Amazing Things To Do On Lido Beach

Spending some time in Sarasota, Florida? How about an afternoon of fun in the sun!

There are so many amazing things to do on Lido Beach, which we consider to be one of the most beautiful beaches around!

Continue reading for ways to have a wonderful time on Lido Beach.

Fun in the sun

Visit the beach

Walking on the gorgeous white sands of Lido beach, we often feel swept away from agendas, inspired by beauty, the mind clears like the crystal blue-green water.

Although the path we take is always the same, each day it is different. Sometimes the fog lies over the shore as if there could be a hidden Brigadoon just out of reach.

Other times, the sun lights a path so bright where everything pops into view as if you are wearing enhanced 3D spectacles. Lido is heaven on earth.

The many moods of Lido

The Gulf can be wild, waves cresting as surfers whizz by joyfully, teenagers boogie boarding along the shore.

On other days, the water’s surface remains as smooth as glass. Couples and families relax as they float happily on their backs like a verse in a Jimmy Buffet song. 

Lido holds in it’s palm something special for everyone. 

How to get to Lido Beach from Sarasota

Crossing the Causeway to Lido

To arrive at this gem of a beach, one must cross over the John Ringling Causeway by foot, bike or car. You will see people getting their daily exercise on this bridge at all hours of the day. It spans across Sarasota Bay connecting downtown Sarasota to Bird Key, St. Armands Circle, and Lido Key.

The view is spectacular. You can see the city and the bay leading out to the gulf. Sunset is breathtaking from this vantage point. At night, the city lights up under the moon as you head into your evening adventure.

Kids and dog-friendly parks

Eastside

Under the East side of the bridge, there’s a small park called Hart’s Landing, which accommodates a fun playground, a bait and tackle shop, and live music by the water.

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You can buy sandwiches, snacks, sunscreen, soda, ice cream, beer, and wine at the shop and hang out.

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Fishermen sit on the dock while children climb the jungle gym. This is a particularly favorite spot for dolphins and pelicans.

I bike here on Saturdays to have a physical therapy session with my friend Chris while my daughter catches up on her reading. Beautiful scenery is the perfect cure for pain.

Fishing Charters, kayak rentals, and tours are also offered at the shop. “They will provide all necessary equipment and maps to ensure you have the best time exploring the area and watching wildlife such as dolphins, fish, rays, manatees, and many different species of birds.”

Mangrove Tunnels

If you are an avid kayaker, you don’t want to miss the Mangrove Tunnels in Ted Sperling Park (previously South Lido Beach Nature Park). As you enter the waterways, Cormorants dive in front of your eyes to catch small fish swimming by. A Manatee might come right up to your kayak to wish you a good day.

We spent an afternoon navigating through these narrow tunnels. It felt like a spooky amusement park ride. Thousands of little, black tree crabs scuttled up and down the exposed, winding tree roots, trying to hide from us. High atop the canopies, nesting Osprey observed their surroundings. It’s all part of the adventure.

Westside

Across the bridge, on the Westside is Bird Key and Ringling Bridge Causeway Park. Underneath the bridge is West John Ringling Causeway Park. These are great spots for fishing and bay, city, and sunset views. They are also great parks where friendly dogs and their owners can mingle.

Continuing down the road, you will cross a smaller bridge where you might spot a slow-moving Manatee enjoying the day. We have witnessed this a few times ourselves. We have even swum with them once or twice. They are such loving creatures.

An eventual right turn will lead you to the MOTE Marina, the Sailing Squadron, and Longboat Key. We will cover those destinations and others in a future post.

You can choose to take the back roads to Lido beach by making an early left, avoiding the hustle & bustle of downtown St. Armands. You’ll wind through some upscale neighborhoods where you can enjoy classic and contemporary architecture.

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Lido Pavilion

Keep going and you will hit The Main Lido Pavilion parking lot and beach strip, complete with picnic tables, a food/beverage cafe, a heated five-lane community swimming pool (which has been closed due to Covid restrictions), restrooms, and showers.

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From here, it’s only a twenty-foot walk across the silky white sands to the emerald, crystal clear waters of Lido Beach.

Bring an umbrella, hat, and sunscreen. Don’t let an overcast fool you. The sun is mighty powerful down here, even on the coolest days. Please be mindful of the strong currents as there are no lifeguards on duty at this beach.

You can continue down the boulevard to South Lido Beach. We prefer North Lido.

You take the high road I’ll take the low road

Our favorite walk on Lido

Our favorite walk starts at the small, North Lido Parking Lot just where the road bends.

You can find North Lido Beach on Lido Key, a quarter-mile northwest of St. Armands Circle, off of John Ringling Blvd. There are warm water outdoor showers here and along the street to wash the sand off your feet.

Sunset on Lido Beach

You have to pay for the meters, but free parking is available on the boulevard heading south along the coast. You might have to make a few loops around, depending on the time of day you go. An hour before sunset is usually the most crowded.

Try to get there early, if possible. But of course, you will not want to miss the sun going down on Lido Beach. It is absolutely stunning and quite a memorable experience.

From the North Lido parking lot, you have a few choices. Either head straight to the water or cut right onto The Path that parallels the dunes and wooded area.

The buildings and tourists fade off into the distance. It’s nice and quiet here . . . your own private island.

Don’t forget to take a moment to look up at the clouds. You never know what the sky on Lido Beach has to offer.

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The foliage is quite extraordinary. Blooming cacti, scattered Black-Eyed Susans & other varieties of indigenous plants cover the landscape. 

If you decide to take the wooded route, you’ll experience even more native species of plants, trees, and beautiful wildflowers.

Be on the lookout for the giant Eagle’s nest where you just might spot this gorgeous bird watching over it’s young…

We offer an Airbnb experience with our company, Sync into Sound. We incorporate a variety of enchanting sounds with nature and meditation on this magical wooded path.

More things to do on Lido Beach

Exercise on Lido Beach

Riding bikes to Lido

These trails also make for an excellent mountain bike adventure. When we have the time, we might spend the whole day focused around Lido.

We ride our bikes over the bridge, around St. Armand’s Circle, and often stop at one of our favorite vegan-friendly restaurants, The Green Zebra.

They offer outdoor seating and they make the most awesome shakes! Our favorite is called, ‘Life Energy’.

We continue riding on into the back wooded trails, always stopping to say hello to the Bald Eagle family.

Often, we’ll find an isolated spot under the palm trees by the water. You might want to lock your bikes up if you go for a swim. One can never be too careful, even in an oasis.

Leisure time on Lido

We love this area because it is the least populated. Most people opt for the beach by the main parking lot, but we prefer to earn our peaceful, tropical heaven by taking the mile walk each way. 

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Mermaid Wall

There is an unspoken tradition when reaching the north end wall of Lido Beach. You must touch the painted Mermaids before turning back and be sure to leave a gift from the sea for the Goddess Venus.

Shown are a variety of gifts that visitors left for the Mermaids.

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It’s often amusing to stand by the wall and watch people come up to touch it. Then they will immediately turn back around. It’s somewhat like kissing the Blarney Stone. There are just those things we do without even knowing why.

Yoga on Lido Beach

Occasionally, you will come across groups of people doing yoga on Lido. You can’t beat the scenery and there are a lot of flat areas in the soft sand to help with balance.

You may even be inspired to strike a pose while strolling along…

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You might pay homage to the sun god/goddess with a dance as it bids farewell to another day…

Walking On Sunshine

Faces of Lido

There are many charming characters who frequent this beach. You might catch Frisbee Guy spinning the disc across his back and through his legs while he bounces along the shoreline.

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We always call out waving, “Hi Frisbee guy!” This makes him smile and he does a special trick for us.

Then there’s Sunset Buddha Man, OMMMing to the mermaids, radiating peace and love

. . . or the healthy, hippie, speed-walking couple, their long silver hair blowing in the wind . . . just to name a few.

You never know what kind of kooky human you might stumble upon on this beach…

There’s always time for castles in the sand…

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Social Distancing on Lido

Sometimes boaters cast anchor by the shoreline to jump off the side for a cool swim/hang with their friends, beverages, and tunes. The smell of exhaust and loud music can be disruptive when passing, but there is plenty of room for everyone to do their thing.

Social distancing is quite easy on this spacious beach. We like to bring a big blanket, a small cooler and enjoy a sunset picnic.

Lido’s amazing wildlife

There is an abundance of wildlife in and along the Gulf. Purple starfish, giant sea slugs, scuttling hermit crabs, nesting shorebirds and sea turtles, schools of stingray, dolphins, wild-looking sea sponges, and numerous species of colorful fish.

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At this link, you can find descriptions and detailed information with photos about The Birds of Lido Beach.

One of my fondest Lido Beach walk memories was on my birthday. My best friend flew down to visit. Just as we took our first few steps, we looked out to the Gulf and saw a family of dolphins frolicking in the water. They followed us along the coast. It felt like a good birthday omen.

Water Fun on Lido Beach

Another wonderful aspect about Lido Beach is the gradual incline of the shoreline. Our family trio loves to snorkel and explore here for hours.

Schools of curious, playful fish dart around us as we search for interesting shells. From time to time, we’ll come across that lucky, perfect sand dollar. We even made a mobile out of them to hang on our lanai, reminding us of fun days on the beach. (Just make sure they are not still alive!)

We used to wear old, cheap masks we had lying around in our garage when first going to the beach. They leaked and would immediately get foggy. They did not do justice to the incredible marine life that Lido has to offer.

We looked on Amazon and upgraded to these great masks with snorkels. What a whole new world it became down there! It made all the difference.

When I’m not swimming laps in my Aquatic Therapy Pool at home, I’ll sometimes take advantage of the lovely, warm, blue waters of the Gulf Coast while my family snorkels.

We like to catch the sunset before making our way home. Sometimes we walk home in the dark, enjoying the stars. The moon creates a bridge of white light across the water as ghostly clouds float by.

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Rain or shine, day or night, it’s always perfect on Lido Beach.

Lido, a Beach for All Seasons

Depending on the season you are visiting, you might want to bring an extra layer of clothing to the beach. The winds can be chilly and biting along the shoreline.

It can be quite uplifting and inspiring to bundle up and take a brisk, lone walk on Lido. You might even have the whole beach to yourself on these cold winter days.

This is a good time for clearing the mind and focusing on the present moment of the drifting, swirling sands, and crashing waves.

If you’re from up north, you will probably think it’s no biggie jumping in the water from January thru February, but you won’t see too many locals swimming until April, except for the occasional windsurfer in their wetsuit.

Siesta or Lido

Both family friendly white sand beaches

Siesta Key (also in Sarasota) has been on the top 10 most beautiful beach lists in the US, year after year. It’s known for its silky white sands, drum circles, and party life.

If you are looking for a more laid-back experience, Lido is the way to go. You really can’t go wrong with either beach. It depends on your mood.

At the end of the day, we find Lido to be the hidden gem.

If you would like to catch some other adventures we’ve had on Lido, check out our blog post, Travel School.