Over the holidays, Peter was on a little bit of a parks hiatus because we traveled to see family. However, as we pulled in to Siesta Key Beach in his Chief of Staff’s hometown of Sarasota, FL, we noticed that there was a sign indicating that the beach was a Sarasota County park! Based on that sign, we decided to do a special Florida edition of Peter Does Parks. Below are a few park points about Siesta Key Beach, and you can also check out Peter's Instagram Highlights for videos of our visit!
Location: 948 Beach Road, Sarasota, FL 34242
Parking: There is quite a bit of parking; however, Siesta has been rated the #1 beach in the world many times, so it gets BUSY. Arrive early to find parking in the main lot. We arrived at 10:30 and the lots were almost full. By when we left at 12:30, it was a madhouse with people trying to follow us as we walked to our car to get our spot.
Playgrounds: While the main attraction is the beach, there are 2 great (and covered!) playgrounds - one for ages 2-5, and another for 5+. These have the squishy ground we love for new walkers. There is plenty of seating and bathrooms nearby.
Food options: There is at least one area that sells food.
Bathrooms: We did not use the bathrooms while there, however they do exist.
Other fun features and facts: • Volleyball nets. • Multiple BBQ grills. • Foot and body washing areas to get off the sand (which, let’s be 100% honest, you can never get it ALL off, but these help). • Beautiful white, powder sand. • Great area to look for shells and sharks' teeth. • One of the best sunsets in the world. • Be prepared for a lot of people if you are going to Siesta. If you want essentially the same experience with less people, check out Turtle Beach, which is also on Siesta Key, just a bit further south than Siesta Beach.