SARASOTA COUNTY (WSNN) – Sarasota County has a long coastline, yet the large, public are often crowded. What if we told you there is a way to find the “secret beaches?”
“I’ve lived in the Sarasota area for almost 20 years and I’ve probably only been to three or four beaches,” Sarasota resident, Crystal Rothhaar said.
“I’ve probably been to about eight,” Sarasota Resident, Anat Moskowitz said.
35 miles of coastline with more than 20 beaches in Sarasota County and most people go to:
Siesta Key and Lido Key,” Rothhaar said.
“Obviously, I go to Siesta Key a lot,” Moskowitz said.
Because of this, Visit Sarasota County created a new feature on its app called the “Sarasota Beach Pass.” It launched this week.
“It just brings awareness to the diversity of our beaches,” Visit Sarasota County Communications, Britney Guertin, said.
Even comes with incentives for exploring the coastline. The game starts when you press the ‘check-in’ button at a beach. It includes three levels.
“Level one is one beach; we wanted to make it simple,” Guertin said. “To get to the second level, you have to check into five beaches; and to get to the final level, you check into 10 of the beaches.”
Rothhaar says this is fun for her kids.
“It’s kind of like beach Pokemon where you show up and you see what you can win,” Rothhaar said.
And you can pick up prizes at the Sarasota visitor center. Level three gets you a special Tervis Tumbler.
“There are 20 beaches on the list,” Guertin said. “So half of those beaches, and you’ve got the Golden Ticket to level three.”
And it’s perfect timing for beachgoers seeking less crowded beaches.
“With COVID, people are seeking hidden discoveries, they want to get off beaten path, so this app will help people find ‘secret beaches’ or lesser-known beaches,” Guertin said.
Moskowitz walks the beach at least once a week.
“I am trying to avoid the crowds,” Moskowitz said. When I walk on the beach, I don’t want to have to wear my mask, but I have on the more crowded beaches because there are so many people.”
A great guide for visitors and locals.
“I think this will give us the opportunity to stretch out to find new places to go and to be away from everybody and keep our social distancing,” Rothhaar said.
You can find the ‘Sarasota Beach Pass’ when you download the free VisitSarasota application from The Apple Store or Google Play. You can find more information here.