Famously soft quartz sand that stays cool underfoot.
Siesta Key Beach is in Sarasota County, Florida, on the Gulf coast.
Sarasota County's large free beach lots fill by mid-morning once the season picks up at Siesta Key Beach. Lifeguards are posted here year round, and both restrooms and concessions are on site. Lido Key Beach is under four miles north and Longboat Key about ten and a half.
Today's flag, water temperature, surf, wind, UV and tide times for Siesta Key Beach load on this page automatically. Conditions change through the day, so nothing on this page is a substitute for the flag flying when you arrive.
Amenity details are Coasti's own notes and can go out of date. Fees, lifeguard seasons and dog rules are set locally.
Flags run from green for low hazard to double red for water closed — see what each flag color means.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Siesta Key, Big Sarasota Pass (8726034).
Weather and marine forecasts come from the National Weather Service at Sarasota Bradenton Intl (KSRQ).
Red tide readings come from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission monitoring map.
Late summer is when blooms tend to build, with most peaking somewhere between September and November. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tracks the alga on a statewide map refreshed from samples taken over a rolling eight-day cycle. Because blooms don't cover the coast evenly, Siesta Key Beach and Lido Key Beach, under four miles apart, can read differently in the same week. See today's statewide red tide status.
That depends on the flag and the surf, and both change through the day. Coasti shows the posted lifeguard flag when a current one exists, and estimates from surf, wind and rip-current risk when it does not. Today's answer for Siesta Key Beach loads at the top of this page.
Siesta Key Beach has lifeguards on duty year-round. Hours vary by season, and no flag flying does not mean the water is safe.
Parking at Siesta Key Beach is free. Large free lots; fill by mid-morning in season. Fees and lot hours change, so check locally before you go.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach at Siesta Key Beach. Nearby rules vary, so check locally before you go.
It is quartz rather than crushed shell or coral. Quartz reflects more light, so it looks whiter and stays noticeably cooler underfoot on a hot afternoon.
More Sarasota County beaches · All beaches Coasti covers · Red tide status · What the flags mean