Florida is a state full of wonderful vacation destinations and while you may love the variety of choices, this also means many true gems get overlooked. Anna Maria Island Florida is a fantastic vacation destination whether for singles, couples, or families. Located on the west coast of Florida with beautiful white sand beaches that overlook the Gulf of Mexico, there's a lot to love about this special piece of the Sunshine State. While Miami, Orlando, and other large cities might get the attention, maybe it's time you turn towards the little gem 50 miles south of Tampa known as Anna Maria Island Florida and enjoy everything it has to offer.
Anna Maria Island Cities
Holmes Beach is home to a full time population of 4,300 people and boasts of some of the best views in Florida. Beautiful green waters, miles of white loose grain sand, and some of the best fishing in Florida all in one little laid back area. Whether you want to have a beach picnic with family, enjoy some awesome sunbathing, or take the family for some of the best in-shore or off-shore fishing in Florida then Holmes Beach is your next stop. Don't forget to visit the Café on the Beach for the famed all you can eat pancake breakfast!
Taking pride as a small yet vibrant community of 1,300 people, Bradenton Beach is the smallest community that makes up Anna Maria Island Florida but is charms are much bigger! Sister city to Holmes Beach, Bradenton features both miles of beautiful white sand "sugar" beaches as well as mangrove habitat with docks & moorings for the charter fishing boats. The City Pier is a place you must check out and stop in to the café for a bend of resident and visitor.
The town of Anna Maria features a friendly easy paced speed limit of 35 mph or less, cyclists and walkers will feel right at home on this sliver of white sand coastal area a touch over an hour's drive south of Tampa. This is a town that takes pride in the lack of high rise beach hotels. This is a laid back area with a single golf course is about the small local shops, beautiful beaches, and laid back lifestyle perfect for a relaxing vacation.
Historic Sites On Anna Maria Island
Visitors who love history and really digging into the past of a beautiful and interesting location will find plenty of great historic sites to visit on Anna Maria Island. The Historic Green Village takes advantage of modern sustainable technology like solar panels and wind energy to keep modern benefits without a carbon footprint while also taking great pains to keep restoring these old buildings & cottages to keep them as original to the century old designs as possible.
The popular City Pier is set for modern visitors but littered with interesting plaques and old buildings that blend a living history in with modern sights and sounds. Bean Point was home of the island's very first resident (for which it is named) and this area is a wilderness preserve. The lack of development gives a quiet and peaceful feeling to the area and makes it easy to imagine this little quiet paradise as it was over 120 years ago when George Emerson Bean first decided to call it home.
The Bridge Street Pier is where the old pier and bridge is located and has been remade into a great spot for visitors to get a bit of history and see a bit of the island's history.
Anna Maria Island Beaches
If you're looking at a vacation in Anna Maria Island FL then there's little doubt that you are also looking at the amazing beaches that this location has to offer. The Manatee Public Beach has a great reputation, and for good reason. While public beaches in many larger Florida cities may struggle to provide an uncrowded and pleasant daytime experience, there are no such issues on Anna Marie Island.
This is a fantastic beach that is extremely family friendly and offers everything you could want out of a family day at the beach including life guards, a cafe, changing rooms and showers, and more. Historic Bean Point is your place to go if you're looking for a quiet experience on a beautiful beach just for you or with a partner. Beautiful, quiet, this is a slice of natural heaven for when you want to get away for a bit.
Coquina Beach is often mentioned in the same breath as Manatee Public Beach and is another great option that includes life guards, picnic areas, water fountains, and more. These are just some of several top notch beaches to choose from depending on what exactly you're in the mood for!
Anna Maria Island Restaurants
Whatever you're looking for, there's sure to be an outstanding Anna Maria Island restaurant option that will meet your culinary needs. Whether you like multi-star fine dining or have a craving for a truly good deli or bar burger, you can find at least one (if not many) options that will meet even the highest standards!
Looking for some fresh seafood? Make sure to check out the appropriately named The Marlin or O’Shucks Raw Bar & Grill. Both offer a wide variety of different takes on seafood and enjoy high ratings no matter where you look online. Vinny's Italian Kitchen brings the best of Italian dining right to Anna Maria Island whether pasta, pizza, or paninis.
Waterfront Restaurant is famous a one of the best places in town to eat and the sit down option brings you plenty of food options for the entire family. The Feast restaurant gives a good name to the area's upscale sit-down restaurant experiences. You definitely want to check out the area as there are many bars & grills, small food shacks, and up and coming restaurants or food stands that offer an impressive variety of outstanding food options.
Golf Course On Anna Maria Island
Anna Maria Island has only one actual golf course, although there are over 60 located within an hour's drive on the bordering coastal cities like Bradenton or Sarasota. If you want to enjoy a game of golf during vacation on Anna Maria Island itself, then your options are the Key Royale Club or the Key Royale Club. A private golf course and country club, this 9 hole 32-par golf course is members only which means membership of some kind is required in order to play there or make use of the on-site restaurant.
There are actually multiple options as there are separate memberships for summer, golf, corporate, junior, or even the popular "social membership" option. For those accepted a 6-month introductory membership is an option and many people are surprised to see how reasonable the fees are here. If this is out of the question then a short drive away to Bradenton opens up over 60 options, most of them public, to make sure that you get your Florida golfing fix on your next vacation.
Water Sports On Anna Maria Island
What's your idea of some dream water sports to enjoy while on vacation? There are plenty of options that are going to be available on Anna Maria Island, so there's no need to fret! Jet ski rental is available from multiple providers and gives you the option of enjoying the beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters at high speeds and get that bit of an adrenaline rush that you have been looking for.
If adrenaline speed isn't exactly what you're looking for you can find parasailing boards, plenty of boat rentals whether you're looking at cruising or fishing, and more. The area provides many different ways you can enjoy the water and there are plenty of local businesses eager to get you properly outfitted to fully (and safely) enjoy all the amazing experiences that are waiting for you right out there on the water. You can even contact some professional dive charters to snorkel or scuba dive around some of the amazing wrecks that local guides know about and they will match you with the best places to explore based on your current skill level and experience.
Anna Maria Vacation Rentals
There are so many outstanding options when it comes to
finding a good Anna Maria vacation rental property, so don't limit yourself! There are bungalows, hotels, bed & breakfast option, house rentals, and more! In other words, whatever your idea of a perfect vacation rental is there is going to be an option that meets your budget and/or preferences. Obviously certain types of rentals will be pricier while others have more budget-friendly deals; renting an entire beach house is going to be a bit higher in price than a hostel or inexpensive hotel that is off the shore a bit.
There are plenty of ways to find the perfect vacation rental option. Think about the details: whether you want a second or third story view of the beach versus being right on there, house versus hotel, condo versus apartment - there are many different ways to enjoy the stunning beaches, friendly hospitality, and truly special gem that is the Anna Maria Island area. Keep in mind to check for air conditioning, fans, a grilling area, or anything else that is particularly important to you or your family when it comes to vacation.
A little bit of research upfront goes a long way towards helping to make sure you get the perfect housing when you're actually on vacation and when enjoying a hidden gem like Anna Maria you want to make sure you're coming back to a fantastic room after a long day of fishing, golfing, exploring, or doing whatever else makes up your idea of the perfect Florida vacation.
Why Wait Another Day?
So what are you waiting for? Get started on preparing your wonderful Anna Maria Island Florida vacation today! Whether you love beautiful world class beaches, outstanding water sports, a laid back island lifestyle, or a truly unique area with its own personality, you'll find that this island doesn't disappoint! From friendly locals to happy tourists, there's a nice blend here that helps anyone have an outstanding vacation whether traveling solo or bringing the family for that long overdue bonding time.
There are very few locations that can offer everything you'll have access to at Anna Maria Island - and this is doubly true when you consider the small and laid back nature of the area as opposed to the many big cities that so many tourists decide to visit. This time, make sure this gem is your prime destination!
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