Captiva Beach Resort

While visiting Siesta Key you...

by bluegaelic

While visiting Siesta Key you must relax on the white beach, explore the Point of Rocks on the south end of the key, and enjoy the local villiage. My fondest memory of Siesta Key was marrying my husband. Our wedding day started out as rainy and it continued to rain the whole day. We prayed for a 2 hour break in the weather and received it! We married barefooted and with family/friends watching. We also ended up with a beach full of 'guest spectators'. Siesta Key offers a beautiful backdrop for the best of memories!

The quieter side of the street

by zrim

This is the view from my parents' porch. They reside on the intracoastal side of the key. Not as noisy and boisterous as the gulf side. Personally, I favor the views of the intracoastal because there are always boats trolling up and down the waterway.

Sealife up close

by HotSpotJ

Being a distinguished veteran of Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale Beach vacations, I was very suprised at the sealife on Siesta Key. Both the birds and fish are very abundant, When I was boating on the intercoastal it was not uncommon to see dolphins regularly, and the amount of fish swimming at your ankels when you wade on the Key sometimes reminded me of the deep tropics.... ahh, paradise in America!

~ Siesta Key, Florida ~

by noidiotsplease

Home away from home

Siesta Key served as our home away from home while visiting Sarasota. Here, we stayed at the Turtle Beach Resort, a secluded string of cottages with private hot tubs and decks overlooking the Gulf Coast’s answer to the Intracoastal Waterway. Guests may also take out paddle boats as we did, and try to paddle out to a small island (although we never got that far). Located along Midnight Pass Road in the quiet southern end of Siesta Key, the Turtle Beach Resort is a great place for honeymooners and married couples celebrating an anniversary.

A short drive to the north along Siesta Key’s main drag, Siesta Key Village is a collection of casual eats and local shops spread over the course of a couple blocks. The area is very walkable and located close to the beach. While it is located along the main road, traffic is not a concern and the road is easily crossed by pedestrians. Instead of big national chains and retailers, the village is composed of primarily small and local businesses. We ate a couple of times in the village, including an al fresco dinner at a table by the sidewalk and a great breakfast at a European-themed bakery. A couple “high-rise” condos are also located by the village, but island is not really a “high-rise” beach resort. Most of the island’s Gulf-side condominiums are only a handful of stories, and many private homes are actually located throughout this largely residential island.

Of course, Siesta Key Beach is the main attraction here. While it rained a lot during our time in Sarasota, we were able to visit the beach on a drier day near the end of our visit. Unfortunately, the recent storm had left its mark. We only experienced Siesta Key Beach’s famous soft white powder in its wetter, muddier state. Clumps of brown seaweed churned up by the unusually rough surf also lay strewn along the beach, and the water was missing its characteristic turquoise sheen. Nonetheless, the sand did feel soft, albeit a little squishy, under our bare feet. I really would like the opportunity to return there on a nice clear day. Everything considered, Siesta Key really is a little piece of paradise on earth, just a short trip away from the comforts and culture of a thriving metropolis.

Visit my SARASOTA page.
Visit my FLORIDA page.

siesta key, Florida - a quite beach town

by cardwatcher

"Beach appeal"

My family and I love the beach. We have visited lots of them throughout the US and Carribean and I must say that this was one of the best. It was a mix of white sand and a light gray due to a recent project by the ACOE. The surf was pulling the beach away at such a fast rate that homes in the area were in danger. However the area was loaded with marine life.
The second day we were there, while floating on rafts in the surf, we realized that there were 3 large manatees in the water with us. The next day we watched a large pod of dolphins fish and play right off the beach. And the beach is used by turtles this time of year so there was a lot of turtle activity (May to Sept)

"Fisherman's Cove and turtle beach"

We stayed in a condo which rents units by the week/month. It is located on a peninsula sandwiched between an inlet and the gulf. There are docks on the front parking end of the units and the back opens right onto the beach. The condo is only 3 stories and has under 100 units in total. There is a pool and shuffle-board located in the middle of the facility. The unit was surrounded by mostly residental areas. There is a public beach access just prior to reaching the condo unit - but we never noticed a large amount of people in the area.
The condo we stayed in was nice - although not large - and the rent was reasonable.

"Night life"

Well this is the only downfall - or bright spot - depending on what you are looking for. There are very few restaurants right near the condo. There were a couple of fun outdoor places - Turtles on the Beach - Captain Curt's.
There were standard fare places a few miles further away. There are grocery stores and drug stores as well as a 2 major malls within 15 or 20 minutes away.
All in all we truly enjoyed our short stay in this area.