The rich history of Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota Florida

The history of Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, which is famed as among the most beautiful beaches in the world is a rich and fascinating one. Tourists coming to the area hear about the legend of Siesta Key. According to folklore, a long time ago, a group of Native Americans relocated to the Sarasota area and canoed to Siesta Key. Upon reaching the pure white sand, the Chief of the tribe blessed it to protect it from storms. While this is only folklore, there is evidence that Native Americans lived on this island. Folklore aside, Siesta Key was virtually vacant and uninhabited up until the 1900s. The Island was then known as Sarasota Key and had zero connections to the city of Sarasota complicating movement to the island and back to the city. The island was hardly a tourist attraction. The only way to access Sarasota Key was through canoeing. The island had deep vegetation and numerous varieties of snakes including venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes, coral snakes and moccasins.

The island remained in this state until the opening of the Siesta Inn by Mr. Robers and his wife. This joint quickly gained
popularity especially among people seeking for a place to escape the unsympathetic weather of the north. The Siesta Inn was also a major attraction because of its superior seafood dishes. Later on, Mr. Roberts partnered with Mayor Harry Higel to form a limited company for trading land. It is at this time that they renamed the island Siesta Key. In 1914, Mayor Higel opened the Higelhurst hotel. He used his boats to transport guests from the island and back. Recognizing that reduced access to the island stifled its development, Higel made attempts to convince the Army Corps to construct a conduit whose primary purpose was to connect the island with Sarasota. He was successful in this effort and the bridge was opened in 1917. It linked the polar end of the island with Sarasota. In 1927, a new bridge was constructed to connect the Southern part of the island.

Siesta island has in the past been recognized as one of the best beaches in the world due to the fineness and whiteness of its sand. In 2004, The Travel Channel awarded Siesta Key Beach the award of the leading sand beach in America. In 2011 and 2017, Dr. Beach recognized it as “The Best Beach in America”. These awards are due to the fact that Siesta beach is mainly made up of pulverized coral. Its sand is 99 percent quartz and mostly comes from the Appalachian Mountains. This makes it reflective to the extent that it feels cool underfoot even in the hottest of days. The quartz on Siesta Key Beach is estimated to have been on the island for an extended period. It is believed to have originated in the Appalachians and to have flown down the rivers and dumped on the shorelines of Siesta Key Beach. The low water depths the shores coupled with year round lifeguard protection make Siesta Key Beach among the most innocuous in the country and particularly suited for young kids. The beach is also long and expansively wide that Sarasota city installed walking mats to assist beachgoers to access the shore.

Flat Fee Movers Sarasota brings you this history lesson.

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