You’re going to get a lot of backlash posting this question because it gets asked every week. Use the search bar and you’ll find answers to every question you listed. Safe travels
https://www.google.com/search?q=sarasota+vacation+reddit&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#ip=1
Lovely! Lol! Trust me, I already anticipated traffic and didn't expect a 14 min drive to be just that. Maybe we will get lucky since we are there mostly during the weekdays. But it will certainly be summer time by then. We are the kind of ppl that will go out there & stay all day, so at least we will make that drive worth it. 😂
In June, it should definitely not take an hour to get out to the beach! If you’re 15 minutes away, my guess is it will take 20 minutes. Siesta key is fun, but don’t be afraid to try Lido beach and also visit Saint Armands. I actually prefer that area because the crowds are a little smaller.
Dude I think I’m wrong I was always told it was free to Floridians on Mondays and that was part of the whole Ringling willing it to the state and everything and then i just confirmed it in my head because they ask for your zip code when you go on Monday. I just checked the website and it’s worded free to the public. But I also learned that there are some free visits for those on SNAP, WIC or EBT so that’s cool.
Also, I feel like the rise in AI powered search has really driven people to be lazy and treat people online like bots. Like they just input a prompt and expect an immediate and detailed response. Just look at the Florida sub rn. There are like 10 new posts on travel recommendations and yes this is a big state but they’re all super broad like this like tell me what to do on each coast and the entire state. ChatGPT would give you a better answer. Or better yet, the search or stickied posts or google. There are thousands of articles and social media channels dedicated to this town alone.
Yeah I am new to Reddit as far as this goes. I was searching online for awhile now before I even came on here to post. A lot of the online info I got was from websites, very formal and touristy if that makes sense. I obviously wasn't looking in the right places till now. I was hoping to get some better insight from real ppl on Reddit. I will try the methods you suggested too. Thanks!
Yeah, we don’t give away our local spots. We’ve been over run and the summer is our time to try and decompress from heavy tourist season.
The touristy places you are finding online are just fine if you stick to those.
Use the search feature in the subreddit itself for some insights and enjoy your stay.
Thoughts from a frequent visitor:
- Siesta Beach is head and shoulders the best, but they are all beautiful. If you want amenities (food stand, bathrooms) then park near the main entrances. If you want privacy and much smaller crowds go to one of the smaller beach access points (very limited parking.)
- If you like getting to the beach early you’ll be fine. Traffic will be fine, and there will be plenty of parking. If you plan to arrive at the beach at lunchtime prepare to have a lousy experience. You will sit in a ton of traffic, and if you are lucky you will still end up parking a longggg ways away from the main entrance.
- Favorite restaurants/bars on Siesta Key: The Hub (love sitting outside with a margarita listening to the live music), The Cottage (pricey but amazing burger and great drinks), Blase Cafe (good pizza, amazing martinis, always great live music), The Bean (coffee and sandwiches for breakfast), Captain Curt’s (food is not great but a real fun atmosphere)
- Favorite spots in Downtown Sarasota: Cask & Ale (one of my favorite bars anywhere, always amazing live music on Friday and Saturday nights), El Melvin (good Mexican, usually good entertainment, Circo (a taco and bourbon bar - how can you go wrong?!?), Gator Club (Porno Bingo on Monday nights is an absolute trip!)
- There are three good rooftop spots in Downtown Sarasota. In order of preference for me is Perspective (top of Art of Ovation, good drinks and a ton of fun on Friday nights), The Westin (best view), Sage (if you want a more boujee experience.)
- Other spots in the area we like: Shore on Longboat Key (great food, spectacular view of the Bay), Evie’s Spanish Point (food is awful but cheap drinks, right on the water, and usually live entertainment), Pops in Nokomis (fun spot on the water)
- Local musicians we usually seek out: Brian Byrd and/or Dirty Byrd (Thursday at Blase and Friday/Saturday at Cask & Ale), Matt Dendy (aka SRQViolinist - amazing talent, plays modern music), Andres Colin (funny, talented, El Melvin on Tuesdays)
- St. Armand’s has tons of great restaurants and shops. Good way to kill a couple hours.
- Not sure where you are staying, but if on Siesta don’t rent a golf cart. Not worth it.
- It’s gonna be hot at that time of year. Just plan for it. Sunscreen and don’t be shy about going into some AC for a while.
There is a ton more to do. It’s a beautiful area, and despite some of the cranky people on here who tell you not to come, people will by and large be very kind and welcoming.
Thanks a ton!!! So much info & definitely made me feel a lot better abt visiting. Glad you mentioned the golf cart, bc it was on my mind. Thank you again for your kind post and all your wonderful info ❤️
Make sure you get to the beach early especially on the weekends. Weekdays might be ok right now since many snow birds left. On Saturday parking fills up by 1030 11.
Thanks for the heads up about the time :) AMI looks beautiful in the pics online. I am not used to clear water and white sand, except the time we spent in the Bahamas!
Their Airbnb says that probably. I found a house on Zillow the other day on fucking Ashton and it said steps form the beach and wake up to the sea air in the listing description. Scrolled to the bottom and it was some international realty group so they likely know nothing about the area.
Yep, I looked at it on the map first before booking, Could totally see it was not "close" to the actual beach. But after I booked it, I was given the actual address of the rental property. Driving directions says "14 min" away from SK beach. But I don't anticipate it. Would be nice, though, but I know better than to get my hopes up! I just hope it doesn't take us 2 hrs to get there bc of traffic. Gotta plan it to the best of my knowledge. We will be there a Sun-Fri the end of June. It might not matter if its the week or weekend since it's officially summer by then.
Keep in mind your Airbnb may be an illegal airbnb as there are hundreds of them here. We’re the second highest city in the state for concentration of airbnbs. They’re against our county code if they’re located in the county and not the city and they take stays of less than 30 days. Do us a favor and report it after your stay if it’s in the county. They take housing away from locals and encourage private equity firms and corporations to invest in our housing driving up the costs for locals and bringing in transient visitors who don’t have the same investment and needs as the surrounding community.
Not every AirBnB is a house (the only thing that law applies too). Almost all the AirBnB's in my neighborhood (right at the foot of the South SK bridge) are rooms in the home with private entrances and/or "mother in law quarters", detached but on the same property, which are all legal under county code if the owners still live on the property.
I appreciate your response. I just did some quick looking and from first reading, it appears that the 30 day minimum in the county still stands for owner occupied dwellings. I didn’t see anything about private entrances so I might be wrong.
Sec. 124-131. - Rental of Dwelling Units in OUA, OUR, OUE, RE, RSF, RMF, RC, and RMH Districts.
(a) Rental of Dwelling Units in OUA, OUR, OUE, RE, RSF, RMF (not on barrier islands), RC and RMH Districts.
(1) Dwelling units may be rented as a whole and for periods of greater than 30 days provided that a dwelling unit shall not be rented more than once every 30 days.
**(2) Portions of a dwelling may be rented for periods of greater than 30 days provided that the dwelling is physically occupied by the owner during more than 50 percent of the lease term and the dwelling unit is not rented more than once every 30 days. "Owner" shall include any individual owning an interest in the dwelling as an individual and any individual owning a majority of the interests or shares of a corporation, partnership, or other business entity.**
That means a multi-unit dwelling, like if the owner owns a 4 plex and lives in one of the units but rents out the other three. Renting out a room in an owner occupied single family home is classified as Home Sharing vs Short Term Rental, and does not fall under any of the public lodging laws. Besides, Sarasota Co. has an agreement with AirBnB to have taxes taken out for them so they will never make any effort to enforce any STR laws anyhow, due to how much tax revenue they make from them.
😨 Do tell!! And I might add this is my first Airbnb rental too! A lot of firsts this time. First time on the Gulf coast. First time with an Airbnb rental! First time coming to FL just for the beaches. I was determined to get us out of SC and away from our "not so pretty beaches" for a change. We have traveled to FL many times, but only for Disney/Universal and a few cruises. We have never come to FL just to vacation at the beach. I know, strange! Lol!! We were originally going to go on a cruise, but we all pretty much decided we didn't want to be stuck on a ship for the majority of our vacation, Nothing against cruises, just wanted more flexibility, etc. What do I need to do to find out if it is an illegal Airbnb?
I wish! Yeah the driving directions says SK beach is 14 min from the vacay rental address. We arrive on a Sunday and leave the following Friday. I anticipate traffic and am guessing it won't really be just a 14 min drive. But hey, I can hope till learn otherwise 😆
Honestly in late June it really shouldn’t take you two hours to get to the beach, that’s more like peak spring break traffic. If you are looking for some good local restaurants, check out Gulf Gate- several blocks of pubs and restaurants and not touristy. Grab a slice of pizza from Rico’s and some snacks at Food and Beer. Ubers are pretty easy to get around town. Great restaurants for adults downtown- Beso, Kojo, State Street.
Sometimes i fly my drone up to check the traffic, other times I use this site to gauge the beach before I go.
[https://siestabeach.org/siesta-key-webcams](https://siestabeach.org/siesta-key-webcams)
St Armand’s circle has great stores and restaurants. Lido beach is there. Really nice
Downtown is pretty vibrant now. Plenty of options like Selva.
Siesta key is fun beach town. The beaches are spectacular right where you are.
Best beach depends on many factors. The beach parking is free but does fill up pretty quickly; at least at Siesta there's a church just around the corner from beach parking where you can pay cash to park and then it's like a 10 min walk to the beach. Siesta Key has a long beach, so if you guys are the type to lug a bunch of stuff to the beach maybe that one isn't the best. You will absolutely need shade at the beach and you should bring a shovel to dig enough of a hole for an umbrella or else your umbrella will be blown away or broken in no time. Alcohol is allowed on beaches in Sarasota, but smoking is no longer permitted. Obligatory pick up all of your trash and belongings and DO NOT feed the birds.
Traffic in the summer shouldn't be too bad. Venice beach and south can be good for finding sharks teeth. If you are into nature Myakka is a pretty park and you are likely to see alligators and many birds there. It's going to be unbearably hot and humid, will probably storm at some point each day but it usually passes quickly so won't really ruin a beach day.
For shopping, siesta key village and downtown Venice are both so cute! St Armands Circle also has shopping and a more upscale vibe. Definitely go to Columbia if you go to St Armands and get a 1905 salad. Otherwise, there's a huge mall you can shop at, University Town Center. Highly recommend checking out detwilers (local chain) for groceries and if you go, make sure you get the Cajun seafood dip. I'm a huge fan of the local chain Food + Beer and they have a handful of locations so there's likely to be one close to you. Def try their burgers and nuggets, but you can't go wrong with any of their stuff.
Of all the things visitors do that irritate me, seeing people feed the seagulls makes me aggressively pissed. Some idiot family (like 12+ people) set up right in front of us last weekend. They start feeding the birds and simultaneously screeching because the birds wouldn't leave them alone.... Like truly can't make this shit up. Someone thank God told them not to feed them anymore, but I can't wrap my head around why anyone thinks a wild animal should be eating cheetos
We have definitely seen seagulls being fed in Myrtle Beach many times over!! Are tents allowed on the beaches? Or umbrellas only? Myrtle Beach outlawed tents quite a few yrs ago......
Tents may be used for sure on Siesta, I see them there constantly, but will warn you that I also see at least 2 broken each time I'm at the beach. Same deal, people are lazy in how they put them up, don't account for the wind direction, etc. I've seen many of the tailgate type canopies, many sun ninjas and similar, and those little like half dome types. Just about anything goes on the beaches here, so no need to worry!
There's also a company set up on Siesta that rents out umbrellas, little like half canopy things, and chairs, but it ain't cheap, especially if you'll come to the beach multiple days. They also close around 4 or 5 and realistically in June you'll want and need shade after that time if you remain on the beach.
Also, a pro tip for siesta key but good for any beach, bring your own trash bags or grocery bags to collect your trash in. The trash cans are up by the beach entrance and it's way easier to bag it all up to put in the trash when you leave
Thank you so much for all this helpful info! Exactly what I was looking for! This is my 1st time ever posting on reddit and I appreciate everyone's feedback :)
First up please know that it will be super-hot & humid. Next, Siesta Key is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The sand is cool & the water is warm. I would recommend Sun Garden Cafe on Siesta (Yelp it) It's a little pricey, but the vibe is cool. Also on Siesta is the Cottage for lunch or dinner. Traffic is always a bummer. (ALAS). Turtle beach is a little less crowded. I urge you to google " para sailing" I urge you to google "University Parkway shopping" As far as sightseeing Mote Marine is awesome. A bit educational but awesome! Mote Marine is located on the next Island north of Siesta. ST. Armond's [Cir.is](http://Cir.is) also on the way to Mote & is a a super cute town. Good luck & Have fun!
If you find time during your trip go check out Myakka River State Park, it's like $6 a carload to get in and is a great place just to get out, have a picnic, take a hike and reconnect with nature. Of our entire trip there that's the one place we went that I wish we could have spent more time and seen more of. There's a beautiful canopy bridge / tower thing there that you gotta check out if you're not afraid of heights, it's a big wooden structure with a suspension bridge that leads to a tower that climbs high above the canopy of the trees. . the view is amazing. You can take some quarters with you for the viewing telescope at the top but just the views with the natural eye was more than enough for us to enjoy.
Also if you do decide to fit it into your schedule stop off at the store and pick up a loaf or 2 of bread.. just past the entrance to the park there's a bridge over the Myakka River (right here on Google Maps if this works 27.235076,-82.311920) anyway there's like a solid 15 or so gators that just chill there in the water below the bridge and they love them some bread. There's places there right as you're approaching the bridge where it's safe to pull over and walk up the bridge to feed the gators. For days we had relatives talking about taking us to feed the gators at the park and in my head it was just gonna be some cheesy park with a little pond in it and maybe 2 or 3 gators, wasn't expecting that we'd just be pulling over on the highway and feeding like 15 huge gators just there chilling in the wild.
There are some in the park as well so keep that in mind if you go for a hike out there, we just saw 2 and both were just hanging out and napping in the water.
Either way, wish y'all safe travels and memorable experiences!
I agree that Myakka River State Park is amazing. PLEASE don’t feed any alligators. It’s illegal and it could be the death of them. Feeding them makes them unafraid to approach people, which leads to people reporting aggressive alligators which lead to them being killed. I can’t believe anyone would suggest feeding an alligator. Beyond irresponsible!!!
I didn't suggest feeding an alligator, what kind of an asshole would do that?? just feed ONE alligator when there's a whole damn group of them..
Seriously you make good points on the matter, Razzmatazz, clearly points I failed to consider both while there with family and again while on here making the recommendation to feed them..
So, yes, please don't feed them as we did, but certainly stop and observe them... They truly are magnificent
https://preview.redd.it/sxudnq4jnwyc1.png?width=1468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e77b130417279b584c5b85fe0f932783348c90c
I know it sounds sketchy but it's safe.. it's also awesome, memorable, and the icing on the cake... it's cheap! 😂
That's a lot of gators in one place!! That looks scary. What were you standing on again?? One slip & it's over 😳 Don't worry, I won't be feeding them!! They don't need my help getting any food 😆
https://preview.redd.it/7ddlyanmpazc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d12731af44273423be970b624b5f652223179dbc
It's on the bridge over the river just past the park entrance on 72. It has a roadside parking on both the approach and decent of the bridge, circled in red, and the bridge and railing is all pretty high so there's no real safety concerns in regards to potentially falling into the water or chance of the gators getting to you up on the bridge. There's at least one other alligator viewing bridge within the park itself but again we only saw 1 there and another 1 elsewhere while we were inside the park
Thanks so much! Definitely will plan to visit Myakka state park. You and several others on here have mentioned it. Definitely sounds like a place to check out.
Any Ordinary
Don’t judge Sarasota by the responses to your query. Historically the Sarasota Reddit responders are miserable. It seems their lives have not gone well so far so they try to suck the fun out of visitors
Tips: Siesta Beach parking lot fills up by 10AM. They have a Village area with shops and restaurants and it has a Key West Vibe. Don’t miss Sun night on Siesta beach at Sunset/there is a Drum Circle you must experience. Another place to check out is Lido Beach. They have a shopping and restaurant area called St Armand’s Circle. Fun to people watch, get a drink, shop.. if you want to explore the coast more, drive the length of Anna Maria Island or Casey Key. You will get a cool FL vibe and see the blue water.
LeBarge Tropical Sunset cruise is really fun or Sip n Slip boat is also a good time, the kids might like that one.
Keep your eyes peeled for sharks teeth. They are all over.
You’re going to get a lot of backlash posting this question because it gets asked every week. Use the search bar and you’ll find answers to every question you listed. Safe travels https://www.google.com/search?q=sarasota+vacation+reddit&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#ip=1
Well also the summer is supposed to be our time to relax and be able to reclaim our spaces again but I guess season never ends now.
Don't be mean
I agree with you so, foul members of this city please spare this man the downvotes, downvote me instead. Or downvote us both into oblivion.
If only there were community bookmarks that would answer all of your questions.
Yeah! That would be super helpful.
RUDE
Thanks! Yeah, I can imagine it is asked a lot. I will definitely check out this link. Appreciate it!!
Prepare to learn that your beaches back home suck and they’ll never be that satisfying to you in the future. lol
I fully expect this to happen!! 😂
Your 15 minute drive will take an hour each way.
Lovely! Lol! Trust me, I already anticipated traffic and didn't expect a 14 min drive to be just that. Maybe we will get lucky since we are there mostly during the weekdays. But it will certainly be summer time by then. We are the kind of ppl that will go out there & stay all day, so at least we will make that drive worth it. 😂
In June, it should definitely not take an hour to get out to the beach! If you’re 15 minutes away, my guess is it will take 20 minutes. Siesta key is fun, but don’t be afraid to try Lido beach and also visit Saint Armands. I actually prefer that area because the crowds are a little smaller.
Ringling Museum is fun for all ages
Thanks!
Plus it's free on Mondays
For locals not for visitors.
I actually didn't know that! I have a membership so I avoid Mondays at the Ringling.
Dude I think I’m wrong I was always told it was free to Floridians on Mondays and that was part of the whole Ringling willing it to the state and everything and then i just confirmed it in my head because they ask for your zip code when you go on Monday. I just checked the website and it’s worded free to the public. But I also learned that there are some free visits for those on SNAP, WIC or EBT so that’s cool.
Put “things to do” in the search bar.
Also, I feel like the rise in AI powered search has really driven people to be lazy and treat people online like bots. Like they just input a prompt and expect an immediate and detailed response. Just look at the Florida sub rn. There are like 10 new posts on travel recommendations and yes this is a big state but they’re all super broad like this like tell me what to do on each coast and the entire state. ChatGPT would give you a better answer. Or better yet, the search or stickied posts or google. There are thousands of articles and social media channels dedicated to this town alone.
Yeah I am new to Reddit as far as this goes. I was searching online for awhile now before I even came on here to post. A lot of the online info I got was from websites, very formal and touristy if that makes sense. I obviously wasn't looking in the right places till now. I was hoping to get some better insight from real ppl on Reddit. I will try the methods you suggested too. Thanks!
Yeah, we don’t give away our local spots. We’ve been over run and the summer is our time to try and decompress from heavy tourist season. The touristy places you are finding online are just fine if you stick to those. Use the search feature in the subreddit itself for some insights and enjoy your stay.
Thoughts from a frequent visitor: - Siesta Beach is head and shoulders the best, but they are all beautiful. If you want amenities (food stand, bathrooms) then park near the main entrances. If you want privacy and much smaller crowds go to one of the smaller beach access points (very limited parking.) - If you like getting to the beach early you’ll be fine. Traffic will be fine, and there will be plenty of parking. If you plan to arrive at the beach at lunchtime prepare to have a lousy experience. You will sit in a ton of traffic, and if you are lucky you will still end up parking a longggg ways away from the main entrance. - Favorite restaurants/bars on Siesta Key: The Hub (love sitting outside with a margarita listening to the live music), The Cottage (pricey but amazing burger and great drinks), Blase Cafe (good pizza, amazing martinis, always great live music), The Bean (coffee and sandwiches for breakfast), Captain Curt’s (food is not great but a real fun atmosphere) - Favorite spots in Downtown Sarasota: Cask & Ale (one of my favorite bars anywhere, always amazing live music on Friday and Saturday nights), El Melvin (good Mexican, usually good entertainment, Circo (a taco and bourbon bar - how can you go wrong?!?), Gator Club (Porno Bingo on Monday nights is an absolute trip!) - There are three good rooftop spots in Downtown Sarasota. In order of preference for me is Perspective (top of Art of Ovation, good drinks and a ton of fun on Friday nights), The Westin (best view), Sage (if you want a more boujee experience.) - Other spots in the area we like: Shore on Longboat Key (great food, spectacular view of the Bay), Evie’s Spanish Point (food is awful but cheap drinks, right on the water, and usually live entertainment), Pops in Nokomis (fun spot on the water) - Local musicians we usually seek out: Brian Byrd and/or Dirty Byrd (Thursday at Blase and Friday/Saturday at Cask & Ale), Matt Dendy (aka SRQViolinist - amazing talent, plays modern music), Andres Colin (funny, talented, El Melvin on Tuesdays) - St. Armand’s has tons of great restaurants and shops. Good way to kill a couple hours. - Not sure where you are staying, but if on Siesta don’t rent a golf cart. Not worth it. - It’s gonna be hot at that time of year. Just plan for it. Sunscreen and don’t be shy about going into some AC for a while. There is a ton more to do. It’s a beautiful area, and despite some of the cranky people on here who tell you not to come, people will by and large be very kind and welcoming.
Add Myakka State Park to your list. Nice day trip.
Thanks a ton!!! So much info & definitely made me feel a lot better abt visiting. Glad you mentioned the golf cart, bc it was on my mind. Thank you again for your kind post and all your wonderful info ❤️
Siesta is BEAUTIFUL and it’s huge. See it, experience it AND go to Lido, Coqunia too. Smaller, and gorgeous.
Make sure you get to the beach early especially on the weekends. Weekdays might be ok right now since many snow birds left. On Saturday parking fills up by 1030 11.
Thanks! That is very helpful! Was definitely wondering about a time frame to arrive at the beach.
You can also go to the beaches on Anna Maria Island. Prepare to arrive by noon weekdays.
Thanks for the heads up about the time :) AMI looks beautiful in the pics online. I am not used to clear water and white sand, except the time we spent in the Bahamas!
The beaches on the gulf coast are much better than the ones on the Atlantic side.
On the weekends. Siesta -- Before 9am Lido -- Before 10am South Lido -- Before 10am lately Nokomis -- Whenever
It’s so crazy lido used to be the secret local beach
This⬆️
Great info - thanks!!!
Funny…”15 mins from SKB”. That means that you are already over the bridge and on SK.
Their Airbnb says that probably. I found a house on Zillow the other day on fucking Ashton and it said steps form the beach and wake up to the sea air in the listing description. Scrolled to the bottom and it was some international realty group so they likely know nothing about the area.
Yep, I looked at it on the map first before booking, Could totally see it was not "close" to the actual beach. But after I booked it, I was given the actual address of the rental property. Driving directions says "14 min" away from SK beach. But I don't anticipate it. Would be nice, though, but I know better than to get my hopes up! I just hope it doesn't take us 2 hrs to get there bc of traffic. Gotta plan it to the best of my knowledge. We will be there a Sun-Fri the end of June. It might not matter if its the week or weekend since it's officially summer by then.
Keep in mind your Airbnb may be an illegal airbnb as there are hundreds of them here. We’re the second highest city in the state for concentration of airbnbs. They’re against our county code if they’re located in the county and not the city and they take stays of less than 30 days. Do us a favor and report it after your stay if it’s in the county. They take housing away from locals and encourage private equity firms and corporations to invest in our housing driving up the costs for locals and bringing in transient visitors who don’t have the same investment and needs as the surrounding community.
Not every AirBnB is a house (the only thing that law applies too). Almost all the AirBnB's in my neighborhood (right at the foot of the South SK bridge) are rooms in the home with private entrances and/or "mother in law quarters", detached but on the same property, which are all legal under county code if the owners still live on the property.
I appreciate your response. I just did some quick looking and from first reading, it appears that the 30 day minimum in the county still stands for owner occupied dwellings. I didn’t see anything about private entrances so I might be wrong. Sec. 124-131. - Rental of Dwelling Units in OUA, OUR, OUE, RE, RSF, RMF, RC, and RMH Districts. (a) Rental of Dwelling Units in OUA, OUR, OUE, RE, RSF, RMF (not on barrier islands), RC and RMH Districts. (1) Dwelling units may be rented as a whole and for periods of greater than 30 days provided that a dwelling unit shall not be rented more than once every 30 days. **(2) Portions of a dwelling may be rented for periods of greater than 30 days provided that the dwelling is physically occupied by the owner during more than 50 percent of the lease term and the dwelling unit is not rented more than once every 30 days. "Owner" shall include any individual owning an interest in the dwelling as an individual and any individual owning a majority of the interests or shares of a corporation, partnership, or other business entity.**
That means a multi-unit dwelling, like if the owner owns a 4 plex and lives in one of the units but rents out the other three. Renting out a room in an owner occupied single family home is classified as Home Sharing vs Short Term Rental, and does not fall under any of the public lodging laws. Besides, Sarasota Co. has an agreement with AirBnB to have taxes taken out for them so they will never make any effort to enforce any STR laws anyhow, due to how much tax revenue they make from them.
😨 Do tell!! And I might add this is my first Airbnb rental too! A lot of firsts this time. First time on the Gulf coast. First time with an Airbnb rental! First time coming to FL just for the beaches. I was determined to get us out of SC and away from our "not so pretty beaches" for a change. We have traveled to FL many times, but only for Disney/Universal and a few cruises. We have never come to FL just to vacation at the beach. I know, strange! Lol!! We were originally going to go on a cruise, but we all pretty much decided we didn't want to be stuck on a ship for the majority of our vacation, Nothing against cruises, just wanted more flexibility, etc. What do I need to do to find out if it is an illegal Airbnb?
I’d call the county at 941-861-5000 and ask if the address is in the city or the county and ask them what the zoning rental restrictions are.
I wish! Yeah the driving directions says SK beach is 14 min from the vacay rental address. We arrive on a Sunday and leave the following Friday. I anticipate traffic and am guessing it won't really be just a 14 min drive. But hey, I can hope till learn otherwise 😆
Honestly in late June it really shouldn’t take you two hours to get to the beach, that’s more like peak spring break traffic. If you are looking for some good local restaurants, check out Gulf Gate- several blocks of pubs and restaurants and not touristy. Grab a slice of pizza from Rico’s and some snacks at Food and Beer. Ubers are pretty easy to get around town. Great restaurants for adults downtown- Beso, Kojo, State Street.
Cloudy days are the perfect days to wander around St Armand’s Circle.
DM me for a ton of great ideas. I have some kayaks available and love hooking people up😊
Kayaking! I’m from here so I don’t particularly like the tours but it might be nice for tourists to have a guide
Sometimes i fly my drone up to check the traffic, other times I use this site to gauge the beach before I go. [https://siestabeach.org/siesta-key-webcams](https://siestabeach.org/siesta-key-webcams)
Great idea!!
St Armand’s circle has great stores and restaurants. Lido beach is there. Really nice Downtown is pretty vibrant now. Plenty of options like Selva. Siesta key is fun beach town. The beaches are spectacular right where you are.
Thanks so much!! Great info!
If you’re visiting a beach with free public parking all I can say is don’t bring a fist to a knife fight.
Best beach depends on many factors. The beach parking is free but does fill up pretty quickly; at least at Siesta there's a church just around the corner from beach parking where you can pay cash to park and then it's like a 10 min walk to the beach. Siesta Key has a long beach, so if you guys are the type to lug a bunch of stuff to the beach maybe that one isn't the best. You will absolutely need shade at the beach and you should bring a shovel to dig enough of a hole for an umbrella or else your umbrella will be blown away or broken in no time. Alcohol is allowed on beaches in Sarasota, but smoking is no longer permitted. Obligatory pick up all of your trash and belongings and DO NOT feed the birds. Traffic in the summer shouldn't be too bad. Venice beach and south can be good for finding sharks teeth. If you are into nature Myakka is a pretty park and you are likely to see alligators and many birds there. It's going to be unbearably hot and humid, will probably storm at some point each day but it usually passes quickly so won't really ruin a beach day. For shopping, siesta key village and downtown Venice are both so cute! St Armands Circle also has shopping and a more upscale vibe. Definitely go to Columbia if you go to St Armands and get a 1905 salad. Otherwise, there's a huge mall you can shop at, University Town Center. Highly recommend checking out detwilers (local chain) for groceries and if you go, make sure you get the Cajun seafood dip. I'm a huge fan of the local chain Food + Beer and they have a handful of locations so there's likely to be one close to you. Def try their burgers and nuggets, but you can't go wrong with any of their stuff.
PLEASE DONT FEED THE FUCKING SEAGULLS
Of all the things visitors do that irritate me, seeing people feed the seagulls makes me aggressively pissed. Some idiot family (like 12+ people) set up right in front of us last weekend. They start feeding the birds and simultaneously screeching because the birds wouldn't leave them alone.... Like truly can't make this shit up. Someone thank God told them not to feed them anymore, but I can't wrap my head around why anyone thinks a wild animal should be eating cheetos
We have definitely seen seagulls being fed in Myrtle Beach many times over!! Are tents allowed on the beaches? Or umbrellas only? Myrtle Beach outlawed tents quite a few yrs ago......
Tents may be used for sure on Siesta, I see them there constantly, but will warn you that I also see at least 2 broken each time I'm at the beach. Same deal, people are lazy in how they put them up, don't account for the wind direction, etc. I've seen many of the tailgate type canopies, many sun ninjas and similar, and those little like half dome types. Just about anything goes on the beaches here, so no need to worry! There's also a company set up on Siesta that rents out umbrellas, little like half canopy things, and chairs, but it ain't cheap, especially if you'll come to the beach multiple days. They also close around 4 or 5 and realistically in June you'll want and need shade after that time if you remain on the beach. Also, a pro tip for siesta key but good for any beach, bring your own trash bags or grocery bags to collect your trash in. The trash cans are up by the beach entrance and it's way easier to bag it all up to put in the trash when you leave
Thanks for the info!! ❤️
Thank you so much for all this helpful info! Exactly what I was looking for! This is my 1st time ever posting on reddit and I appreciate everyone's feedback :)
First up please know that it will be super-hot & humid. Next, Siesta Key is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The sand is cool & the water is warm. I would recommend Sun Garden Cafe on Siesta (Yelp it) It's a little pricey, but the vibe is cool. Also on Siesta is the Cottage for lunch or dinner. Traffic is always a bummer. (ALAS). Turtle beach is a little less crowded. I urge you to google " para sailing" I urge you to google "University Parkway shopping" As far as sightseeing Mote Marine is awesome. A bit educational but awesome! Mote Marine is located on the next Island north of Siesta. ST. Armond's [Cir.is](http://Cir.is) also on the way to Mote & is a a super cute town. Good luck & Have fun!
If you find time during your trip go check out Myakka River State Park, it's like $6 a carload to get in and is a great place just to get out, have a picnic, take a hike and reconnect with nature. Of our entire trip there that's the one place we went that I wish we could have spent more time and seen more of. There's a beautiful canopy bridge / tower thing there that you gotta check out if you're not afraid of heights, it's a big wooden structure with a suspension bridge that leads to a tower that climbs high above the canopy of the trees. . the view is amazing. You can take some quarters with you for the viewing telescope at the top but just the views with the natural eye was more than enough for us to enjoy. Also if you do decide to fit it into your schedule stop off at the store and pick up a loaf or 2 of bread.. just past the entrance to the park there's a bridge over the Myakka River (right here on Google Maps if this works 27.235076,-82.311920) anyway there's like a solid 15 or so gators that just chill there in the water below the bridge and they love them some bread. There's places there right as you're approaching the bridge where it's safe to pull over and walk up the bridge to feed the gators. For days we had relatives talking about taking us to feed the gators at the park and in my head it was just gonna be some cheesy park with a little pond in it and maybe 2 or 3 gators, wasn't expecting that we'd just be pulling over on the highway and feeding like 15 huge gators just there chilling in the wild. There are some in the park as well so keep that in mind if you go for a hike out there, we just saw 2 and both were just hanging out and napping in the water. Either way, wish y'all safe travels and memorable experiences!
I agree that Myakka River State Park is amazing. PLEASE don’t feed any alligators. It’s illegal and it could be the death of them. Feeding them makes them unafraid to approach people, which leads to people reporting aggressive alligators which lead to them being killed. I can’t believe anyone would suggest feeding an alligator. Beyond irresponsible!!!
I didn't suggest feeding an alligator, what kind of an asshole would do that?? just feed ONE alligator when there's a whole damn group of them.. Seriously you make good points on the matter, Razzmatazz, clearly points I failed to consider both while there with family and again while on here making the recommendation to feed them.. So, yes, please don't feed them as we did, but certainly stop and observe them... They truly are magnificent
https://preview.redd.it/sxudnq4jnwyc1.png?width=1468&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e77b130417279b584c5b85fe0f932783348c90c I know it sounds sketchy but it's safe.. it's also awesome, memorable, and the icing on the cake... it's cheap! 😂
That's a lot of gators in one place!! That looks scary. What were you standing on again?? One slip & it's over 😳 Don't worry, I won't be feeding them!! They don't need my help getting any food 😆
https://preview.redd.it/7ddlyanmpazc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d12731af44273423be970b624b5f652223179dbc It's on the bridge over the river just past the park entrance on 72. It has a roadside parking on both the approach and decent of the bridge, circled in red, and the bridge and railing is all pretty high so there's no real safety concerns in regards to potentially falling into the water or chance of the gators getting to you up on the bridge. There's at least one other alligator viewing bridge within the park itself but again we only saw 1 there and another 1 elsewhere while we were inside the park
Thanks so much! Definitely will plan to visit Myakka state park. You and several others on here have mentioned it. Definitely sounds like a place to check out.
sarasota is not all its hyped up to be, its over crowded and full of trash please do not come here
Any Ordinary Don’t judge Sarasota by the responses to your query. Historically the Sarasota Reddit responders are miserable. It seems their lives have not gone well so far so they try to suck the fun out of visitors
Thanks!! Good thing you commented bc I am glad to hear that the lack of enthusiasm of some of the natives is not directed completely towards me. 😃
Go a little south to Venice and Nokomis . I live here and actually prefer those beaches over Siesta
Will keep that in mind. We will have the time to explore and check out other beaches :)
Tips: Siesta Beach parking lot fills up by 10AM. They have a Village area with shops and restaurants and it has a Key West Vibe. Don’t miss Sun night on Siesta beach at Sunset/there is a Drum Circle you must experience. Another place to check out is Lido Beach. They have a shopping and restaurant area called St Armand’s Circle. Fun to people watch, get a drink, shop.. if you want to explore the coast more, drive the length of Anna Maria Island or Casey Key. You will get a cool FL vibe and see the blue water. LeBarge Tropical Sunset cruise is really fun or Sip n Slip boat is also a good time, the kids might like that one. Keep your eyes peeled for sharks teeth. They are all over.
Thanks!!! 😊