Siesta Beach, Siesta Key Live Cam

This view looks across the wide white sand of Siesta Beach on Siesta Key, Florida, toward the Gulf of Mexico and its colorful lifeguard stands. Beach volleyball nets stand on the sand in the foreground, while umbrellas and beachgoers line the water's edge further out.

Siesta Beach is the main public beach of Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota. Its sand is almost pure quartz, bright white and as fine as powder. Coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman, known as Dr. Beach, ranked it the best beach in the United States in 2011 and 2017.

The camera turns between views from a raised spot behind the beach. The main one faces the volleyball courts and the open Gulf, with yellow and red lifeguard stands along the shore. Another swings toward a shallow pool on the sand where large flocks of birds gather, framed by low palm shrubs.