Travel: Siesta Beach, Sarasota

You’ve probably heard about Dr. Beach (Stephen Leatherman), and his annual ranking of America’s Top 10 Beaches. He often names locations that aren’t as well known as the most popular destinations. So when he named Siesta Beach as the number 2 American beach in 2009, a lot of people took notice.

Here’s what he said about this site: “With some of the finest, whitest sand in the world, this beach attracts sand collectors from all over. Siesta Beach has clear, warm waters that serve for ideal swimming. The beach is hundreds of yards wide in the shape of a crescent, due to anchoring of onshore rocks to the north and a unique underwater formation of coral rock and caves, providing for great snorkeling and scuba diving. This beach is great for volleyball and other types of recreational fitness.”

Sounds more like a Caribbean beach than a Florida one. There are actually three sections to this beach: the popular Siesta Public Beach, Crescent Beach to the south (with the best snorkeling and diving), and Turtle Beach below that, a sportier, family beach.

While the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is often inaccurate (or at least seem so to a writer), no amount of words will show the beauty of the area better than these photos: