BeachesWith
Cresent Beach: beach with sand dunes, beachfront condominium building, palm trees4 photos
Photo: hill10003, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)

Cresent Beach

Siesta Key, Florida

Ocean beach in Siesta Key, facing south-west, with parking and restaurants within walking distance.

  • Calm water 8.4
  • Sunset over water
  • Restaurants and bars
  • Hotels nearby
  • HoursNot on file
  • Parking2 lots within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
6.1/ 10Good
How we score beaches
Calm water
8.4 of 10
Water
89 Ftoday
Sunset
7:40 pmover the water
Parking
Mapped2 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Lowtoday
Families
Fair
83of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water · light wind. Watch: 28% rain chance.

76 Fovercast
High
89 F
Sea temperature
89 F
Waves
0.4 ftup to 0.7 ft
Wind
5 mphup to 10 mph
Rain chance
28%
UV index
8very high
Sun
7:13 am to 7:40 pm
Surf zoneNWS Tampa Bay Ruskin forecast for Coastal Sarasota, issued 4:00 am EDT, Wed Sep 9
  • Rip current riskLowtoday
  • Surf1 ft or less
  • ThunderstormsModerate
  • Rip risk tonightLow
Tidesnext low at 5:14 am
  1. High12:01 am1.7 ft
  2. Low5:14 am0.8 ft
  3. High11:48 am2.2 ft
  4. Low6:13 pm0.4 ft
  1. 8:00 am · best77 Fovercast, 3% rain, 5 mph
  2. 11:00 am87 Fpartly cloudy, 5% rain, 5 mph
  3. 2:00 pm88 Fmostly clear, 8% rain, 8 mph
  4. 5:00 pm84 Fovercast, 18% rain, 6 mph

Forecast for Thursday, Sep 10, local time (GMT-4). Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, refreshed hourly. Sea temperature and waves are model values for the nearest offshore point. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS station Siesta Key, Big Sarasota Pass (8726034), 3.0 mi from the beach, heights above MLLW. Rip current risk and surf from the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecast for the zone; a low risk still means rip currents near piers, jetties, and inlets.The rating rule is on the methodology page. Planning a future date? See typical weather by month.

Great for

  • FamiliesFairCalm water 8.4, no bathrooms mapped
  • SwimmingVery goodWaves around 1.6 ft, sea 78 F on average
  • SunsetsVery goodover the water 8 months a year
  • ConvenienceGood2 parking lots, 1 places to eat
How the Beach Score is calculated: 6.1 of 10

The score is the sum of the components below. Clear water counts only where a clarity source exists. Rankings never take revenue as an input.

ComponentPointsFact
Facilities1.8 of 3Within walking distance: parking, restaurants.
Calm water1.7 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 1.6 ft.
Warm water0.7 of 1Mean sea temperature 78 F.
Sunset over water1.0 of 18 months a year, September to April.

Ranks #19 of 60 for hotels nearby in Florida, #23 of 57 for sunset over water in Florida, #27 of 67 for restaurants and bars in Florida, #29 of 124 for parking in Florida, #39 of 46 for calm water in Florida. All beaches in Florida.

Verdicts on the cards come from the same facts. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026). The formula is on the methodology page.

Aerial view of Cresent Beach in Siesta Key, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
Cresent Beach: sandy beach with swimmers, beachgoers, tents, and waterfront buildings
Cresent Beach: sunset over ocean with person on bicycle on beach

Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2023 via USGS National Map, public domain (source) · Photo: hill10003, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source) · Photo: JOHN SIMPSON, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)

Amenities

  • Parking2 nearby
  • Free parkingNo
  • BathroomsNo
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and bars1 nearby
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearby2 nearby
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • PierNo
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Sunset over waterYes, September to April
  • Calm water8.4 of 10
  • Warm water6.7 of 10

Nearby means within walking distance of the beach centre (980 ft to 1,640 ft, by kind), from OpenStreetMap. Scores are 0 to 10. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026); the method for each is on the methodology page.

Hours, fees, and rules

Hours and fees are not on file yet. No operator page found yet.

Address
Seaside Drive, Siesta Key, FL 34242

Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south-west (247 degrees). The sun sets over the water in 8 months, September to April.

Computed from the OpenStreetMap coastline and the sunset azimuth for each month.

Planning a trip

Early October is usually hot, with very warm water and some rainy days.

Water
81 FVery warm
High
85 FHot
Rainy day
31%Some rain
Waves
1.7 ftModerate
Sunset
Yesover the water in October

What to expect

  • Very warm swimming water, around 81 F
  • Moderate waves, around 1.7 ft
  • Some rainy days in October (7 a month)
  • Sunset over the water
  • October is within Atlantic hurricane season, at its peak
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peak from mid-August to late October. Storm history near this beach

2 October storms within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 23 years, 1 at hurricane strength. Most recent in any month: Hurricane Milton, October 2024, 10.6 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Cresent Beach through the year

Warm water
Low rain
Calm water

Darker is better: warmer water, fewer rainy days, calmer water. Monthly means, 2023-2025, from Open-Meteo. Values for a date blend the nearest two months; the bands and the rule are on the methodology page.

When to go

  • Best overallApril to Maywarm water · fewer rainy days · calm water · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to August89 F average
  • DriestNovember to December4 to 5 rainy days a month
  • Best for sunsetsSeptember to AprilSun sets over the water
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Cresent Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.5060708090100110JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan64 F (18 C)70 F (21 C)92.1 ft
Feb67 F (20 C)76 F (24 C)41.8 ft
Mar72 F (22 C)78 F (26 C)82.0 ft
Apr76 F (25 C)83 F (28 C)71.8 ft
May82 F (28 C)87 F (31 C)141.3 ft
Jun86 F (30 C)88 F (31 C)201.4 ft
Jul89 F (32 C)91 F (33 C)231.0 ft
Aug89 F (32 C)89 F (32 C)241.4 ft
Sep86 F (30 C)88 F (31 C)211.4 ft
Oct80 F (27 C)84 F (29 C)71.7 ft
Nov74 F (23 C)79 F (26 C)41.6 ft
Dec68 F (20 C)74 F (23 C)51.8 ft

Monthly means, 2023-2025. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Wave height is the mean of daily maximum significant wave height.

Explore Cresent Beach

Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.

All places near Cresent Beach as a list (25)

Beach access Main access and 2 more · Nearest parking 670 ft · 3 min walk · Nearest food and drinks 960 ft · 4 min walk

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of a 600 m stretch of shoreline around the beach's mapped point (OpenStreetMap maps this beach as a point); walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 27.2490, -82.5364. Open this spot in OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. Missing or wrong? Fix it in OpenStreetMap and it appears here after the next weekly update.

Nearby beaches

Questions about Cresent Beach

Is there parking at Cresent Beach?

Yes. 2 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft. Source: OpenStreetMap.

How warm is the water at Cresent Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 89 F (32 C) in July and 64 F (18 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at Cresent Beach?

Calm water scores 8.4 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 1.6 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

Can you see the sunset over the water at Cresent Beach?

Yes, in 8 months a year (September to April), based on the shore direction and the monthly sunset azimuth.

When is hurricane season at Cresent Beach?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to late October, per the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Since 1980, 12 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 5 at hurricane strength, most in July, September and October. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.

Sources

  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Siesta Key, Big Sarasota Pass (8726034), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service TBW office for Coastal Sarasota (FLZ160), public domain

Licenses and refresh dates for every dataset are on the data page. Something wrong? Every beach page has a report button; corrections are logged with a date.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Beach location, shoreline, and amenity positions are from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL. Data updated Sep 10, 2026.