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A Place Of Rest

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Karen Haymon Long

Published: October 12, 2007

SIESTA KEY I confess. I snuck a siesta on Siesta Key. But only after taking two long walks on the beach, browsing all the shops in the village and treating myself to a grouper sandwich at the Daiquiri Deck.

Nothing's nicer than waking from a nap to the sound of rain falling on palm fronds or looking out the window to see graceful birds of paradise.

Just far south enough to be more tropical than Tampa, Siesta Key is lush with coconut palms, mango and avocado trees, thick banana trees and salty-sweet-smelling sea grape trees taller than houses

Just eight miles long, Siesta Key — west of Sarasota proper — is a quick great escape from the Bay area.

Far from discouraging visitors, locals welcome them, regaling them with accolades about their award-winning powdery beaches and friendly and varied bars and restaurants.

"We have the safest beach — no drowning since the 1940s," says Robert Martini, who doubles as a lifeguard and emergency medical worker at the beach. "And we have almost 100 percent pure quartz sand."

The sand is so fine, the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce brags that it's "The Whitest, Finest Sand Beach in the World." Harvard University's geology professors pronounced the beach sand 99 percent pure quartz.

Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman, who ranks America's top beaches every year, ranked Siesta Beach No. 10 this year.

Martini and fellow lifeguard Dylan Means scan the calm waters of the Gulf from their fire engine-red lifeguard stand on the beach. Behind them, teenagers with spiky hair play volleyball, and young couples play Frisbee and toss footballs.

A speedboat pulls a parachute over the blue-green water, and a man with a little boy in tow rides a bike down the beach past sun worshippers lying on beach towels or reading on lawn chairs.

This is a family beach with loads of babies, toddlers in droopy diapers and pretty teenage girls in bikinis, some with tattoos peeking out from their bathing suit bottoms.

Siesta Key is a study of contrasts. The hip young blend easily with wealthy retirees, families of tourists and those who live here and still have to work for a living.

Nowhere is the contrast more obvious than in Siesta Village, the island's tiny "business" district. Here, gift shops and clothing boutiques appealing to ladies who lunch sit next door to a head shop, open-air bars and mom-and-pop cafes. A tiny chamber of commerce outpost and a locally owned coffee shop that's actually called Local Coffee and Tea round out the commercial appeal.

But that's one of the pleasures of Siesta Key. It's not pretentious, or buttoned down like Longboat Key, even though it is one of the most lush, attractive places on Florida's west coast.

Water is never more than an easy stroll from anywhere. BMWs only slightly outnumber pickup trucks, and you're just as likely to see well-heeled older locals drinking beer at rustic Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar as you are seeing them dining on filet mignon at Ophelia's on the Bay, one of the best — and priciest — restaurants on the island.

We enjoyed the contrasts by having lunch at the Daiquiri Deck, which boasts 40 kinds of daiquiris, dinner one night at the bar at Captain Curt's and then an elegant waterside dinner the next night at Ophelia's.

The rest of the time, we spent very little money by people-watching at the beach and taking long walks from Siesta Beach — which has 800 parking spaces — to the quieter north beach, an easy walk to the village.

Unlike Anna Maria Island, where so many cottages are rentals, this island has a healthy mix of pricey, privately owned homes; old and new condos; and modest beach cottages.

Bike paths, sidewalks and long stretches of street bordering the beaches make it easy to get around. We saw more people walking, jogging and biking than we ever do back home in the Tampa area.

Maybe being surrounded by all that lushness and water makes people want to live longer.

Reporter Karen Haymon Long can be reached at (813) 259-7618 or klong@tampatrib.com.

LA SIESTA

GETTING THERE: Take Interstate 75 to Exit 205 (State Road 72, Clark Road) in Sarasota. Go west on Clark Road 5.8 miles to Siesta Key.

WHERE TO STAY: We stayed at Siesta Key Bungalows, 8212 Midnight Pass Road, a quiet complex of cozy, attached units. Our unit had a spacious living room, kitchen, dining area, bedroom and bath.

The landscaping is lush with palms, birds of paradise, an avocado tree and fern. Units boast luxury linens, comfortable beds and porches with two chairs and a table. The bathroom in our unit was outdated, with an old aluminum door with jalousie windows. But other than that, it was a comfortable, attractive place.

The complex also has a pool, a dock overlooking a bayou and kayaks. Fall room rates range from $130 to $152 Monday through Thursday and $142 to $166 Friday through Sunday. Go to www.siestakeybungalows.com or call 1-888-5SIESTA (1-888-574-3782).

Other places recommend by locals:

Tropical Breeze Resort of Siesta Key, 153 Avenida Messina; www.tropicalbreezeinn.com; 1-800-300-2492.

Turtle Beach Resort, 9049 Midnight Pass Road; www.turtlebeachresort.com; (941) 349-4554.

DINING:

For a romantic dinner, head to Ophelia's on the Bay, 9105 Midnight Pass Road, where food and service live up to this elegant restaurant's top reputation. It's one of the few places on the key with a view of Little Sarasota Bay, or of any water for that matter. The menu changes nightly. The chef's style is described as blending "New World with Old, American with Asian, Italian with Floridian." Go to www.opheliasonthebay.net or call (941) 349-2212.

For fresh grouper sandwiches and 40 kinds of daiquiris, head to Daiquiri Deck, 5250 Ocean Blvd., in Siesta Key Village. Call (941) 349-8697.

For good bar food and icy cold beer, hit the friendly, casual Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar, 1200 Old Stickney Point Road. Call (941) 349-3885.

For a waterfront lunch not far from Siesta Key, head to The Old Salty Dog, just north of St. Armand's Circle at 1601 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island. Be sure to try the smoked fish spread. If you like hot dogs, try the specialty of the house, hot dogs dipped in beer batter and deep fried. Call (941) 388-4311.

Siesta Key also has an Old Salty Dog, 5023 Ocean Blvd. in Siesta Key Village. Call (941) 349-0158.

For breakfast, we liked The Broken Egg in Siesta Key Village so much we went back the next day. It is closed now but is set to reopen a block away later this year. To check on the move's progress, go to www.thebrokenegg.com later this fall.

INFORMATION: www.siestakeychamber.com; 1-866-831-7778

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