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Beaches
Welcome to the some of the world's most beautiful beaches! Enjoy picnicking, shelling, swimming, walking or whatever you like on these sugar-sand beaches bordered by crystal-blue waters.
Anna Maria Bayfront Park
On the northern end of Anna Maria Island, is a secluded beach that fronts both the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico. According to the locals, this is the best beach in the area for finding unbroken sand dollars and scalloped cockleshells. Sunbathers discover small sand dunes, sea oats, and a great view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Park-goers can enjoy amenities such as a barbecue pit, picnic shelters, a playground, restrooms, showers and lifeguards.
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Blind Pass Beach
Blind Pass Beach is located on Manasota Key Road, one mile north of the Charlotte County Line on Manasota Key. Amenities include rest rooms, parking, playground equipment, canoe launch, nature trail, large picnic shelter, and dune wildflowers. Please note that no lifeguards are on duty.
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Brohard Beach
Brohard Beach is located in the southern most part of the City of Venice, on the Venice Airport property on Harbor Drive. This park is owned by the City of Venice and operated by Sarasota County. If you enjoy fishing for recreation, there is a 740 foot fishing pier on the property for public use. The pier contains rest rooms, a snack bar, and a bait shop.
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Casperson Beach
Casperson Beach is located south of the Venice Airport on Harbor Drive. As you visit this beach, you will find that the southern two thirds of beachfront has been left in its natural state. Many people describe it as uncultivated, windswept, and secluded. A dune restoration system with walkovers has been implemented to preserve the shoreline.
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Coquina Beach
On Anna Maria's southern tip, is a lovely and popular public beach lined with towering Australian pines. Families can enjoy this park because of its full-service concession stand, ample parking, barbecue pits, picnic facilities, boat ramp, playground, restrooms, showers and lifeguards.
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Cortez Beach
Also known as Bradenton Beach, is located just north of Coquina on Gulf Blvd., and boasts three-fourths of a mile of sugar-white sand. No facilities or lifeguards. Also enjoy a restaurant and snack bar that even serves pancake breakfasts on weekends.
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Greer Island (Beer Can Island)
Greer Island at the north end of the Key is accessed by boat or North Shore Blvd., and is a beautiful, secluded peninsula with a wide beach and excellent shelling. No facilities or lifeguards are available.
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Lido Beach
Located mid-island on Lido Key is only minutes from St. Armands Circle, and the facilities here are outstanding. Besides the beautiful sand and sea, also provided are showers, lockers, dressing rooms, a 25-meter swimming pool, concession stand, public meeting rooms, beachwear souvenir boutique, and children's playground.
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Longboat Key
Longboat Key is for those who prefer seclusion. These pristine beaches are a well-kept secret and public access is at a minimum.
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Manasota Beach
Manasota Beach is located at the west end of Manasota Beach Road. This is a wonderful place to spend your leisure time whether you are interested in taking a walk, collecting shells, or maybe flying a kite. This beach is situated between the Gulf and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a convenience on the Intracoastal side, a boat ramp and docking facilities are available allowing access to the Bays and Gulf. The 620 feet of dockage becomes a scenic boardwalk that meanders through the mangroves.
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Nokomis Beaches
To find the Nokomis beaches, turn west on Albee Road off U.S. 41 and cross over the Nokomis Bridge. In front of you, you'll find Nokomis Beach, with ample parking in two lots, lifeguards, picnic tables, grills and bathrooms. To your right is Casey Key.
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North Jetty Beach
North Jetty Beach is located on the southern tip of Casey Key. The jetties make this one of the most exciting surfing beaches on the west coast of Florida. It is a very popular picnicking spot for families and large groups, and the fishing is said to be spectacular. If you enjoy watching boats, this is a good place to engage in that activity. Boats can be seen daily as they pass through the jetties from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. Amenities include rest rooms, parking, bait shop, large and small picnic shelters, horseshoe courts, volleyball courts, concession, and dune walkovers. For your safety, lifeguards are on duty year round.
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North Lido Beach
North Lido Beach is a gorgeous half-mile stretch of beach and is the area's most famous beach.
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Palmer Point Beach
Palmer Point Beach begins at the southern tip of Siesta Key and continues onto the north end of Casey Key. The northern portion of this beach was previously the home of Mote Marine Laboratory. The closing of Midnight Pass in January of 1984 has created one continuous beach from the northern portion to Casey Key. This beach will give you a feeling of privacy and seclusion. It is a beautiful, gently sloping beach with a pristine dune system. The beach is a popular spot for boaters and people who like to walk along the shore from Turtle Beach. Two things to make note of if you are visiting; there are no lifeguards on duty, and there are no facilities present.
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Siesta Public Beach
Located mid-island off Midnight Pass is where the action is and where you'll find the world's finest, whitest sand. It's the widest beach in the county and certainly the most popular. On its busiest weekends you'll find more than 15,000 people there. Facilities include a concession stand, restrooms, volleyball nets, tennis courts and year-round lifeguards. Pine trees shade an area for picnicking, with grills for cooking out and a playground for the children. This sparkling white beach is also within walking distance to Siesta Village, a shopping and dining mecca with an island flair.
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Turtle Beach
Turtle Beach is a tranquil beach located on the southernmost tip of Siesta Key on Midnight Pass Road, about two and one-half miles south of Stickney Point Road. Less crowded than Siesta Beach, it is a wonderful place to spend a few hours sunbathing, reading or picnicking under its covered shelter.
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Venice Beaches
Fossilized sharks' teeth are the main attraction at Casperson Beach, near the airport off Harbor Drive in Venice. It also features a fishing pier, nature trail and a restaurant. If you want to sunbathe on smooth, white sand or enjoy crystal-blue waters, Venice Public Beach, at the end of W. Venice Ave. off Hwy 41, offers picnic benches, restrooms and outdoor showers.
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