beaches, so also keep that in mind when packing your coolers. All in all, this beach is a must-see!

We came to Longboat Key for vacation in June. We're lucky enough to stay at a place that has…read morebasically a private beach. The sand is soft, the water is beautiful shades of blue, and there always seems to be a breeze, which is nice. We got to see a lot of different types of birds each morning, manatees, dolphins, and the occasional shark. Shelling on this beach can be hit or miss. If there winds up being a storm out at sea, you may be lucky enough to find various conch shells!

The beaches of Longboat Key are absolutely stunning. We had a wonderful sunset picnic and it was…read moresome of our best memories in the Sarasota area.

This is park and beach. It has a stretch of beach that allows you to walk on. It is really between…read morethe City of Bradenton Beach and City of Longboat Key. I see the shuttle services to this park. The beach is very nice to walk on and there it a tree line next to the beach with pavilions for shade. This is good beach since ii is in the west coast and the trees provide shade in the morning for the beach. You also can see the longboat pass draw bridge to be raise and allow the sail boat to be passed. Select the beach day that was not rain for a week, the water will look clearer and blue. Usually the stormy day stir up the bottom of the sea and is more yellow and not as beautiful. On the other side of the island they have two boat ramps to lunch your boat for activities. I suggest go to kayak since there is a lot of area to explore between main land and the island. Some has mangrove, some have shallow beach in middle of the bay. The Beach House restaurant is one of my favorite there with evening music. Joe's Eat and sweet for some ice cream and sweet treat. Vacation there for a night and experience it. Sun rise can be seen at the Longboat Pass Draw Bridge. And the sunset is at the beach.

Beautiful clean really nice place to go to be peaceful what you need to be disconnected.read more