Sarasota & Lido Key Beaches
Photo from VisitSarasota.com
We’ll look at the three public beach options on Lido Key, which is known for shopping at St. Armands Circle in the center of the key. Again see the above link for tons of information about Sarasota and its nearby keys. Parking is free, where available, at the beaches with metered parking on main roads around the beaches.
City Island Beach
There’s a tiny beach on the bay at City Island, a peninsula jutting out into the bay. There’s a ton of parking, and privacy. The sand won’t be the pristine white powder along the Gulf coast, but for sitting out in the sun it’s perfect. The water is very shallow and protected, so perhaps for small children it is ideal. A plus for many is that dogs are welcome, but they should be on a lead.
North Lido Beach Park
At 50 Benjamin Franklin Dr., this beach is isolated and quiet. It’s open 5am–11pm. No pets are allowed and there is no bathroom or lifeguard. There is a small shaded sitting area with benches mid-way down the beach, but that’s all.
Image from TheSwimGuide.org
The Google Map below has a pretty cool Google Photo Path which is like Street View when you make Pegman (the yellow little man icon) walk the streets. You can visually walk-the-beach with Pegman to see it and its interior access paths, indicated at the orange arrows for the photo path. There is no parking until you get to where Pegman (upper red arrow) is standing, which has immediate access to North Beach Park. There is additional free parking all along the beach-side of Benjamin Franklin Ave. indicated by the lower
red arrow where there is a parking lot, shown below, which is open from 6am–11pm. Use the staircase to access the beach.
Lido Beach Park
Located at 50 Benjamin Franklin Dr., Lido Beach has a swimming pool, lifeguards, concession/restaurant, picnicking and rest rooms. The 25-meter lap pool is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am–4:30pm.
Photos from SarasotaCountyParks.com
The lap pool is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am–4:30pm. It’s not free, but $4/day is pretty reasonable.
Pay via CC at the pool. Save with passes, fees as of 01/2025 shown; visit the website for more info.
This is cool! You can rent, at no cost, the EcoRover if you need assistance to get out on the beach. Just ask at the Beach Pavilion or call 941-263-6299 for information on how to reserve the beast.
Keep on Truck’n!
Keep on Truck’n!
South Lido Beach
Located at 2201 Benjamin Franklin Dr., at the tip of Key Lido is more rustic than Lido Beach Park with restrooms, but little else. It’s in the Ted Sperling Park which has walking trails and a large park area. More rustic than the main Lido Beach it has bathrooms, but no swimming pool. Find plenty of shaded parking in the large unpaved lot, which is free. There is a cool playground, fishing, trails and picnic areas. It’s open 6am–10pm. As of 02/01/25 it was closed for storm damage repair, so check before visiting.
Photos from SarasotaCountyParks.com
South Lido Beach is just as nice as Siesta Key (which is just a 1000 feet south), but far less crowded. Also, you can walk around the point (or across the Park) and use beaches on the bayside, which are rarely accessibly by public ways. It is much closer to the center of Sarasota, with a free the jitney that runs from downtown out to the beach and back all day long. See Getting Around for details of the jitney trolley system connecting Lido Key to downtown Sarasota.
Red Tide at South Lido Beach, Public Domain, courtesy Sarasota County
Traveling further south, we have to drive into Sarasota on the mainland, head south on Tamiami Trail and then travel over to Siesta Key, where the beaches are described in the next section.
