"The Most Private Eight Miles in Sarasota."

Casey Key is the one Sarasota barrier island that most people have never heard of, which is precisely the point. Named for Captain John Charles Casey (a West Point classmate of Robert E. Lee, who surveyed the area in the mid-1800s), the island stretches eight miles between Venice and Siesta Key with no traffic lights, no high-rises, no commercial strip, and fewer than 500 permanent residents. More sea turtles nest here annually than people live here year-round.

Access is limited by design. There are only two bridges: the Blackburn Point Road Bridge at the north end (built in 1926, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and one of the last remaining one-lane swing bridges in Florida that pivots to allow passing vessels) and the Laurel Road Bridge at the south end near Nokomis Beach. The north end of the key is entirely private property with essentially no public beach access. This also explains why grand estates here routinely span from Gulf to bay, giving owners a private beach on one side and a deep-water dock on the other. The south end near Nokomis Beach is somewhat more accessible, with a public beach, a boat ramp, and the beloved Casey Key Fish House restaurant visible from the water.

The island's famous residents (Stephen King maintains a home here, among others) reflect the privacy its buyers seek. Unlike Siesta Key or Longboat Key, Casey Key offers no dining scene, no nightlife, and no commercial activity. Socializing happens on private terraces. The Casey Key Tiki Bar, accessible primarily by boat or a short drive from Blackburn Point, is the one community gathering point. The nearby Legacy Trail, Nokomis Beach, and the mainland towns of Venice and Osprey provide everything else.

Local Insider: The Blackburn Point swing bridge does exactly what it sounds like — it pivots on a central axis to open for boat traffic. The bridge has no scheduled openings; it opens on demand. If you're approaching by car during a bridge opening, plan for a wait. If you're approaching by boat, know that mast height clearance when closed is approximately 9 feet at mean high tide.