Lido Key

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Just a hop, skip and jump across from St Armands Circle, Lido Key is barely 15-minutes' drive from downtown Sarasota. Lido Beach is an excellent, wide stretch of white sand backed by a number of nature trails. Street and lot parking is free, so expect crowds. A pavilion at the parking lot has food, restrooms and even a small lap swimming pool. About a mile south is South Lido Beach, whose grills and grassy lawns are extremely popular with picnicking families; strong currents here discourage swimming.

SCAT bus 4 serves Lido Key from downtown Sarasota.

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