View of Gulf of Mexico from North Jetty Beach FLPhoto byauthor: Christine Williams
There are dozens of beaches, keys and islands along the gulf coast of Florida. Each has its own unique appeal and vibe. An area well-known to residents of southwest Florida but rarely recognized by travel advisors or coastal publications is located just south of Sarasota.
Casey Key, Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach are located in south Sarasota county. The area is sandwiched between the two very popular and well-recognized islands of Venice Beach Florida (dubbed the sharktooth capital of the world) and Siesta Key Florida , which was ranked as the #2 Beach in the U.S. by Trip Advisor’s Travel Choice Awards in 2023. Casey Key is an eight-mile long barrier island that can be accessed by two bridges. On the north end, there is a one-lane bridge on Blackburn Point. It was built in 1925 and is one of the few swing bridges still in operation in the U.S. today. The south bridge is accessed from Albee Road in Nokomis and leads directly to the public parking and facilities at Nokomis Beach.