BeachesWith
Sarasota Beach: sandy beach with turquoise water and dramatic cloudy sky2 photos
Photo: Timothy Meinberg tmbrg, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)

Sarasota Beach

Siesta Key, Florida

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

  • Calm water 8.4
  • Sunset over water
  • Lifeguards
  • Pier
  • HoursNot on file
  • ParkingFree, 28 lots within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
6.6/ 10Good
How we score beaches
Calm water
8.4 of 10
Water
89 Ftoday
Sunset
7:40 pmover the water
Parking
Free28 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Lowtoday
Families
Very good
84of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water · light wind. Watch: 27% rain chance.

76 Fpartly cloudy
High
88 F
Sea temperature
89 F
Waves
0.4 ftup to 0.7 ft
Wind
6 mphup to 10 mph
Rain chance
27%
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 am86 Fpartly cloudy, 6% rain, 4 mph
  3. 2:00 pm88 Fovercast, 10% rain, 7 mph
  4. 5:00 pm84 Fovercast, 14% rain, 7 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), 0.9 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

  • FamiliesVery goodCalm water 8.4, lifeguards
  • SwimmingVery goodWaves around 1.6 ft, sea 78 F on average
  • SunsetsFairover the water 4 months a year
  • ConvenienceGood28 parking lots, 3 places to eat
How the Beach Score is calculated: 6.6 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
Facilities2.3 of 3Within walking distance: parking, restaurants, lifeguards.
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 14 months a year, November to February.

Ranks #3 of 38 for free parking in Florida, #4 of 21 for lifeguards in Florida, #6 of 67 for pier in Florida, #14 of 124 for parking in Florida, #14 of 57 for sunset over 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.

Amenities

  • Parking28 nearby
  • Free parking5 nearby
  • BathroomsNo
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and bars3 nearby
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • LifeguardsYes
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • Pier1 nearby
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Sunset over waterYes, November to February
  • 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
Public Beach Access 7, Siesta Key, FL 34242

Address from OpenStreetMap (nearest road, approximate).

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south-west (220 degrees). The sun sets over the water in 4 months, November to February.

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
Noover land 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)
  • 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, 8.7 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

Sarasota 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 sunsetsNovember to FebruarySun sets over the water
All monthly averages, 2023-2025Sarasota 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
Dec67 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 Sarasota Beach

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

All places near Sarasota Beach as a list (76)

Beach access Public Beach Access 7 and 7 more · Nearest parking at the beach · Nearest food and drinks 760 ft · 3 min walk · Nearest restrooms 1,340 ft · 5 min walk · Nearest showers 1,310 ft · 5 min walk

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of the beach as mapped in OpenStreetMap; walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 27.2706, -82.5620. 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 Sarasota Beach

Is there parking at Sarasota Beach?

Yes. 28 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft, including Public Beach Access 5. Source: OpenStreetMap.

Are there lifeguards at Sarasota Beach?

Yes, mapped as supervised or with a lifeguard station within 980 ft. Hours are seasonal and not always mapped.

How warm is the water at Sarasota 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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota Beach?

Yes, in 4 months a year (November to February), based on the shore direction and the monthly sunset azimuth.

When is hurricane season at Sarasota 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.