While all of our beaches are beautiful, you’ll find that each has its own sandy personality. One is popular with surfers, another with dog lovers. Several are within neighborhoods, while one is so secluded you can reach it only by boat. Here’s a guide to help you choose one that matches your mood.
Anna Maria Beach
Beach vibe: Tucked away on the north end of Anna Maria Island, this cozy piece of paradise doesn’t appear to have changed much since the '70s. There are no condo towers or national chains, just charming bungalows and locally owned restaurants and shops. Residents and visitors commonly tool around on bicycles. Sleepy and quaint, this is a slice of Old Florida with a stunningly beautiful, wide, sugar-sand beach. Not surprisingly, it’s popular with families and honeymooners alike. There is public beach access at the west end of most residential streets, and a Gulf-front city park filled with Australian pines, sea grapes and wildflowers runs from Oak to Magnolia avenues.Within walking distance: The Sandbar Restaurant, right on the beach.
Amenities: Limited free parking.
Location: Public beach access at west ends of streets from White Avenue to Bean Point, Anna Maria Island.
Anna Maria Bayfront Park
Beach vibe: This stretch of bayside beach is an ideal place to put things in perspective. From any vantage point, you get a sweeping view of Tampa Bay and the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge, but the best lookout is arguably from the end of the 100-year-old Anna Maria City Pier. There, you can have a drink and a sandwich while watching fishermen reel one in. You might even spot dolphins or manatees. Book-ended by the Rod and Reel Pier to the north, this park is more popular for scenic walks and fishing than it is for sunbathing and swimming.Within walking distance: Two Scoops ice cream shop and Two Sides of Nature gift shop.
Amenities: Restrooms, restaurant, picnic areas, grills, ADA playground, free parking.
Location: 316 N. Bay Blvd. (at the intersection of Pine Avenue and Bay Boulevard), Anna Maria Island.
Palma Sola Causeway Beach
Beach vibe: On weekends, the bay causeway between Anna Maria Island and mainland Bradenton is a kaleidoscope of activity. Windsurfers, kayakers, jet skiers and boaters launch from the shore. Sunbathers park lawn chairs in ankle-deep water and sink their toes into the sand. Families grill beside picnic tables. Cyclists click by along a bike path, dogs splash after balls (it’s the only beach that allows pets) and even horses with riders astride occasionally swim past. On weekdays, the tempo slows and you’re likely to find a local relaxing with a book or a student working on a laptop underneath a pavilion.
Within walking distance: Boat and water sports rentals.
Amenities: Restrooms, picnic areas, grills, bike path, boat launch, dog beach, free parking.
Location: 8500 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
Holmes Beach
Beach vibe: Moving at a slightly faster pace than the northern end of Anna Maria Island, Holmes Beach is considered the island’s business hub with a major grocery chain and few small shopping centers. A handful of condos and inns blend in with the homes and vacation rentals that dot the shoreline. Reach the beach via access points at the end of residential streets. These are ideal places to catch a beach sunset en route to – or returning from – dinner, depending on the time of year. You can park close to the beach, and most access points offer a park bench shaded by towering pines facing the Gulf.
Within walking distance: For good eats, head to Mr. Bones BBQ near the 30th Street beach access.
Amenities: No facilities.
Location: Located off Gulf Drive from Beach Avenue to 27th Street, Holmes Beach.
Manatee Public Beach
Beach vibe: This sandy spot is ideal for island day-trippers. With a multitude of amenities, you can literally spend sun-up to sundown at this park within Holmes Beach and keep the entire family entertained and fed. Start with the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the onsite Anna Maria Beach Café, then while away the day in the surf, play beach volleyball or sip frozen piña coladas. If you’re in need of beach items (including a bathing suit) you can pick one up in the large onsite gift shop. The white, sandy beach is wide and subtly sloped, and the surf is typically gentle, making it ideal for swimming.Within walking distance: West Coast Surf Shop, Skinny's Place.
Amenities: Restrooms, showers, picnic areas, grills, concession, covered pavilions, playground, lifeguards, free parking.
Location: 4000 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach.
Bradenton Beach (aka Cortez Beach)
Beach vibe: With a string of small, low-rise hotels, inns, condos and a cluster of restaurants and shops, Bradenton Beach is easily the most visitor-centric beach on Anna Maria Island, yet the vibe is still very relaxed and grounded in local traditions. The island is narrower here and so is the beach, but it's still wide enough for professional sand-sculpting competitions and surfside dining. The largest public beach access is near the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive, hence the local name “Cortez Beach.”Within walking distance: Gulf Drive Café & Tiki, Beachhouse Restaurant and Banana Cabana Caribbean Seafood & Grill.
Amenities: Restrooms, picnic areas, grills, lifeguards, free parking.
Location: From the intersection of Cortez Road and Gulf Drive south to Coquina Beach, Bradenton Beach.
Coquina Beach
Beach vibe: This “crown jewel” of beach parks spans one mile along both sides of Gulf Drive at the slender, southern tip of Anna Maria Island, offering expansive Gulf views framed by towering Australian pines. The island is narrow here, so the picnic tables shaded by pine trees aren't far from the water's edge. Gentle waves entice swimmers and colorful, subtropical fish (bring your snorkeling gear). Those on shore can hunt for prehistoric shark’s teeth often found buried in the sand. The park’s appeal makes it popular with people of all ages, but it’s so expansive, this beach never feels crowded.
Within walking distance: Coquina BayWalk at Leffis Key.
Amenities: Restrooms, showers, concession, picnic areas, covered pavilions, grills, playground, multi-purpose trail, boat ramps (on bay side), lifeguards, free parking.
Location: 2603 Gulf Dr., Bradenton Beach.
Greer Island (Beer Can Island)
Beach vibe: Getting there may take a motor or a paddle, but the destination rewards you with serenity, good shelling and up-close views of wildlife. Locals affectionately call this stretch of beach at the top of Longboat Key “Beer Can Island,” but it’s not actually an island – rather, it’s an attached hook of land best reached by boat. Shell seekers find a morning low tide ideal. The smooth, isolated beach is also a tranquil place to spot ospreys, herons, gulls, skimmers, pelicans and other waterfowl wading at the surf line and stalking in the shoreline mangroves.
Within walking distance: You can’t walk to Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub, but it’s a quick boat ride.
Amenities: None.
Location: Located at the northern tip of Longboat Key.
Longboat Key Public Beach Accesses
Beach vibe: On any given day, you might be the only soul on the sands of northern Longboat Key. Lined with luxurious residences and a few small resorts, the north end of the key has an exclusive feel, but several residential streets act as public access points to sparsely populated beaches. Farther south on the key, public access points adjoin resorts such as Hilton Longboat Key. Look for blue-and-white beach markers along Gulf of Mexico Drive.Within walking distance: The Longboat Key Historical Museum is across the road from the public beach access at 6847 Gulf of Mexico Dr. (at Broadway).
Amenities: None.
Location: There are 11 beach access points along Gulf of Mexico Drive from the northern tip of the island to the Hilton Longboat Key.
