Welcome to Lido Key
White sand beaches and St. Armands Circle shopping and dining
Lido Key (zipcode 34236) is a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico connected to the city of Sarasota by the John Ringling Causeway. The beautiful white sands of Lido Beach roll out to the Gulf’s shimmering turquoise waters. This private beach is incredibly relaxing and far less crowded than many other Gulf Coast destinations. Lido Key is a popular destination for weddings and private parties. Less than half a mile from Lido Beach, St. Armands Circle is a premier shopping and dining destination featuring scores of restaurants and boutiques.
Lido Key features luxury hotels and beach houses in diverse architectural styles. Housing options include eye-catching mid-century modern properties and classically-inspired contemporary homes. Lido Key also offers condo complexes with Gulf views and first-class amenities.
What to Love
- White sand beach
- Architecturally diverse beach houses
- St Armands Circle shopping and dining
- Coastal mangroves
People & Lifestyle
Lido Key offers a blissful lifestyle with beautiful beaches and endless places to shop, dine, and drink. The gorgeous Gulf waters surrounding Lido Key provide plenty of ways to enjoy the glorious Florida weather. Lido Key is flanked by coastal mangroves, which make it one of the best places in Florida to explore by kayak.
Dining & Entertainment
Residents of Lido Key enjoy access to some of Florida’s finest island shopping and dining. Just steps from the sands of Lido Beach, the Lido Beach Resort’s Lido Beach Grille offers sublime coastal cuisine and fresh seafood.
Lido Key is adjacent to Saint Armands Key, where St. Armands Circle features more than 130 restaurants and retailers. Tommy Bahama has a two-story restaurant serving sublime island cooking and handcrafted cocktails, plus a retail store selling stylish beachwear. Speaks Clam Bar offers fresh seafood alongside delicious Italian dishes with housemade pasta. Venezia is another fine choice for Italian cuisine. The menu at Crab & Fin features lump blue crab cakes and other seafood specialties alongside an extensive wine list. Cha Cha Coconuts is a tropical eatery combining the flavors of Florida and the Caribbean. Columbia is a classic Spanish restaurant with local roots running back to 1905. Café L’Europe is another longtime mainstay, providing classic European cuisine in an elegant old-world setting with an open terrace.
The Shore offers oceanside al fresco dining with creative seafood dishes, burgers, salads, and cocktails. Green Zebra Café focuses on nutrition with a menu of organic juices, salads, and all-day brunch specials. Blue Dolphin also offers all-day breakfast eats in a cozy location.
Lido Beach Shopping
St. Armands Circle is home to an extensive selection of retailers. Clothing boutiques include classic beach-inspired fashion at Shore, trendy womenswear at Apricot Lane, upscale womenswear from European and American designers at Dreamweaver Collection, chic resort-style apparel at Lilly Pulitzer, and premium clothing for women and children at Hatley. Charleston Shoe Company and Flip Flop Shops are stocked with an eclectic array of footwear. There are also art objects and curios at Just/Because, classic and contemporary fine jewelry at Alexander Fine Jewelers, and a wide array of clothing and gifts at Destination Florida. Wyland Gallery exhibits and sells diverse artwork from both American and international artists.
Things to Do
Each February, Lido Beach Fine Art Festival turns the island into an open-air art gallery featuring fine arts and crafts from a wide variety of disciplines. Ted Sperling Park is a gorgeous 100-acre natural expanse with beaches touching the four waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Big Pass, Sarasota Bay, and Brushy Bayou. Ted Sperling Park is a great place to see wildlife such as West Indian manatees and ospreys, which nest atop the park’s distinctive red mangroves. The 1.4-mile Ted Sperling Park Trail provides a great overview of the park’s captivating landscape. Ted Sperling Park also has a popular kayak launch. South Lido County Park similarly covers 100 acres with mesmerizing scenery and a long curving sandy beachfront. The mangroves along Lido Key’s coastline provide a captivating backdrop for kayak tours.
Schools
Lido Key is served by Sarasota County Public Schools.
- Southside Elementary, Public, K-5
- Pine View School for the Gifted, Public, 2-12
- Sarasota Military Academy, Public, Charter, 6-12
- Booker Visual and Performing Arts, Public, 9-12
- Suncoast Polytechnical High, Public, Magnet, 9-12
- Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, Private, PK-12
