Beach Bound

Southern Living, Jan 2004 by Thompson, Annette

Leave your cares and your coats behind. Head to Siesta Key for a paradise of crystal sands, blue water, and golden sunshine.

Wriggling my toes into the sun-warmed sand, I smile. My everyday worries slip away as I let my arm drop contentedly to the side of the beach chair. A balmy breeze stirs.

Yes, I've found paradise. I'm one of the fortunate few who Ve discovered Siesta Key, an 8-mile-long barrier island just south of Sarasota and Longboat Key, perfect for a winter retreat.

Many consider Siesta Key the Sunshine State's most romantic getaway. Others consider it the hidden jewel of Florida's West Coast. To me, it's simply bliss.

The Sands of Time

As a sun worshipper, I'm enthralled with the three distinct beaches. The largest and prettiest, Siesta Beach is known for winning Woods Hole Oceanographie Institute's "World's Finest, Whitest Sand" award based upon its content (99% quartz), texture (crystal shapes), and the amount of shoreline (quite wide). The shallow, robin's-egg blue waters lap the shore, making it ideal for children. Plus, lifeguards patrol year-round. Because of its width, Siesta Beach never feels crowded; you can be happy here all day. It's less than a block from the village (the several public parking lots fill up quickly by midday), so you can walk into town for lunch.

A couple of miles away, Crescent Beach centers around the Stickney Point Bridge to the mainland and ends at Point of Rocks. This is the place to tote your fins and mask for snorkeling around Point of Rocks, which teems with underwater wildlife.

Farther south, Turtle Beach remains the most private. It's also the best place for early-morning beach-combing. There are no lifeguards here. When the parking lots fill at Siesta Beach and Crescent, Turtle has plenty of room.

Very Village

Several tiki bars and publike restaurants line the village's boulevard. My favorite, Daiquiri Deck, serves up a basket of pan-seared shark bites that come with a creamy Caribbean sauce and mango salsa. Afterward, pay a visit to Big Olaf Creamery for homemade ice cream piled high on a cone.

When you just have to shop, January's sales indulge those passions more affordably. Visit Monda's to flip through the racks of resort wear and Foxy Lady to fantasize about the high-end boutique clothes and shoes. At Lotions & Potions, you pick the product (sunscreen, bath oil, foot cream, etc.) and then add a designer scent-all for a fraction of department store costs. Over at Rainforest Flowers, Gifts, and Antiques, you'll discover lovely, one-of-a-kind items such as jewelry and decorating accessories. And the best Florida souvenirs fill the shelves at Beach Bazaar.

Serious About Dining

The island's restaurants are so good, they provide reason alone to visit.

The prettiest setting greets you at The Summerhouse Restaurant. The grounds once housed a garden shop, and it looks as if all the tropical plants jumped out of their pots and took root. Start with the sashimi appetizer-a platter of rare ahi tuna slices served with the requisite wasabi, ginger, and marinated cucumbers ($10). You'll find heaven in the tender New Zealand rack of lamb ($34) and the melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloin ($25).

One of my favorite ethnic restaurants in Florida-Javier's, a Peruvian-American eatery-maintains a strong local following (reservations are a must). I adore the Seafood Puteria ($15.95), which combines shrimp, scallops, calatnari, mussels, fish, capers, and olives in a spicy broth.

For a leisurely breakfast or brunch, join the locals at The Broken Egg, which dishes up special quiches and omelets daily. I especially like the fruit pancakes ($4.49).

The patio tables at Maximo grab my attention for a fusion of South African and Italian specialties. Try the spinach with pears, grapefruit, Gorgonzola cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette ($5). They also serve sandwiches and pastas, as well as a full dinner menu.

For pure extravagance, choose Ophelia's on the Bay across from Turtle Beach. The best way to dine here is with a coupon that only Turtle Beach Resort's guests receive. It includes a prix fixe three-course dinner, including a bottle of wine or two drinks per couple for $70. The menu changes nightly, but during an elegant waterside dinner, you might sup on a savory bisque-chunky with lobster, shrimp, and corn-and munch a salad of hearts of palm with pine nuts and goat cheese. If the menu offers it, select the Black Bass en Papilot with hearts of palm, heirloom tomatoes, and black truffle butter for an entree. Without the coupon, this same meal would cost $41, plus wine, just for one.

Sleeping in Paradise

Siesta offers a wide range of accommodations, from a chain motel to high-end condos and family homes. Nothing here is very inexpensive during high season (mid-December through April), but you can find some relative bargains. You'll get the best deals on extended stays.

Give the Tropical Breeze Resort of Siesta Key a try for two- or three-night stays. This property fills assorted homes and apartment buildings across four blocks of the charming neighborhood between the village and the shoreline. Each building comes with its own pool, and the resort also has a centrally located yoga deck.