Whether you are a winter visitor, vacationer or full-time resident, Florida's 1,200 miles of coastline is yours to enjoy and we're going to help you by giving you all of the details on the top west Florida beach locations including special amenities, recreational offerings, hours, pet regulations and more. Sarasota County is home to many well known towns including Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, Siesta Key and Longboat Key. Beautiful Sarasota Bay separates the county's barrier islands from the mainland. With its 40 miles of beaches, Sarasota County is one of America's most desirable places to live and to vacation.
Sarasota accommodations are varied and many, from Sarasota inns, to Sarasota resorts, to even Sarasota motels and the same is true throughout the County. You can find Sarasota vacations rentals in Siesta Key condos, Sarasota condominiums and Sarasota villas. Sarasota Restaurants throughout the County are many and palate pleasing! In Venice, Café Venice Restaurant & Wine Bar is the place to go. Cork on St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota was named "Best New Restaurant." It's a pretty exciting place with exciting food! Ophelia's on the Bay offers beautiful alfresco dining overlooking Sarasota Bay and Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key is legendary. Try them all!
On to the beaches!
Here are 6 of the 17 beaches in Sarasota County:
Blind Pass Beach
Location: 6725 Manasota Key Road, one mile north of the
Charlotte County line on Manasota Key
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: free lot
Amenities: ½ mile of beach and 66 acres gulf to bay, canoe
launch, picnic shelter, nature trail, playground, restrooms,
handicapped accessible
Activities: swimming, fi
canoeing, kayaking
Pets: no
Of Special Interest: In addition to enjoying this beautiful beach,
canoeing, kayaking and fishing are popular in the coves and
lagoon on the bayside.
Manasota Beach
Location: 8570 Manasota Key Road, west end @ Manasota Beach
Road.
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: parking lots are free and plentiful
Amenities: 1500 foot beach, 14 acres gulf to bay, lifeguards,
boat ramps, boardwalk, docking facilities, dune walkovers,
picnic shelters, restrooms, volleyball courts, handicapped
accessible
Activities: swimming, boating, fishing, shelling, walking,
sunbathing
Pets: no
Of Special Interest: The beach is situated between the Gulf and
the Intracoastal Waterway. On the Intracoastal side, a boat ramp
and docking facilities are available allowing access to the Bay
and Gulf. The 620 feet of dockage becomes a scenic boardwalk
that meanders through the mangroves.
Casperson Beach
Location: 4100 Harbor Drive, Venice, south of the airport
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: free lots
Amenities: 2 miles of beach, 177 acres, 1100 foot boardwalk,
.34 mile nature trail, picnic area, restrooms
Activities: swimming, shelling, walking, fishing, handicapped
accessible
Pets: no
Of Special Interest: Caspersen is recognized as one of the most
enjoyable shelling beaches in this area. This is an exceptionally
good area to find prehistoric sharks' teeth. You can see
freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangrove areas, and tidal
flats. Enjoy a 20 minute walk through Caspersen's nature trail
which has been developed through a coastal hammock. The
southern two thirds of beachfront has been left in its natural
state. A dune restoration system with walkovers has been
implemented to preserve the shoreline.
Brohard Park
Location: 1600 Harbor Drive on the Venice Airport property
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: free lot
Amenities: 84 acres, Venice municipal fishing pier, bait shop,
Pelican Man Sanctuary, restrooms, food concession, restaurant
nearby, Paw Park
Activities: bird watching, swimming, fishing, sunbathing,
walking, shelling
Pets: yes, in Paw Park
Of Special Interest: For dog lovers, at the south end of Brohard
Beach is the Paw Park, with doggie drinking fountains, showers
on decks for dogs only, fire hydrants and leash posts. Dog lovers
have declared this park and beach to be the best doggy park in
the state, where dogs are allowed to roam free.
Service Club Park
Location: 1190 Harbor Drive, north of and adjacent to Brohard
Beach, Venice
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Website:
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: free lot
Amenities: playground, picnic tables, restrooms and showers,
handicapped access, playground, dune walkovers
Activities: swimming, fishing, shelling, sunbathing, walking,
fishing
Pets: no
Venice Beach
Location: 101 The Esplanade, west end of Venice Ave., Venice
Phone: 941-861-5000 Sarasota County
Hours: sunrise to sunset
Parking: free lot
Amenities: 2 miles of beach total, 7.5 acres, lifeguards,
handicapped accessibility and handicapped wheelchairs,
concessions, dune walkovers, pavilion, restrooms, volleyball
courts
Activities: scuba, snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, volleyball,
walking
Pets: no
Of Special Interest: A reef containing fossilized material is
located a quarter mile offshore making it a favorite spot for
local divers.
We hope you enjoy your stay on a west Florida beach, whether it's for the week, or for the rest of your life. Now what are you waiting for? Get swimming!
