Siesta Key: Pure White Beaches
Siesta Key is one of the barrier islands that ring the vast peninsula that make up the state of Florida. The name of the island derives from Spanish and translates as "Sleep Key, which captures the relaxing and laid-back atmosphere that prevails here. Located along the Gulf Coast of the state, the island provides tourists who stay in vacation homes on Siesta Key with not only an ideal place to go for a tranquil tropical getaway but also with the beach that in 2011 was voted the finest beach in the United States.
Siesta Beach
The seashore here is the most famous tourist amenity on the island and is regularly classed as one of the best ten beaches in the world. One of its claims to fame is the amazing nature of its sand. Of a pure white color, the sand is made up of particles so fine that it looks and feels soft. According to a Harvard University geological study, this is a result of the sand's composition, which is more than 99% quartz instead of the more typical crushed lava, shells, and granite rocks that make up most beach sand. Because the sand is so white and reflects sunlight, it is cooler to the touch than other beach surfaces and also provides a dazzling contrast with the deep blue hue of the waters that lap the shore.
Siesta Beach extends from the midpoint of the island, a site known as Point of Rocks, all the way to the northern end of the island. Point of Rocks itself is a limestone formation that provides an excellent habitat for tropical fish.