Boaters welcome! Docks available at Turtle Beach Resort and Inn located at mile marker #48
The resort was recently featured in Southern Living Magazine, The Boston Globe and the NY Times!
The resort is a 3-5 min. walk for the best island sunsets at Turtle Beach… the bay has docks to view the dolphins and manatees swimming by… guests can canoe to a “secret” beach for
privacy and picnics…the Inn has hammocks by the docks and is on the lagoon behind the beach. Every unit has private patios with large private hot tub spa, hammock, kitchenette, bathrobes, sherry wine and free use of kayaks, canoes, fishing gear, bicycles, wifi, etc. Beach chairs, umbrellas and laundry are available for guests.
The bayside resort is pet friendly and offers studio, one and two bedroom cottages. Our Inn is exclusive for adults, only a 200 step walk to the beach with studio and one bedroom units available. We have 3 restaurants in walking distance; two are waterfront, 3 bars. There is a special $15-20 per person discount for a 5 course gourmet dinner at the best island restaurant.

We are offering summer rates to all boaters through January, excluding the holiday weeks!
For more information visit www.turtlebeachresort.com or call 941-349-4554

This morning one of our guests visiting from San Francisco asked “Why everything around here has the word turtle in it?”

Turtle Beach Resort and Inn sits on the lagoon that overlooks Turtle Beach on the very south end of Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida.There is Turtles Restaurant and Turtle Beach Pub all in walking distance.

Siesta Key is one of the prominent locations for the sea turtle’s during nesting season. Turtle Nesting season: May 1-Oct. 3.1 Local nests are monitored closely by Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Patrol, a group of Mote scientists, interns and more than 250 volunteers who monitor nesting each day during nesting season on 35 miles of Sarasota County beaches. This most recent season ended on a high note with the highest nest count in nine years for loggerhead sea turtles and a record-breaking count for green sea turtles in Sarasota County. Turtle Beach is also known for the most beautiful sunsets on the island and you can walk for miles straight down to Casey Key. Many of our guests take the kayaks and canoes and paddle down to “Secret Beach” for private picnics and eco tourism.

All of us at Turtle Beach Resort and Inn want to wish all of our family and friends a most joyous holiday season. Through all the hustle and bustle, take some time to cherish the simple things.

Here on Siesta Key we have 80 degree, amazingly perfect weather, sunny skies and calm breezes…

The mullet were jumping like crazy yesterday and the commercial fisherman were abundant in Sarasota Bay just off our docks all afternoon. There is a new fresh seafood market on the south end of Siesta and they smoked their own mullet right behind the store.

This morning it is low tide and sandbars appear in the bay in the middle of the intra coastal waterway where birds gather and our guests canoe out and walk it searching for seashells and treasures.

The seagulls fly by and sing to us and every now and then the dolphins come by and dance for us.

What is your simple pleasure for today?

This beautiful image was given to us this morning from a guest staying in the Montego Bay Cottage. They are here from Germany for 3 weeks, a charming couple, their first time to Siesta Key. This image is literally what they woke up to this morning… raw beauty. Next to them we have a family staying in the Caribbean Cottage, the two young boys are out on the docks fishing, Mullet and Ladyfish are just popping out all along the bay, this reminded me of a Norman Rockwell image… Siesta Key is one of those magical places where people kick back, relax and get in touch with nature.

Our guests in the RainForest Cottage are checking out this morning but they just stopped by and asked if they could just stay a little later… they are heading up to family in St. Pete for Christmas but they wanted one last canoe ride with their pooch… I have only worked here for 7 weeks, lived on the Island for 20 years and it is so rewarding to watch all of our guests bask in the beauty of this little gem in Florida and experience what brought me down here 20 years ago…

Today we welcome in the first day of winter, 78 degrees, sunny skies and beautiful gulf breezes. We are extending our low summer rates for all stays for the month of January, just a thought…

Happy Holidays to all! Hanukkah has just begun, the festival of lights, and Christmas is just days away. Turtle Beach Resort has the only art gallery on Siesta Key: The Gallery at Turtle Beach Resort.

The Gallery, showcases the works of 2 generations, featuring original works of local artist, Gail Rubinfeld, Elliott Rodgers [Gail's father] and her identical twin sister’s work, Miri Rosenfeld. A percentage of all sales goes to “Ma’agan”, a drop-in care center in Jerusalem, supporting people affected with cancer with life-affirming art, music and dance classes in memory of Miri.

Gail Rubinfeld’s describes her work as “non-figurative art that captures spontaneous moments in time. In my portrait work, I strive to find a person’s essence, and then strip away everything superficial. Either way, I like to work quickly and bring a sense of immediacy to the image.”

The Gallery is open daily 9-5 or by appointment by calling call 941-349-4554.

Find everything from relaxation to recreation, such as water sports, eco tourism, pristine beaches and culture during your stay at Turtle Beach Resort and Inn, a perfect family vacation destination.
Just 2 hours southwest of Orlando, it is an idyllic family getaway after the Orlando theme park trek. Located on Florida’s Gulf “Cultural” Coast, a short drive to the beach, it is the perfect continuation for your Florida vacation. Come and revel in the old-fashioned authentic charm of Florida. All cottages and suites at the waterfront resort have private patios, hot tubs and kitchens. Canoes, kayaks, bicycles, fishing and beach gear are all complimentary to our guests. The resort is pet friendly and there are private docks for boaters and fishing.

Fun Facts:
• Turtle Beach is the destination of the migrating Loggerhead Sea Turtles whose annual hatching behavior is triggered by moonlight.
• Siesta Key is located on what is called the Cultural Coast, so-named after the legacy of John Ringling. Sarasota is home to Florida’s State Museum: The John and Mable Ringling Museum.
• Turtle Beach and Sarasota Bay is home to over 200 species of birds.
• Today there are sunny skies and the temperature is 79 degrees

New Years is approaching, what better way to download from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays then escaping for a 3-day stay at The Inn at Turtle Beach Resort? Sun and fun awaits you.
hammocks swing in the bay breezes… dolphins jumping… the mullet are running… the hot tubs bubbling…with every 3-day reservation for New Years eve weekend we will include a complimentary bottle of champagne to ring in 2012. For reservations call: 941-349-4554.

The Inn at Turtle Beach Resort sits on the lagoon overlooking Turtle Beach. The Sunset Suite, pictured here, is on the second floor with a deck overlooking the water with a private hot tub. The best sunsets on Siesta Key are right at Turtle Beach on the southern point of Siesta Key. The Inn has 10 private suites all with private patios and hot tub spas and the property is adults only, unlike Turtle Beach Resort which is pet and children friendly. We now offer minimum stays all year long at the Inn making short getaway stays available. The Sunset Suite has been known to be a favorite retreat for artists and writers alike. Treat yourself or friends and family for the holidays- Gift Certificates are available! We are offering our low summer rates throughout the month of January. You can contact us at 941-349-4554 for more information.

Imagine waking up to the sounds of wild parrots, walking outside your private patio and sitting in your Turtle Beach robe with a cup of coffee from your resort kitchen to watch the sunrise on the bay. Listen and you will hear manatees shuffling by or the splash of a dolphin from your deck. The natural setting of Turtle Beach Resort on Siesta Key is unparalleled. Many have tried but none have imitated our spectacular waterfront location.
We have been selected by many publications as one of Florida’s best romantic escapes. Frommer’s Florida Book named Turtle Beach Resort as one of the top ten romantic resorts and has given us their highest rating in the Sarasota area! Our many awards also include the 5 Hearts award in the “Best Romantic Escapes in Florida Book”
Our Inn sits on the lagoon that overlooks Turtle Beach and that property is for adults only. You can sit in the tiki hut and watch the sun set into the horizon of the Gulf of Mexico. Listen and you can hear the waves of the ocean crash upon the beach. Pelicans and seabirds will entertain you while you sip an afternoon drink from your blender or relax in the hammocks by the boat docks. If this isn’t paradise, what is?
Honeymooners love the relaxing quiet. Couples celebrating anniversaries or birthdays or just looking to renew their relationship have visited us by the thousands. With only ten cottages and ten suites we remain a retreat away from the stress of life and work. Our professional massage therapists can do couple massages or singles to knead your tired muscles. Slip into our famous private large hot tubs on your fenced patio to totally unwind. With the whirlpool jets and the tropical setting, your cares will melt away.

Our honeymooners and guests love to use our complimentary kayaks and canoes to glide over to the “secret” beach at the end of the island for complete solitude. You will paddle near dolphins, manatees and jumping fish. We are an eco-friendly area so just enjoy the views and the Gulf of Mexico beaches. Bicycles, fishing and beach gear are all available complimentary to our guests as well.
There is no place on the island where you can lie in bed, look out from the one way glass and watch the sunrise on the bay, or the sunset of the Gulf of Mexico from your balcony hot tub spa! Relax in the hammocks under the palm trees on the lagoon or be the lucky few that can say they are now “sitting on the dock on the bay”! Turtle Beach Resort is the ultimate romantic getaway!

The Gallery at Turtle Beach Resort has a vast selection of original paintings and prints available for holiday gift purchases and a percentage of each purchase will be donated to “Ma’agan”, a drop-in care center in Jerusalem, supporting people affected with cancer with life-affirming art, music and dance classes.

The original art work is a collection of Turtle Beach Resort Innkeeper Gail Rubinfeld; her identical twin sister, Miri Rosenfeld and her father, Elliott Rodgers’ work.

The Gallery is open daily 9-5 or by appointment by calling 941-349-4554.