Our Blog

The Secret of Siesta Key Sand

Posted by Best Western Siesta Key onMarch 13, 2020 in General, The Beach.

Among the many highlights of visiting Siesta Key, you’ll most likely find once you’re here that your beach experience was one of the best ever. This is due, in large part, to the amazingly unique sand Siesta Key boasts. If you find yourself feeling more grounded, balanced and healthy once you leave, well, the experts at Best Western Siesta Key can tell you what the locals already know: it’s all in the sand.

What’s in This Sand?

The sand on most beaches is a mixture of quartz, coral and other minerals, giving the sand a darker color and coarse texture. On Siesta Key, however, the sand is 99% quartz. This results in pure white sand that is actually perfectly ground bits of quartz, smoothed and transformed over time. It also means the sand is super soft and almost squeaky as you walk on it. It remains cool to the touch, even on the hottest summer days (and locals can tell you that’s a valuable aspect of any beach!).

Legend says the quartz came originally from the Appalachian Mountains, moved by rivers that deposited the quartz along Florida’s west coast. Somehow the highest concentrations of quartz ended up on our own Siesta Key, making it one of the most unique beaches in the world. Dr. Stephen Leatherman, more commonly known as Dr. Beach, awarded Siesta Key the #1 Beach in America in 2017. As a sand collector, he also owns a bit of Siesta Key sand, which he keeps in a vial.

What Makes This Sand So Special?

Not only is this amazingly beautiful sand cool to the touch (since the high concentrations of quartz reflect light), powder-soft and simply comforting to walk in or lay on all day, but it also has healing properties! The high amounts of quartz in this sand, a natural conductor of energy, maximizes the healing energy in this area, and the holistic community in Sarasota is eager to talk about their theories for why this is.

One theory promotes the idea that the lost city of Atlantis may be nearby, providing such energy through the quartz sand. The belief is that this mythical city was established, and later destroyed, due to the power, health, and beauty provided by this mineral. Others cite the lack of hurricane damage over the years as either an ancient Indian blessing on the area or the energy vortex provided by the quartz sand. Regardless of the reasons, New Age movements love this little barrier island for its quartz sand. Much inspiration and inner peace are often found on this beach.

How to Enjoy Siesta Key Sand 

If we have you intrigued and you’re now looking for the best ways to enjoy the fabulous Siesta Key sand, we have a few ideas. First, enjoy a peaceful meditation when you join Yoga on the Beach for a morning yoga session, directly on the sand. If the healing properties of quartz sand are intriguing to you, this is an activity you’ll want to be part of during your time in Siesta Key. Visitors to the area often marvel at the amazing sand sculptures found on our beaches.

Every November, the Siesta Key Crystal Classic brings some of the best sand sculptors to our beaches from around the world. The unique texture of our sand is especially great for sculpting, making it an attractive event to artists everywhere. If you don’t happen to visit during the Crystal Classic, don’t let that stop you from sculpting your own artistic design with this amazing sand.

If you’re more of a music buff than sculptor or yogi, be sure to catch the Siesta Key Drum Circle on Sunday evenings. This rhythmic percussion group is free-form and draws on the natural energy and beauty of the area to create original sounds every week.

With so much to do in Siesta Key, it’s understandable that simply laying around on the beach may not be your priority. But we definitely recommend spending some amount of time with your toes in this incredible sand.

Find your inner peace, seek healing and balance, or simply marvel at the delicious texture found in the sand on Siesta Key beaches. To learn more about the local’s legends, talk to the experts at Best Western Siesta Key. We’ll be happy to share our knowledge of local legends or simply point you toward the beach!