- April 3, 2025
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The small signs make it easy to miss Longboat Key's beach access points.
Andrea Grimm watches over the water.
Beachgoers and turtle nests share the sand at the access point at 3175 Gulf of Mexico Drive.
At 3355 Gulf of Mexico Drive, trees and shrubs give the beach access a more wild-jungle feel.
Dragged down from the SeaHorse Beach Resort, these chairs hold a family's place while they stroll along the beach.
Jim and Nicole Graeser read in chairs between a resort and the water.
In the public parking area across the street from the beach at 3495 Gulf of Mexico Drive and offers bay access.
No matter which access point you come in from, coquinas abound on Longboat Key beaches.
Alan Karlsson sits on the sand before strolling back to his car.
Kirsty, Dale, Kirsten, Sadie and Alexi Pitts walk along the beach on the evening of July 8.
Julie and Wesley Lopez pick up trash along the beach near the access point at 4001 Gulf of Mexico Drive, which they say they try to do every night while here on vacation.
It's incredibly easy to zip past Longboat Key's beach access points while zipping along Gulf of Mexico Drive.
The signs are small, many of the parking lots hold space for a few cars and the pathways to the beach are often tucked between resorts, condos or houses. Is that a beach access or a sign for a hotel parking lot? You might not know until you're past it, saying you'll catch the next one — but, whoops, that one's gone by too.
However, it's always worth it to turn around and go back.
It's not Siesta Key, or even Lido Key. Longboat's beaches are often uncrowded. No alcohol or animals are allowed, and all of them operate from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. You'll see birds, plenty of turtle nests and of course, thousands of shells.
Swing by your favorite one and tell us which one it is, and how you like to spend your time there.
