Lido Key Beach — Attraction in Sarasota

One of Florida’s most pristine beaches, a picture of relaxation. I found this beach secluded, best for swimming, and shallow water even if you go 15-20 feet deep, you can see right down to your feet. It has 3,000 feet of soft white sand that meets the Gulf of Mexico’s calm, warm water. The gorgeous blues and greens will have you swooning at first sight. Once you recover, you will notice fewer people here than on Siesta Key, which makes for a relaxing beach day.

The amazing part was- when I was swimming, 5-6 fishes were playing around my feet, and I can clearly look at them. trust me, it brought the child out of me.

For lunch, you can grab some food at the resident concession stand. Or embark on a brief walk to the shopping center at St. Armand’s Circle. but hey, This is a great spot to watch the sunset too, and then walk to St. Armand’s after for a nice dinner. The best part about Lido is that you can park in town, have lunch, and make your way to the beach for the rest of the afternoon to soak up the sun. When you need a refreshment, return to the circle for ice cream to cool off.

Lido Beach is perfect for watching the sunset, collecting shells and sand dollars, and swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the gulf coast. You definitely do not want to miss this beach on your trip to Sarasota!

they also have a heated pool, timing, and prices are mentioned on the board. $4/adult $2 under 12 monthly/Annual passes are available.

Parking: Ample parking near the beach. Free !! Restroom: Yes. 4/5 Changing Room: yes, it’s there and very well maintained....

Lido Key is my favorite beach along Florida's stunning Sun Coast. Situated a short drive from downtown Sarasota (a fantastic place on its own - be sure to visit Selby Gardens!), Lido is unpretentious, clean, and has great amenities to make for a complete beach day outing.

Parking on weekends, especially, or holidays can be a bit rough. Don't be hesitant about grabbing a curbside spot or parking closer to St. Armands if need be. The beach itself has tropical white sand and often sea-green or aqua waters; it's very shallow as is most Florida Gulf Coast beaches, so you can walk quite far out and barely be above waste-deep. That said, some parts of the beach are sort of rocky, but that makes for a fun time snorkeling if one is so inclined.

There is a concession stand and bathrooms area along with a separate pool should you not want to go into the ocean. Leaving the beach, one will find abundant fresh water showers ready to cleanse sand off feet or body. This is a great feature and is very welcome for a ride home or to a hotel.

I hope you'll visit this fantastic beach and encourage everyone to consider Sarasota-Bradenton for a Florida vacation! World class beaches, Selby Gardens, terrific museums, and top notch performing arts all await. If you do plan to visit, check out Aloft...

What’s not to like about Lido Key Beach? and it’s definitely not as crowded as siesta key beach.

This beach really has two areas. The area at the pavilion with the main parking lot and the north area of the beach that’s kind of secluded and a little bit of a walk (20 min).

The sand here is nice and sugary and the beach is wide, allowing good spacing between you and any fellow beachgoers. There are lifeguards in the public beach area near the pavilion and buoys to prevent boaters from cruising close to the swimmers. Like almost all gulf beaches it’s shallow and easy to walk out a nice distance. There’s occasional waves but most of the time it’s relatively calm.

There’s a pavilion thats shaded where you can buy food and drinks. It’s also where the restrooms are a few times, I’ve used them they’ve been clean. You can also rent chairs and umbrellas here.

Parking can be challenging on really busy days as the main lot fills up. There is on street parking and then you can park on the side streets on the neighborhoods. There’s no charge to park here.

To get here you have to drive through St. Armand Circle which is also a great place to stop and get a bite to...