Love this place. Dont tell anyone. Trees for Hammock hanging. Sand for sandcastles. Dredging around the corner means great shelling for beginners. Pine trees for shade. Grills for cooking. A secret get away for boaters too. Fisherman bring fish in from the channel too

The mangroves are beautiful. Wear bug spray if going in the evening. Most of the tunnels are very shaded. There is a little beach to swim and cool off. Great family activity

Kayaking the mangrove tunnels was a excellent adventure. Rentals are available on site. its a nice paddle on the bay and the tunnels are well marked.

My 1st time there I enjoyed it it was beautiful have to all my friends about it can wait to go back

The clearest sea I can remember in life, with a natural park before its entrance, emotions

Used to be my favorite park/ beach when I lived in Sarasota.I was very disappointed littered the bay side was. Lots and lots of plastic water bottles, corona bottles, cigarette stumps, pizza boxes, probably left by people fishing . I really wish it was patrolled, at least signs for No littering and a heavy fine. No excuse!Also people speeding with jet skis near the shore beachside?! Is this really allowed? Poor manatees.Is there a sign for no bird feeding? Very aggravating when ignorant people do that.

Nice park, you can go to the beach h, or the inlet side for calmer water

Not sure if it was just the time I came or if it is the norm at this park, but I saw very few people. Not the greatest for hanging at the beach/swimming, but plenty of secluded spots to tan. I came to fish, and this is the perfect spot if you come at a higher tide. Pretty shallow during low tide, but still doable. The water clarity was great today. Plenty of mangroves and grassy areas. Redfish and snook heaven!

My first time kayaking. I loved everything about this place. Gorgeous views.

Great time kayaking and paddle boarding, did not see manatee or dolphins on the 2 hour tour.

Loved there, very clean and private!! My kids totally enjoy, i recommend

We went kayaking, what a great time!!! Enjoyed kayaking and swimming through mangroves and on the water. So much fun!!!

Went on a 2 hour self guided kayak trip here one evening during my vacation. Great spot to venture out, get active and explore the area.

Love kayaking here. Tour guides available to set you up and guide you through mangroves and around the bay. Good for beginners too. Chance to see dolphins and manatees plus various types of birds.

We pulled the boat up to the beach, and pretty much had our own private beach. There are facilites and picnic benches at the park area and shade if you need a break from the sun.There are signs that say no swimming in the area visible in the photo and I assume it is due to boats and folks fishing. It is a very pretty area that allows for a long walk.

Walk or kayak total great experience!

Kayaking through the mangroves was super cool. Watch for the black crabs that climb all over the branches. I did a tour it was totally worth it.

Nature walk is awesome apply bug spray first

My favorite place in the world. Three distict environments: Gulf Beach, Sarasota Bay, Mangrove Inlets.

Love the beach. has shade

Beautiful beach area that’s very quiet with white sand. We watched a beautiful sunset there. Will definitely return.

Great place to spend time with family and friends on the beach

Nice place to enjoy the beach.

Great little find....you can rent or bring your own kayak. Lots of wildlife to see

Fantastic beach, great picnic spots. Good fishing.

We came to Lido beach by boat. We beached the boat at picniced ashore. The water reminded us of the beautiful turquoise of the Keys. It was really nice. Well do it again soon.

Great place to go kayaking and canoeing

Fun place to boat. Great place to watch sunsets. Crazy wildlife at time ie raccoons and sometimes giant hermit crabs.

Wonderful experience exploring the mangroves in kayaks

It was a lot of fun .Parking lot fills up quick.

Beautiful and peaceful. Happy place.

Hey guys its me again, just wanted to say that this place is a very good place to go with family. To be honest, it might take you some time to get around St. Armands Circle and Lido beach but, its worth it I think. You can BBQ, enjoy the beach, and even enjoy the playground for the little ones.... youre even close to the restrooms. And, if you dont have a car, you can take the county bus (Scat, route 4), right to it. So next time you want to do a little something, thats the place....even just to be on your own for a bit.... enjoy!

Nice place to visit, especially during the week. Great get away from the crowded beaches

Beautiful beach and a good place for families to enjoy!

Fantastic launch point for kayaks. Cruising through the mangrove tunnels is amazing.

This is a beautiful place to take photos of sunrise. You cannot see the sunrise from Siesta Key Beach. Get up early and go to South Lido Beach to see the sunrise. It is worth it! Youll see more of the wild life too early in the morning. The sunrise is spectacular! I witnessed a duck diving and catching school of fish under water. It was fascinating to see this happen over and over again.

Beautiful quiet nice place to go and relax. And on the other side there is a nice playground for the kids also has a nice clean restroom

Am giving it 3 stars because1- persons that operate jet skies and power boats must not allowed to operate them in areas where people swim (at all) . But for the beach it is nice,i just didnt enter the water while they were operating them,Ive witnessed people getting hit in the head a few times by jet skies, they were fortunate to servived that accident.I hope the relevant authorities put things in place to prevent that.

Went stand up paddle boarding saw three dolphins oh mama oh papa and a baby Epic

Wonderful quiet beach you can beach your boat, inland water way to the gulf of Mexico.

Amazing. Quiet, not croud. Beautiful scenery. Perfect weather

This is a wonderful park area on the southern end of Lido Key. Picnic tables and grilling stoves are located on the sandy beach that overlooks Big Pass, a half mile wide inlet passage from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay giving access to the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW). I pulled up to the sandy shore and beached my Pontoon Boat to enjoy the area. The current due to the tidal flows is very fast and swimmers must exercise caution swimming in this area. Sarasota built a new bathroom facility in the park, which is clean and well maintained. A fantastic place to bring your family.

I hope they dont cut down those Australian pine trees. I saw where they had some marked for removal.

Forever remains a favorite. Swimming, fishing, grilling, hiking, kayaking, and more.

Lovely park. Always nice to come down, take a walk, relax.

Went kayaking out there for the first time. It was a super fun experience!

Picnic tables, grills, restroom kid park right on the beach.

Great fishing!

Beautiful Park, nice shade trees along the water. Good place to lay back and rest.

Beautiful Beach! Far less crowded than others in the area! Great Kayaking nearby. Very underrated, hidden gem!

Beautiful place, but its just too popular. always annoying people blasting music all over. if youre into partying, then this is definitely your spot. or if you dont like that, then just go in the early morning.

Picnics, shade trees, barbecues, jet skiing, pull- up-to-the-shore boat anchoring, playground for all ages, room for soccer, volleyball. Great newer bathroom facility - shells& snorkeling awesome when the tide is right. Some of my largest shells came from this end of Lido.Hiking trails into the beach grasses where the seahorses live... CAUTION Swimming at the point- Not for children or people who are not strong. Current is extremely dangerous-It is where the Gulf meets the Bay & the currents clash. But makes for awesome boating & sunsets

I enjoyed my time here. Will finish exploring next time in in St Armand’s.

South Lideo is very popular with the natives because you can Barbecue and it has the most shaded areas. If you are going on the weekend or holiday than you need to get there early morning to get the best spots and parking is limited. Its my familys favorite beach!!

Great for couples or family of all ages. Can get guided tours or solo trips...Small beach quiet times

No words can describe Lido Beach. And no photos can do it justice. One just has to see it, breathe it, walk it.

Good place. Picnic table and grill. Lovely.

Great tour Kelly was the best guide. And funny.

Clean, appealing and kid friendly

Love this part of the key

Great place to have some quality time with the family

Nice sand and beautiful sunset views

Great place to hang out n barbecue with the family n listen to music

Out here for the boat races! This beach is where all the fun is every fourth of July weekend!

Nice park with access to beach, Big Sarasota Pass, and the bay. Places to kayak paddle board, picnic, hike, and just have fun. can be very busy at holidays! Plenty of parking at both ends of the park is free.

Love this place!!! Beautiful Gulf and Bay views. Sunsets are gorgeous!

Went on a guided kayak trip -- very enjoyable. Saw a number of birds, crabs, dolphins, but no manatee showed itself today. A whole bunch of cormorants followed us around, swimming next to our kayaks and diving under them; very cute creatures. My two girls, ages 15 and 19, also enjoyed it a lot. Its very easy and slow paddling -- no skill or strength needed.

Interesting place but I prefer quieter beaches.Here there are boats that pull right up to the beach. Picnic tables and grills for the public. Also outside beach shower and public restrooms.

Had a nice time with family. We even saw a pod of dolphins which was pretty neat. This is a pretty beach with white sand but can be busy. Found some nice shells.

Nice clean

Nice beach until the crowds show up.

Best place to kayak

Nice Park. Finally a beach with trees! They say that siesta beach is the number 1 beach in America but I would rather go here. Great for small children... Its very calm on the mainland side.

Love this place.

Was born here in Sarasota. Its a beautiful beach where you can BBQ on the weekends or any day. Theyve cleaned up all the fish but theyre still running the machine that picks them up. Doesnt smell looks very clean Feels Like Home

There is the Gulf of Mexico beach of you want it, but the rest is mostly preserved Florida key with paths cut through and a few picnic tables nestled in overlooking the pass. Great for hiking, bird watching, and fishing. Very popular spot to meet up with friends with boats. Many picnic areas with grills and plenty of SHADE! New bathroom facilities are a walk up, but nice and clean. Playground for kids is a nice reprieve from the beach.

South Lido is a happy family friendly Beach and nature path lovers spot to be. The mouth of Sarasota Bay is full of boaters and her skiers as well.

Beautiful place!

Excellent beach and trails!

Got married there it is just beautiful

Nice place to chill

No animal signs posted everywhere. Dogs were off leashes and running around jumping on peoples beach blankets and dog fights were happening. Not patrolled at all. They need to do something about that.

Hey lets of fun here. Saw some pretty girls, statues, dolphins, fishing and more!Im sure there are more things you could do but I was on a time limit. The houses there were really cool.

If you are going to Florida and want a jungley feel just visit Sarasota.

So beautiful me and my son always enjoy our time here.

Great park with beach access and a playground.

Almost Heaven kayak was awesome. Worth an extra trip back. See you next time.

I love the beach really strong current out there though

Great place to go with children picnic area in the shade and sun almost like having your own private beach

Beautifully good

Great fun kayaking the mangroves! I kayak was awesome!

Great place for flesh eating bacteria

First time in Sarasota on the beaches in years, spending time with out of town relatives visiting. Great escape from the crowds, picnic area with grills in the shade. Nice playground for the little ones. Not ideal for actually swimming, bad currents, so keep your eyes on youngsters and keep them within arms reach. Nice place to sit on the shoreline and play in the sand. Fortunately, my visit was before the dreadful red tide, but I know the coast as far north as Anna Maria is experiencing devestating environmental and economic losses.

Very organized during the weekend to make sure that locals can compete with the rental locations on site.

I have lived in Sarasota or had ties with it since 1959. Even back in the sixties South Lido was special. It still is, and the county has made it a really nice park, accessible by land or water. We went there by boat today, pulled the boat up to the beach, sat on the beach and had lunch. Everyone should be so lucky as to be able to do that. But take your car there if you dont have a boat and enjoy the beach and sun!

Great place to have a family outing and picnic.

Beautiful spot

Absolutely stunning beach! I could live here forever!

One of the most beautiful beaches Ive ever seen.

Its where I grew up. Has really changed in 50, years, still beautiful with good fishing.