Sand trap

Its hard to resist Siesta Keys alluring beaches

By Aline Mendelsohn | Special to the Sun

May 16, 2007

Siesta Key is for snobs. Sand snobs, that is.

The sand of Siesta Beach is soft and smooth, like velvet beneath your toes, silk between your fingers. It stretches out in an expanse of white lapped by turquoise water, and even on warm days the sand is cool.

In 2004, the Travel Channel named it Best Sand Beach, and it has appeared on the annual list of best U.S. beaches compiled by Stephen Leatherman, the Florida International University professor known as Dr. Beach.

Leatherman, who has studied beaches around the globe, says Siesta Key boasts some of the "finest, whitest sand I've ever seen in the world."

And it's not just about the sand. This 8-mile-long island has good restaurants, lively nightlife and a prime location next door to Sarasota.

"It's a bit of a secret," Leatherman says.

Not anymore.

Hotels

Boutique hotels and rental bungalows offering direct access to the beach are popular.

• Captiva Beach Resort, 6772 Sara Sea Circle, Sarasota; 800-349-4131 or captivabeachresort.com. Twenty rooms and guest suites with private baths, full kitchens and living areas. Summer rates: $115-$235.

• Tropical Breeze Resort & Spa, 5150 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key; 800-300-2492 or tropicalbreezeinn .com. One-, two- and three-bedroom suites within walking distance to Siesta Key Village. Pools, bicycles and spa services, including massages and facials. Summer rates: $125-$430.

Restaurants

For dinner, you'll find Siesta Village refreshingly short on restaurant chains. For dessert, you might indulge in a cone from Big Olaf Creamery.

• Savor Sarasota, Restaurant Week. The 10-day dining event runs June 1-10 and features fixed-price lunch and dinner menus from the city's many Zagat-rated restaurants. For details, go to sara sotafl.org.

• Blase Cafe & Martini Bar, 5263 Ocean Blvd., 941-349-9822; theblase cafe.com: Entrees range from $11.95-$27 and include mahi-mahi in tropical-fruit sauce, other seafood, steaks, chicken and pasta dishes.

• The Lobster Pot, 5157 Ocean Blvd., 941-349-2323; sarasota-lob sterpot.com: In a casual environment, the Lobster Pot offers an array of seafood and salads for lunch and dinner.

Shopping

Shoppers might enjoy prowling through Siesta Key's village shops, which include the requisite T-shirt and souvenir store.

• St. Armands Circle, intersection of Boulevard of Presidents and John Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota. A European-flavored area with more than 150 upscale shops, galleries and fine restaurants.

• Downtown Farmers Market, Lemon Avenue and Main Street in Sarasota, 941-951-2656. Open every Saturday. Florida oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, strawberries and other produce, along with seafood, flowers, baked goods and more.