Siesta Beach Experience Overview: Siesta Beach is widely recognized as the number one beach in the United States. During our visit, we found the beach area to be exceptionally clean, featuring powdery white sand that added to the overall appeal of the location. The unique sand texture and well-maintained environment contributed significantly to our enjoyable experience. Parking and Arrival Tips: We parked near the Snack Bar and Gift Shop at the northern end of Siesta Beach. Although there is a substantial amount of parking available, the spaces tend to fill up quickly, especially during peak times. It is advisable to arrive early to secure a parking spot, as finding a vacant space can become challenging later in the day. Water Quality and Shoreline Experience: The water at Siesta Beach was exceptionally clear, offering excellent visibility. Near the shore, the depth was shallow, making it easy and comfortable to relax in the low points. The waves were gentle and calm, creating an inviting environment for lounging and wading. During our stroll along the beach, we discovered several shells, adding an enjoyable element to the shoreline experience. Beach Access and Amenities: Reaching the water requires a lengthy walk across the beach. To assist visitors, mats are placed at certain locations on the beach, making the walk easier and more comfortable. The Snack Bar offers a variety of food and drinks, providing convenient options for refreshments. Adjacent to the Snack Bar is a Gift Shop, which sells a range of beach-themed items and clothing, enhancing the Siesta Beach Experience. They do have a QR code they you can order food, drinks, beach chairs and some other items to be delivered to you behind the life guard stands on the Beach in case you forget your own, kind of cool, I think. Overall Impression and Rating: Based on my experience at Siesta Beach, I confidently rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The exceptional cleanliness, powdery white sand, clear water, and convenient amenities all contributed to an outstanding visit. After seeing firsthand why Siesta Beach holds the distinction of being the number one beach in the United States, I wholeheartedly agree with its reputation. Gulf Coast Terry read more

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Visited Siesta Key Beach this past weekend and you know it's starting to warm up in Florida when you see the beaches completely packed and you can't find parking. We drove around for about 20 minutes, looking for parking till we finally found a couple that was leaving. No matter what time you visit it's busy but the beach itself it's definitely worth it. !! A little warning it was a bit of a walk to get to the water. This is my favorite kid friendly beach. The water doesn't dip off like Venice and You can actually walk out comfortably with children. Another pro is that there's plenty of shower areas throughout the beach line. Ps: On Sundays they have a drum circle which is always a good time to see people drumming and dancing. read more

Siesta Key Beach - A little murky - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Finally got to come to Siesta Key and it absolutely did not disappoint! The WHITEST of baby powder sand mixed with the thinnest of flours texture combo is what makes this beach stand out. Of course the beautiful water and calm shore is everything. We came here in December and the weather was PERFECT for laying out and enjoying the views. The only thing was the water was pretty cold. Coming from cold beaches in the north east in the summer, this really wasn't that bad. The water was so clean and a sandbar was close to the shore earlier in the day. Some awesome perks is that there's a HUGE parking lot and it's free parking everywhere. The downside is you definitely have to get there early if you want to find easy parking. I'd recommend parking near the food stand, Siesta Key Eats, in case you do get hungry and want to grab a bite. The only thing is the path from the sand to the water is preeeeeeetty long. This also means LOTS of people but you also don't feel cramped or over crowded since there's lots of sand space for everyone. You can even enjoy volleyball on the sand and grilling before arriving to the beach area in their pavilion. There are also rinsing stations located at the very entrance which is super convenient. Overall great and beautiful family friendly beach. read more

Best beach i have been too! Sand is soft and smooth, dolphins swimming in the background, chilling on the sandbar in 80 degree water.... Yup read more

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Best beach in the USA by far. I grew up in The Bay Area of CA & have been up & down the Northern CA coast & have also lived in Huntington Beach & Newport Beach for over a decade. This beach is way better than any CA beach or any beach I have been to in the South or East Coast. The sand is like powder & doesn't get hot on your feet or stick to you like other sand. The water is calm, clear, & like bath water. We plan on buying a vacation home here in the near future since we loved the beach, beauty & overall vibe of the Sarasota area. read more

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Beautiful sandy beaches, vast parking lots and clean facilities always make this beach a great place to visit. Very touristy. So get there early! read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Visiting Siesta Key Beach was such a fun way to spend a summer weekend with my family. One of the things I do to make beach trips more enjoyable is heading there in the morning before 9 am. Not as many people and always a good amount of parking to choose from. This beach has a huge free parking lot which is honestly such a gem, but by the time we were leaving mid afternoon it was completely packed with cars waiting to find a spot. The sand at this beach was amazing. Surprisingly really easy to walk/roll a wagon on.. I usually have the opposite experience at other beaches so this was truly great. I'd definitely choose this beach again in the future! read more

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I have been to so many beaches In FL, and this one hands down has to be my favorite. First off this beach is HUGE and absolutely gorgeous. You can also play volleyball on the huge nets. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This is my favorite beach by far. White powdery sands, lots of parking and lots of place to sit on the beach and enjoy the beautiful waters and the sunset. You really have not felt powder soft sand till you've been here. Love the place. read more

Siesta Key Beach has been named a top beach in the US several years recently. It is a beautiful area, with a very wide sandy beach. The sand is a soft powdery white. There is a good deal of free parking, but in the middle of the day in season it can become completely full. Once, I drove 40 minutes from home, circled the parking lot several times and came back home without getting out of the car. There are rest rooms, a food place and a shop to get any essentials you may have forgotten. Worth a visit. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

My friends and I went to the beach hoping the spring break crowd had died down a bit, but there are definitely a few stragglers still here lol. Siesta Key is a large beach and has a large parking lot BUT key advice is to get there early!!! We spent 45 minutes driving around trying to find parking, which we all know is just a game of chance and luck. We eventually find a spot and make our truck down to the beach. They have a bar with drinks and food if that is something you are interested in! They also have volleyball courts and tents to rent for shade if you need it. The weather was perfect! It wasn't too hot and the slight breeze helped fight the heat from the sun. The water was cold but it was fine once you got in and got used to it. Overall it was a great day and it was nice to see other people enjoying their time. read more

Consistently ranked the #1 beach in the U.S., Siesta Key Beach is a must-see. The sand is famously white, soft, and cool to the touch thanks to its 99% quartz composition. Parking and beach access are completely free, and there's a convenient refreshment stand serving up alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, and casual food. Pro tip: Bring your own reusable straw - those frozen electric lemonades hit different, and trust me, sipping with a spoon is just not the vibe. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Sand Art - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

A friend suggested we do a day trip over to Siesta Key rated the #1 beach in the U.S. and #4 in the world so of course I was down and excited to see the beach. The sand was nice and soft like powder and was not hot. There were so many people on the beach during the late morning off season so it was difficult finding a spot to set up. Once we got comfortable we decided to take a walk to the water and were not impressed at all. Clearly whomever rated this beach is either blind or hasn't travelled much. The water wasn't even clear. This beach looked like a desert and is definitely one of the worst beaches I've been to. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Totally worth the hype. Favorite when visiting. It is crowded but the sunset. Spectacular! read more

Beautiful sand beautiful beach back for another adventure.Come for the sunrise, lee for the sunset read more

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This is the prettiest beach on the west coast of Florida. Being a Sarasota native I might be a bit biased. Plenty of parking, dank bathrooms, and small bites at the main pavilion. You can also access the same strip of beach from several smaller beach access parking lots. Parking is tight on those, leave the big vehicles for the main parking lot. Lots of memories and good times here. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Although we don't use the public access (we have our own) I thought I'd chime in on how much better the Siesta Beach parking lot is since the renovations and moving the tennis courts over some years ago. The bathrooms are as good as public toilets at a beach are going to be, and there is a cafe that seems to be popular with the tourists. The parking lot is twice the size, if not bigger, than before-and keeps tourists and locals alike from getting ticketed and towed from parking on private property. Our beach is stunning, obviously, and is constantly rated as #1 in the USA. Please respect it and pick up your garbage. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Path from the main public parking access - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I finally made the trip to visit Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, FL. Now, I cannot say it will be a beach I frequent often due to the overall drive coming from central Florida. However, I do see why many really rank this beach as a great beach to visit. Now, does it top some of my favorite beaches that are a bit closer to me, NO, but it does come close. Should I plan to go back in the near future, I will plan to stay the entire weekend to avoid having to deal with the drive back and forth in one day. I know some don't care too much for the long trek to get nearer to the water, but I kind of like that. Especially when the tide gets high, you still have so much room to migrate back and be out of nature's way. Now, I was not the biggest fan of the wet, compacted sand. Though it was cool on the feet and to the touch, I was expecting more loose white sands, as many brag about. However, with it being rainy season, I guess my hopes may have been a tad too high. I will also add that, even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the wet, compacted sand, I did appreciate how it made for a nice flat surface to set up a pop-up tent. I didn't visit on a super busy weekend, so I had high hopes that it would not be packed. To my dismay, it was PACKED. With it being summer break for most kids in Florida and just summer in general, I was quite delusional to think the beach would not be packed. Due to that, parking, while free, was an absolute PAIN in the behind. Spent about 30 to 45 minutes driving around, waiting for someone to leave to grab a spot. However, I am not complaining too much because I did mention parking was FREE. Far too often, beach parking is NOT free, especially in some of the more popular beach towns. Amenities, like food, drinks, and bathrooms, were conveniently located throughout the beach strip. Overall, for my first experience, I enjoyed my time there. Again, if I visit in the near future, I'll be sure to plan an entire weekend as well as get someone else to share driving duties with. Also, I'd like to explore more of Sarasota, too, as it is not a city I frequent often. Looking forward to visiting this beach one day soon, in the distant future. read more

I was not impressed by Siesta Key, it was a major disappointment. I feel my local beaches are much better and prettier. You have to walk about 15 mins before you even reach the water (try doing that with a tent, cooler, and chairs). No trees in sight, the sand was compacted almost like wet cement which made it difficult to set up our beach tent and the water was murky. I had high expectations being its considered one of the best beaches in the U.S.A. read more

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Can see why it's been voted the best beach in the county as it didn't disappoint. Lovely beach that's within easy driving distance from anywhere in Florida really. Soft silky fine white sand. Clear waters for miles with an abundance of marine life to explore and observe while snorkeling from plenty of sand dollars and little seas snails with plenty of little fishes swimming below. Large free parking lot and restroom and showers available. Short walk like distance from the parking lot to paradise! Only warning is you may hit a lot of traffic leaving the parking lot / beach as there's really only one way in and out of the area but well worth the little bit of time in traffic! read more

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My sister and I visited Siesta Key beach for the first time this weekend. This beach came highly recommended to us for its fluffy sand and top rating as one of the best beaches in the country. Sadly, we did come on a bit of an overcast day, so we didn't get to experience a fully sunny beach day, but we enjoyed spending a few hours outside and seeing what this beach is like. Some things to note: parking is free, there is a cute playground and shelters near the parking lot for families to enjoy, bathrooms are accessible, and there is a small stand for drinks and food. Keep in mind that this beach has so much sand, making the walk from your car to the water a little longer than other beaches. The amount of sand makes for plenty of room for people to enjoy the beach, but I could see how carrying your setup to and from the beach on a hot day may be difficult for some. Overall, we can't wait to come back on a nicer day to enjoy this beach. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Super fine sand. Clean restroom and shower facilities. Fantastic service from the cafe staff. Parking was a plenty. 10/10 would revisit! Thank you for being awesome Respectfully, Bryan Oklahoma City read more

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Just a warring to everyone coming to the Sarasota beaches for spring break, stay out of the water unless you want infections. They had another 14,000 gallons of raw sewage water spill into Sarasota Bay this week that will flow to the beach. read more

the beach was very beautiful and had amazing sand BUT- it was busy as hell. there were people quite literally everywhere and it felt very cramped read more

I don't think I've been to a beach like this where I could walk on the beach in sneakers and my shoes don't sink into the sand where it feels like I'm in bootcamp for the military. The sand itself feels unreal and I've been to a lot of beaches. They call themselves the best beach in the US and I believe it. Unfortunately I came during a time where it was unusually cold in the 50s so it was way too cold to be touching the water or laying out on the beach as the wind made things freezing also. I did enjoy the lack of people thanks to the cold so we could take all the photos we wanted. read more

The beach was amazing! Definitely recommended, the snack bar service on the other hand... If the lady checking my food out wasn't so snappy my review would've been better. read more

I love Siesta Key Beach. It is a must see when visiting Sarasota. Today was a colder day, but there are things to do here besides swim. I saw some people playing beach volleyball, and there is a park for children and a small cafe. Going to the beach here is such a calming experience. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Shore on a cloudy day - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

This beach is the reason why I like to go to florida. The sand feels like flour, soft and airy. This was our first time going to this beach in July. We usually go around winter time. The water feels so warm. The waves are prefect, not too rough. There were a lot more people at this beach here when we went yesterday than the last time we went in the winter time for sure. We are glad that we can come here to watch the sunset. It was such a great experience, very calm and peaceful. There were some seashell in the water and on the beach. Parking spots here can be hard to find due to how popular this beach is since it is a wonderful place to go to relax. read more

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I've got some Key knowledge but I don't understand the term, perhaps it's a shape thing and there are too many to know them all, they stretch all the way up and down the west coast. Someone told me "it's a top ten beach in the country"! And to this I smiled and replied something to the effect of "oh really? Wow, that's so interesting". This is my common response to anyone who I'm trying to get out of the conversation with and away from as soon as humanly possible. The water is flatter than a pizza box as is the sand. It's as if a giant roller rolled over this Key a multitude of times,back and forth nice and slow to really press it in. What's so great about that? Beaches have waves, at least the ones I go to and the sand is loosely arranged in clumps and troughed depths and you can see little kiddos building sand castles which ain't here either. The gulls look ghetto just posting up in militarized configurations looking for opportunities to jack someone's something. When it's low tide you gotta walk forever to the knee high deep end of the questionable Gulf water giving more space for the people to lay blankets and play the radio and drink and dance but that wasn't happening here either. Just a bunch of gods waiting room patients creaking along the toe high shore breakers. And no dogs allowed, as in never ever. read more

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Most gorgeous beach we have ever visited in the US! The water was astoundingly clear and blue, transporting us to a world of serenity! The beach was meticulously clean and organized, offering some free parking destinations! Very impressed! We will never go to Miami again, this is now our treasured getaway! Multiple restaurants and bars with great happy hour around the beach as well! read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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Decided to spend our time at the beach here during on November vacation. Usually, parking is available at Access 12; however, due to the recent hurricane, was blocked off with some debris piles. When open, they only recommend compact cars and do have a turnaround at the end, but not on the beach. The beach was very open with lots of pretty sea shells. I was disappointed to find no food/beverage stands where we were located, but the main road had a few options. Even in mid-November, the water was relatively warm and due to sand bars, you can go out pretty far. I do recommend taking a look. read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Guys. This beach is absolutely massive and absolutely crowded and smells like doodoo all the time. The water is oddly warm. It's one massive toilet. There are many smaller, emptier, prettier beaches around Florida. There is genuinely no way this beach is rated #1 in the United States and #4 in the world like seriously guys this beach THIS IS THE WORST BEACH I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. I probably just caught 12 diseases from how crowded this beach was. Thank you. read more

Siesta Key Beach - 5000000 illnesses and poop and pee and bandaids This isn't a fun quirky type of overcrowded this is literally a life size toilet. - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

great sunshine, friendly people BEACH!!! a little bit of traffic.. great restaurants and bars!! read more

On our recent trip to Sarasota, we spent 2 full days at Lido Beach, as well as 2 full days at Siesta Key Beach...so by now, I can do a more thorough comparison of the 2 beaches. Since i'm reviewing both beaches, I'm sharing the same review for both beaches...just different pictures. Siesta Key Beach is the more prominent of the 2 beaches, having been voted #1 beach in U.S. in the past. It's also a longer stretch of beach...more expansive, and more manicured. However, the downside to that is that Siesta Key Beach has become quite popular over the years. For some reason, when we visited 3 years ago (around the same time in October), it was much quieter. Both days that we were there, the beach was packed. Still, the thing is this. This beach is SO expansive, you can always carve out a peaceful place for yourself... although that may mean a further walk up to the northern part of the beach. BTW, we saw 2-3 wedding parties and wedding photo sessions on both of the days there. With such amazing white sand, that was kind of predictable really. Outshined by the popularity of Siesta Key Beach, Lido Beach is less crowded, thus quieter, much more peaceful! It's still VERY beautiful, boasting white sands just like the Siesta Key, and turquoise-green colored water. Also, the walk-up to the beach is shorter and easier...given that Siesta has such an enormous body of white sand leading up to the beach. I guess the other difference is that Lido is a tad less manicured than the Siesta Key...but still, nicer and more polished than most beaches I've seen. My 2 boys actually preferred the convenience and the serenity of Lido Beach. Guess they didn't mind that it was a touch more rustic than Siesta Key or less expansive. I loved Lido Beach, and some of its upsides (especially the less crowded part!), but if I had to choose, it'd be Siesta Key Beach. The massive amount of white sands and the long stretch of beach seemed nearly magical! I've never been impressed with any of the beaches in the Carolinas (where I live), but these Sarasota beaches (and other beaches in Florida as well) are simply STUNNING! We also stayed on to catch the sunset at Siesta Key Beach for both nights (we missed sunsets at Lido...did that last time, 3 years ago). There was a crowd of sunset watchers on both nights...and with good reason! Again, their sunsets were STUNNING!! Unlike Carolina (and Californian) beaches, Sarasota beaches seemed much more serene and calming...since the waters aren't turbulent. In fact, there aren't any big waves at all...just softer waves near the shoreline. I guess this aspect would bum out the surfers out there. My boys are fans of bodysurfing, so they were probably a bit bummed. One more thing. On both of these beaches, SO many birds...much more so than I've ever seen in the Carolinas or in California. At times, I thought we were in the Hitchcock movie! I remember seeing a ton of birds at the Miami beach and Delray beach as well (in the past)...so I guess it's a thing in Florida? On one of these beach days, my son dropped threw a crumb of cracker at a bird, and Oh Boy, a flock swarmed over in a second...and they sort of kept their eye on us for the rest of the day lol! All I can say is BEWARE. Overall, I loved both beaches. Such sparkling white sands and turquoise-green waters!! They were both 5-star calibur for sure. read more

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Amazing great beaches with cool white sand my grands loved it whether they were in the gulf water or just playing on the beach in the sand. It was a fight getting them off the beach each day. Great family friendly beach and overall area. read more

I have been going to this beach for many years. I have gone to others, but no other beach can beat this one. White sands and clear water. Very clean beach and you can walk pretty far out before it gets really deep. read more

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What a beautiful beach. We parked in public lot 5 and walked around Siesta Key Village for a little bit and then hit the beach. I was amazed on how white these sands were here. The beach was very clean and absolutely loved the trail like walk to the beach. It is very evident that Siesta Key values and takes care of the wildlife. It was not too busy for a Tuesday afternoon. The beach was not over crowded and was relaxing. Shops were within walking distance with easy sidewalks to navigate. The only thing I could not find was a rinse station for after the beach. I didn't look too far and was hoping one would be in the public parking area we parked. read more

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5/25/24. It's a beautiful but very hot day at the beach - 90 degrees. I personally don't know how long I'll be able to stand it, but my daughter loves it. She got me a little beach tent so I could have some shade. There are lots of people here today, which leads to why I didn't give 5 stars. The parking situation here is a mess. We drove around and around for at least half an hour until someone was leaving their spot and offered it to us. He was waiting for his wife and mother in law to shower off the sand. They arrived soon after, and we were blessed with a parking space. So be prepared for that little problem. The line of cars waiting to get into the lot was super long! read more

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It's been quite some time since I've first reviewed Siesta Key Beach. It's not really the first beach I think of. Probably because it's so popular which means it gets too crowded for my liking. This time we came back to our go to side of Siesta Key. That is Access 12. It's away from the main Public Beach but still same beach. One side is public and while the left and the right of it has private beach signs all over. I like that it's a narrow alley way parking lot but it can be a challenge to find parking. We somehow are always lucky to find a spot. It's a walk to the beach compared to others we go. At least we have a beach wagon now. The area that's public is smaller since the other private beaches surround it. At sunset is when the beach fills up more with people. Otherwise, there's not many people on this side due to the less parking spots. The water was nice as well as the sand here. It was quite relaxing and the sunset was perfect! read more

Siesta Key Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

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No 1 Beach in the USA (by authorities like Dr. Beach and TripAdvisor 2015-2017-2020), and Siesta Key Beach is not to be missed! The quartz sand and shallow waters of Siesta Beach have made it the most beloved of all Siesta Key beaches. The public beach provides a front-row seat to elegant green waters, flowing in and out as if petting the coast of the barrier island. After finding parking- wander down to the sandy shores to find a just as spacious beach. Don't forget to take a photo with the Siesta Beach signboard. Lifeguard towers are there at Siesta Key Beach. Green-Yellow- Red flag are waving at the tower telling you the hazardous level. The sand itself is so soft and the water is as clear as the Caribbean. You can spend an entire day just lounging by the ocean, which is why this spot is so crowded daily. Despite this, there is plenty of free parking, concession stands, and restrooms available for public use. This is a great family destination, ideal for children looking to collect shells as souvenirs. Siesta Key Beach has something to offer for everyone, making it one of the best Sarasota attractions. while doing my research (that's my part of visiting any place) - I come to know about below- Siesta Beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the world. Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up mostly of pulverized coral, Siesta Beach's sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is so reflective that it feels cool underfoot. It's estimated that the sand on Siesta Beach is millions of years old, having its origin in the Appalachians and flowing down the rivers from the mountains until it eventually was deposited on the shores of Siesta Key. Siesta Key Beach has many awards it has earned, like- "The whitest and finest sand in the world" (The Great International Beach Challenge, 1987), "The Best Sand Beach in America" (The Travel Channel, 2004), "The Best Beach in America" (Dr. Beach, 2011, 2017). Parking: An enormous parking lot befitting its popularity, I reached there at 9 AM, it was Sunday, though it was not even 20% full, but when I was leaving at 2 PM, I saw the board " Parking lot full" so better watch out, especially on weekend. Restroom: it's there and somehow clean as well. 3/5 Changing Room: no changing room Shower: a couple of showers are there. read more

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