Located in Sarasota County, Florida, Siesta Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Siesta Key, about 600 m away (Siesta Beach lies WSW of town).
Siesta Beach (sometimes known as Siesta Key Beach) is a beach located on Siesta Key in the U.S. state of Florida. Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up mostly of pulverized coral, Siesta Beach's sand is 99% quartz, most of which comes from the Appalachian Mountains. Over time the feldspar and mica have been removed from the rock, leaving almost pure quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is so reflective that it feels cool underfoot. According to Harvard University geologists, it's estimated that the sand on Siesta Beach and Crescent Beach on Siesta Key is millions of years old, having its origin in the Appalachians and flowing down the rivers from the mountains until it eventually was deposited on the shores of Siesta Key. The southern portion of Siesta Beach is alternatively called Crescent Beach, which extends to the seawall and Point of Rocks, an area with coral and...From the Wikipedia article “Siesta Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Siesta Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 270° W | 63° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 63° ENE | 8:29 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 116° ESE | 5:42 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 25m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 36m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 48m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 29m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 51m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 42m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 07m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 49m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 26m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Siesta Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 21° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:47 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.7 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.7 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 81 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 30 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 47 | 42 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Siesta Key, Big Sarasota Pass, 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Siesta Beach, closest first.
BeachBeach
Botanical GardenBeach
Botanical Garden
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Siesta Beach?
What time is golden hour at Siesta Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Siesta Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Siesta Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Siesta Beach?
How far is Siesta Beach from Siesta Key?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.