Florida Family Beach Vacation: Nokomis Beach on Casey Key

Nokomis Beach on Casey Key from the top of the boardwalk that crosses the dunes; img courtesy of; beaches.uptake.com

There’s no place in the world like Nokomis Beach on Casey Key Florida for your Florida family beach vacation. With the sparkling Gulf of Mexico, and white sandy beaches you’d think it would be filled with tourists from all over the globe, but out of most of the Sarasota area beaches, Nokomis Beach and Casey Key almost seem like your own private retreats. No giant high-rises–just sand dunes, sea oats, birds, and a few scattered beach umbrellas. This is the perfect paradise for your kid friendly Florida family beach vacation, still close to everything, but far enough away to enjoy some quality beach time without getting trampled by too many tourists.

Also be sure to check out my post on Sarasota beach vacations as it has tons more information about the area and lots of kid friendly insider tips.

Check out Nokomis Beach and Casey Key for your next Florida family beach vacation; img courtesy of;caseykey-real-estate.com

I was lucky enough to live around this beautiful area for over 20 years, and have seen many changes to the area. From tiny two lane roads lined with orange groves to built-up cities with 6 lane highways, it’s been a drastic change. But one thing that seems to remain the same is the lovely quiet beaches of Nokomis and Casey Key.

Maybe it’s because Nokomis and Casey Key are off the beaten path, or maybe because there are no major hotel chains along its dunes, but whatever the case these beaches are two of my favorite places to escape the hectic pace of everyday life.

I’m almost hesitant to write about how wonderful it is here, because I’m afraid once people find out, it no longer will be a serene paradise escape, but a tourist-filled and garbage choked wasteland. Please be aware that these beaches (and our whole planet) deserve special treatment and we should always take care of our amazing eco-systems so we can enjoy them for years to come.

Barbara Weibel had this to say about Nokomis & Casey Key beaches,

“Nokomis beach is beautiful, wide and clean, backed by residences and the occasional mom and pop motel.  Stopping to chat with the lifeguards, I learned that Casey Key is also home to a North Jetty Beach, located on the southern tip of the island where the Intracoastal Waterway divides the island from Venice. All in all, this is one of the most pleasant beaches I have ever been to. There was so much to see and do and the facilities were well maintained and idyllic. Read the rest of her article here.

Kid-Friendly Things to do around Nokomis Beach on Casey Key while on your Florida family beach vacation:

Why, beach it of course! What could be better?

Nokomis Beach
100 Casey Key Road –to get there from Hwy. 41 (N or S) turn West on Albee Rd W and follow it to the end. (Albee Rd ends at Nokomis Beach).
Nokomis Beach is located on Casey Key directly west of the Albee Road Bridge. It is Sarasota County’s oldest public beach. This is family oriented and is also popular for fishing and picnicking.

Nokomis Playground at North Jetty Park

Check out all the Amenities:

• 23 acres of land
• 1,700 linear feet of gulf beach frontage
• 3,200 linear feet of Intercostal frontage
• boardwalk and deck
• Two boat ramps
• Concession stand
• dune walkovers
• Lifeguards are on duty year round
• Parking
• Passive recreation area
• Pavilion
• Picnicking
• Rest rooms
• Small picnic shelters
• Swimming

visit Nokomis Beach and Casey Key for your next kid friendly Florida family beach vacation

History:

• Nokomis Beach is one of the oldest beaches operated by Sarasota County.
• Portions of the site were acquired in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.
• In a 1986 bond referendum, the citizens of Sarasota County voted to expand the beach by an additional 600 feet.
• The results of the development of a dune restoration system in 1985 which includes five walkovers, has been very successful toward preserving and protecting the shoreline at this site.

The family-friendly Nokomis Beach on Casey Key has good parking, restrooms, playgrounds and enough room to stretch out.

This is a good place for sea shell collecting, especially heading north up the beach. If you are planning to do some “combing” and shell collecting bring along a small pail or baggie type bag to carry the shells in as you’re collecting them, and be sure to wear good flip flops, those shells can be harsh on those little tootsies.

Historic Spanish Point– SarasotaFL.org says about it, “Historic Spanish Point offers tours of a 30-acre archaeological, historical and environmental museum located on Little Sarasota Bay in charming Osprey, Florida. Visitors experience “A Window to the Past,” the only museum exhibition in the world built inside of a prehistoric shell mound.  Pioneer era buildings connect you to a more recent time, and the colorful gardens of Mrs. Potter Palmer delight the senses. Nature trails wander through native coastal habitats and a long boardwalk affords stunning views of the bay. The area’s largest Butterfly Garden blooms year-round” .

The butterfly garden is so cool! And they’ve also got picnic tables, so you can pack a lunch and make a day of it. To visit their website go to; www.historicspanishpoint.org , or call them for more info at; PH# 941-966-5214.

You won’t run out of things to do here, but if by chance there’s a rainy day, you might want to head up to Sarasota (only minutes away) for some inside fun. See this post for lots of ideas.

Best Kid Friendly Restaurants around Nokomis Beach on Casey Key

• Salt Water Cafe -Great food and a very casual family friendly atmosphere. more info » 1071 Tamiami Trail North, Nokomis, FL (941) 488-3775
• Ophelia’s Pasta House – Yummy Italian with a super kid friendly space to relax and enjoy some good food.  This place is pet friendly too (with a pet friendly patio and complimentary biscuit & water.) more info » 1097 Tamiami Trl N, Nokomis, FL (941) 485-6818
• Anita’s Restaurant -Best breakfast! (but watch out for crowds at peak times as it’s a local fave). Be sure to order the crispy french toast….yummmm! more info » 441 Tamiami Trl S, Nokomis, FL (941) 485-3859
• Beckham’s Osprey Grille – Great American food in a kid friendly atmosphere! Pet friendly patio too! more info » 1272 South Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL (941) 918-8900
• Sharky’s On the Pier –  You’ve got to check out Sharky’s if you’re even close to Venice FL, as it’s one of the coolest outside dining restaurants (inside available too) with good food and even more fun out on the pier and beach looking for pre-historic shark’s teeth that wash up on the beach there.  more info » 1600 Harbor Drive South, Venice, FL (941) 488-1456
• Gold Rush BBQ Inc – Kid friendly and fabulous BBQ, a casual and fun atmosphere in Venice, FL  more info » 661 Tamiami Trl S, Venice, FL (941) 483-3137
• Cosimos Too -located at the southern-most Sarasota Mall (the old Sarasota Square Mall, now Westfield Mall).  more info »8201 S Tamiami Trl # P5, Sarasota, FL (941) 927-3800

For more information see my other posts about the area:

Florida With Kids: Check out Siesta Beach Florida!

Florida Family Vacations; Sarasota

Florida Family Beach Vacations; The Florida Gulf Coast

Florida Family Vacations; Charlotte Harbor

Florida Family Beach Vacations; The Suncoast

Florida Family Beach Vacation; Anna Maria Island

Florida Family Beach Vacation; Englewood Beach

and see more about Nokomis Beach on Casey Key and Sarasota at these websites:

Parks & Recreation
Sarasota Marinas
Bollettieri Tennis Academy
Sarasota Fishing

Kid Friendly Hotels & Resorts in Nokomis and Sarasota, Florida:

A Beach Retreat On Casey Key
105 Casey Key Road, Nokomis, FL 34275
A Retreat on Casey Key offers beachfront vacation rentals on the Gulf Coast, just south of Sarasota and just north of Venice, and approximately 28 … more

Inn At The Beach Resort
725 West Venice Avenue
Venice, FL 34285
Venice’s finest beachside accommodations featuring several distinct room types ranging from a deluxe guest room to a 2 bedroom, 2 bath garden suite. All … more

Family Friendly Florida Beach Hotels on or near Siesta Beach Florida:

• Tropical Beach Resorts- Siesta Key-6717 Sara Sea Circle, Sarasota, FL US 34242
• House of the Sun Condo Resort – 6518 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, FL US 34242
• Island House Beach Resort – 6150 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota, FL US 34242
• Holiday Inn Express – Lido Beach at the Beach-233 Ben Franklin Drive, Sarasota, FL US 34236
• Siesta Beach Resorts & Suites – 5311 Ocean Boulevard, Sarasota, FL US 34324
• Tropical Breeze Resort – Siesta Key– 153 Avenida Messina, Siesta Key, FL US 34242
• Banana Bay Club Waterside – 8254 Midnight Pass Siesta Key, FL 34242
• Beach Palms 153 Beach Road Siesta Key, FL 34242
• Sea Castle Beachfront Accommodations 1001-1019 Seaside Dr., Siesta Key, FL, 34242 941 349 8858

Thanks for reading! And if you’ve visited the area on your Florida family beach vacation, I’d love to hear about it so be sure to leave me a comment!