If you’ve never visited Casey Key, one of the barrier islands in Sarasota County, located off the coast of Nokomis, it’s high time you did! Home to two beaches (Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Park Beach), Casey Key is also home to multi-million dollar mansions, including those owned by Rosie O’Donnell and Stephen King. The island is quiet and mostly unspoiled, making it a great location to spend a day or a weekend biking and exploring. Bring your own bike or rent one on the island, and spend your time doing any of the following:
House-Shopping
Well, even if you’re not in the position to actually purchase a home on this island, you can certainly look to your heart’s content, from the outside. You’ll find gorgeous mansions set right on the water as you pedal down Casey Key Road. The island is not very well-traveled by vehicles, so you won’t have to worry much about traffic, but you will need to be careful of some of the sharper turns. You will, of course, want to have a camera with you so you can slow down or stop and photograph some of these beautiful homes. If you are in the market for luxury real estate on Casey Key, you’ll find a handful of homes under $1.5M, and more as your budget increases; current prices are topping out at around $16M.
Hit the Beach
Though Casey Key is home to miles of pristine coastline, the two public beaches are Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Park Beach. If you’re hoping to hit the waves, then North Jetty, on the southern tip of the island, is where you should go. The sand is fine and white, similar to what you’d find on Siesta Key, and the water filters through the jetties to create nice waves for surfing and bodyboarding. Nokomis Beach is larger and offers lots of free parking, a boardwalk and a boat launch. If you happen to be on Nokomis Beach on a Wednesday or Saturday evening, you’ll enjoy the treat of a drumming and dancing circle as the sun sets into the Gulf. Both beaches have lifeguards on duty during the day.
Enjoy the Wildlife
When you explore Casey Key by bicycle, you have the luxury of traveling slowly and without making too much noise, the way you would in a car. This will allow you to get pretty close to some of Southwest Florida’s wildlife, including sea turtles and large sea birds. There are nature trails, too, so you can see some of the tropical plants native to this paradisical island. While you’re within spitting distance of the water, you might get the chance to see dolphins frolicking or even manatees floating by.Casey Key is considered by some to be heaven on earth. You can take in all that the island has to offer from your bicycle or even on foot. If you would like to learn about the luxury properties on Casey Key, please feel free to give me a call to discuss the possibilities.