Imagine one and a half miles of pure white quartz sand beach with clear, calm, shallow water on a crescent-shaped beach ending at one of the Florida Gulf coast's best snorkeling spots. That's Siesta Key's Crescent Beach. And it is blessed with one of the best selections of directly-on-the-beach condominiums and resorts that you will find anywhere.

It's a simple place, really. White sand, blue sky, clear calm blue-green water, and plenty of beach front accommodations of all shapes and sizes. Along the entire mile and a half of Crescent Beach there are only two public access points, so the beach is mostly enjoyed by the many happy guests staying in the resorts. This makes for a semi-private beach experience that many people prefer. Of course the public is free to walk along the beach from any of the public access points.

Crescent Beach is famous for offering a wide flat white sand beach that provides a safe, relaxing beach experience for people of all ages. The clear calm waters offer a shallow-water swimming experience that is second to none. The sand is smooth and largely shell-free. It has no rocks or anything with sharp edges to hurt your feet. Just white powdery sand.

Crescent Beach begins just south of the main public access at Siesta Public Beach, and continues south for one and a half miles until it ends at an unexpected geologic formation called Point-of-Rocks. It could be described as the middle third of Siesta Key.

Since Crescent Beach is centrally located on Siesta Key, you are within just a few minutes drive of any restaurant on the island. Drive north for a mile and take your pick of the restaurants in Siesta Village, or head down to the Stickney Point Road area and try one of their fine eateries. But don't think you have to drive your car to get around. The island is not very big, and there are free (tips only) electric taxi cars that will take you anywhere on the island you want to go. Just give them a call. For an even greater variety, the city of Sarasota is just over the bridges. There is almost no limit.

The entire mile and a half of Crescent Beach is lined with a wide choice of accommodations. Some are high-rises, others are only one or two levels high. All of them offer beach front rooms, but not every room is beachfront. Most of the properties are built on deep lots, so be sure you specify if you want a unit directly overlooking the Gulf Beach. One of the most popular locations for vacation rentals on Crescent Beach is the area around Sara Sea Circle. What is Point-of-Rocks and Where is it?

Point-of-Rocks Crescent Beach Siesta Key

Point-of-Rocks is a natural outcropping of flat, smooth beach rock located at the far southern end of Crescent Beach. It can be thought of as a natural boundary between Crescent Beach and Turtle Beach. The rocks begin on the beach and extend out into the water for about 300 feet. A good portion of them are exposed at low tide. High tide offers excellent snorkeling opportunities around the rocks. The water is generally less than 5 feet deep and the rocks offer excellent habitat for fish and marine life of all kinds. To get to Point-of-Rocks you'll need to walk to the very southern end of Crescent Beach. An important point is that no matter where you are on Crescent Beach, you will not find rocks on the beach except at that one location at the south end, and you have to make some effort to get to the rocks.

The Point-of-Rocks neighborhood offers a good selection of accommodations a block or so off the beach. They are in a residential neighborhood with quiet streets with lots of tropical foliage. A sand trail (access #13) provides a peaceful pathway down to the beach from Point-of-Rocks road.

If you are planning to visit Point-of-Rocks, perhaps to do some snorkeling or fishing, but are not staying within walking distance, Siesta Key Beach Access #12 is about as close as you can get by car. It's a long narrow parking area between two resorts where Stickney Point Road intersects with Midnight Pass Road. From there you can walk south on the beach to Point-of-Rocks in about 10 minutes.

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