Winner announced! The best beach champion crowned for Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte
The crown for best beach in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties has been determined following four rounds of weekly, March Madness-style voting that started March 6. Last week's championship found Lido Beach against Siesta Beach. Both beaches are among our staff picks for the best in Sarasota and Manatee counties. When the polls closed at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30, Siesta Beach emerged victorious.
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Located on the north end of Siesta Key, Siesta Beach received national attention last month when Tripadvisor announced its Best of the Best Beaches for 2023 lists as part of its annual Travelers' Choice Awards.
Siesta Beach on Siesta Key ranked No. 2 among the Top 10 Beaches in the U.S. The famed Sarasota County beach just missed the Top 10 on Tripadvisor's list of Top 10 Beaches in the World, placing No. 11 for 2023.
In 2022, Tripadvisor also named Siesta Beach No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 14 in the world. Ranked at No. 17 in the country the previous year, Siesta Beach did not place on the world list in 2021.
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Siesta Beach has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. twice by Dr. Beach
Siesta Beach has been ranked No. 1 in the U.S. twice by Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman and appeared in a Wall Street Journal story in 2022 about the best beaches in Florida. When Sarasota landed on Time magazine’s list of The World’s 100 Greatest Places of 2021, the blurb ran with a Siesta Key sunset photo and a subhead that read “The growing Gulf Coast scene.”
Siesta's wide public beach features soft sand made almost exclusively of pure quartz, which remains cool on the feet even when baked in the Florida sun. There's also the pavilion that's home to Siesta Beach Eats operated by concessionaire Venice Pier Group, which also owns Sharky's on the Pier and Fins at Sharky's on the Venice Fishing Pier at Brohard Park, as well as Myakka River spot Snook Haven.
In addition, Siesta Beach is conveniently located less than a mile away from bustling Siesta Key Village and a bunch of popular restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: best beach winner for Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Punta Gorda
