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Lido Beach is Three Beaches in One!
Lido Key is made up of 3 popular beaches; North Lido Beach, Lido Key Public Beach and they Key's South Beach and Park. These beaches are generally less crowded than others like Siesta Beach on Siesta Key, but also have gorgeous white sand and lots of room to roam.
North Lido Beach Park has undergone a refurbishment with improved walking trails and has been replanted with oak trees and cedar pond trees.
The park’s west border is the Gulf of Mexico, with some of the best sand dunes in the Sarasota, Florida area. The nature park is also home to migratory and shore birds; a great horned owl as well as an occasional bald eagle have been spotted in the park. The park was originally purchased in 1977 by the city of Sarasota to be preserved as a natural wildlife habitat.
There’s a wide expanse of sandy beach on North Lido Key so you’ll have more than enough room to find your own private piece of beach or do some sea shell collecting. And the gulf waters off Lido Key are crystal clear multi-hued aquamarine blue. Simply beautiful.
All of Lido Key’s Beaches are great for walking, sunbathing, lying and reading in the sun, or just staring out on the gorgeous, sun lit and sparkling Gulf of Mexico.
There are nice amenities at Lido Key Public Beach: you’ll find conveniences such as showers, lockers and dressing rooms. There’s also a concession stand, shaded picnic tables in a pavilion setting, and a public swimming pool you can enjoy for a nominal fee of $2.
Tip: The sun at Lido Key Beach can be really bright and intense as it glares off the water and sand. Make sure you protect your eyes from the rays with some cool looking shades.
Here's my favorite place to buy sunglasses.
At South Lido Beach Park, you’ll find picnic tables along with grills, a volleyball sand court, nature paths, restrooms and a playground for the kids. You can also walk out to the very southern tip of Lido Key and gaze out at “New Pass,” the channel that runs between south Lido Key and north Siesta Key.
“New Pass” flows out into the Gulf of Mexico and is posted “No Swimming” because of the waterway's extremely strong currents.For the "romantic" in you, you might take a long, hand in hand walk all along the south side of Lido Key starting in South Lido Park, from the bay side on the east side of the Key to “New Pass” on the south side of the Key to the Gulf of Mexico on the west side of the Key.
Another of our beautiful Gulf of Mexico Beaches, you can have a fabulously enjoyable day in paradise anywhere along Lido Key's three beaches and at South Lido Park. It's the perfect escape in sunny Sarasota, Florida!
Lido Beach, Sarasota, Florida is also home to the annual Suncoast Offshore Powerboat Races every late June through the Fourth of July, a spectacle well worth seeing.Lido Public Beach is also just a short walk to St Armand’s Circle and there are hotels with cafes and restaurants nearby, just off the beaches, on Ben Franklin Drive.
Tip: Whether you're going shell collecting or just lying out on Lido Key, the Florida sun can burn you quickly anytime of year if you're not properly prepared. Bring plenty of
suntan lotion, a beach umbrella and some cool and light weight beachwear.
Directions: From Rt. 41 in downtown Sarasota, cross the Ringling Bridge and follow St. Armand’s Circle to the left about half way around and then turn west (right) toward the Gulf of Mexico and then left on to Ben Franklin Drive. There’s free public parking on the street of Ben Franklin Drive and also further south on Ben Franklin Drive at Lido Public Beaches' parking lot near the concession stand and pavilion area.
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