Siesta Key Traffic

[roliepolieoliefan]

Hi!

My family and I visited Siesta Key last week for the first time. I realize it was spring break and the crowds were higher than usual but the traffic was horrendous. No place to park, hords of people on the beach etc.

When we left it took us an hour just to get from the parking lot to the interstate.

Are the crowds like this is the summer too? And to the people who live there year round, how do you deal with it?

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

I don't know the answer to your question - but I know we have a few residents on the boards here. I would like to ask another ? - when is the best time to go? (that sort-of relates to your questions)

I first learned of Siesta Key on these boards, and I SWEAR to get there someday soon!

BTW - how did you like your stay? Where did you stay exactly - other thoughts on your trip?

 

[angwill]

I was there in June last year and there was no traffic or crowds and plenty of parking. HTH

 

[LoriKutchey]

We generally go down to longboat key every other year in May and hit the siesta beach a couple of times. Never once had an issue with crowds

 

[Cindy B]

My parents live about 10 minutes from there (5 minutes from the interstate).

We usually visit them mid August. It takes about 10 minutes drive - maybe 15 if you hit some of the lights. When we went we were one of the few families there.

They do say it does get crowded (especially during the sand sculpture contest) . If it is crowded they go to Nokomis, Venice Beach or one more place closer to Sarasota.

 

[cjackearl]

We were visiting family in Sarasota so we attempted to go to Siesta Key last week as well. Holy cats! The traffic was so horrible we actually ended up leaving without going to the beach and headed up to Nokomis Beach instead. I'd like to see it some day, but NOT over Spring Break!

 

[NotUrsula]

You unwittingly drove right into Siesta Fiesta; the island's annual street fair and craft festival weekend: http://www.escape-to-sarasota.com/siesta-fiesta.html They block a lot of the streets in the Village area, so it creates a traffic nightmare.

Normally, the only place where there is any real traffic on Siesta is around the Village on weekends, when locals come out to go to the clubs and restaurants. The southern beach areas essentially have no traffic at all, though the public access points are small and harder to find at those more primitive beaches.

 

[swilshire]

We found the same problem during our Christmas holiday trip. Drove around the parking lot for a good 45 minutes racing people for every abandoned space. My husband was not patient, but I kept hoping we'd find a spot. Gave up and left, ate lunch, visited another spot recommended by our server and came back to loop for another half hour. It was getting fairly late in the afternoon by then, so we FINALLY found a space.

Sheila

 

[MissVeronica]

We live in Tampa and vacation in Siesta Key in late October. It is not at all crowded at that time.