This island may be little , but it’s mighty! It’s why we moved here.
AMI is the perfect mix of a quaint little beach town surrounded by Caribbean-like beaches. No vendors trying to push their merchandise on you and sand that you can actually walk on.
Bean Point…..the northern tip of AMI.
My husband flies out of Sarasota (SRQ) often so he took a few pictures for me.
In the top image, the northern half of AMI is showing along with Passage Key. In the right background is Bradenton and to the left is Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Tampa Bay.
The bridge at the middle edge on the right is Rt 64/Manatee Ave. (above)
On the right is Anna Maria Island, northern tip (Bean Point), in the center is Passage Key or what the SunCoast Boating Divas (my boating buddies) call Naked Island, left center is Egmont Key, a historic site with a lighthouse, that can only be accessed by boat. The top portion of the photo is Fort Desoto and St Pete.
Who doesn’t love this sign? It means the beach is near – not just any beach – a magnificent one.
The Lower the Latitude the Better the Attitude…..so true!
We have the perfect sand. It’s known as white sugar sand. It’s more like white powdered sugar sand. On the negative side – once it gets in your car or camera, it stays forever!
On the positive side – it feels wonderful on your feet and it doesn’t get hot! What, you say. That’s right. Even with the hot FL sun beating down on it for hours, it stays just warm, not hot. It is made of 99% quartz.
Be Careful! You might find yourself up to your neck in it!
Holmes Beach If you enter the island from Rt 64, Holmes Beach is your first stop. Where Rt 64/Manatee Ave ends you’ll find the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe. We’ve had breakfast there several times and it’s always good. They have all you can eat pancakes and they are HUGE! We’ve tried many different things – YUM!
Sometimes we can get a table right on the sand. How perfect. Last year we came for Mother’s Day and they gave flowers to all the moms. It was a perfect start to a fun beach day. The above photo was October and the lower was December – just a few days before Christmas.
The sand here isn’t as nice as the north and south ends of the beach. It has more shells and crushed shells that make up its sand but it’s still a beautiful beach.
There’s lots of parking, some shaded. It’s a good place to park and ride from. Since it’s pretty close to the middle of the island, you can choose to either go north or south, or both with lunch in between.
Speaking of lunch……They have shaded picnic tables with an awesome view of the beach. For convenience, this beach is great. Easy on, easy off the island.
Anna Maria Island…..the town. Once you get on the island, just start heading north on Gulf Drive. It changes names a few times but remains Gulf Drive until the end. You’ll notice it’s the main road for the island.
The Sandbar Restaurant has the best location for dining – right on the beach. The food is good too. We’ve taken lots of guests here. The same owners own Mar Vista on Longboat Key. It has docks right in front so just cruise right in. It too is a fun atmosphere with good food.
Check out Sandbar’s cute gift shop. It has lots of cool things but it’s expensive.
Our first and last vacation on Anna Maria Island – now we live here.
The beach just outside of Sandbar.
This is me. Just chillin’
My absolute favorite beach!
Sometimes uninvited guests show up…..fishermen luring sharks to our swimming beaches!
I just noticed how crooked this photo is. Was someone drinking too early in the day?
Abby is either stretching her neck or sunning her face. Who knows! She’s a funny kid:)
Beautiful, amazing homes are everywhere.
The water is warm enough for some of us locals from about early/mid May to mid October. (Al and his Mum)
If you start walking north toward Bean Point (the tip) you’ll find less people but more birds.
Please don’t feed the birds or leave your food behind. It’s harmful to them and it turns them into real pests. Nobody likes a pest.
There are many beach access points all over the island.
One day we were just swimming and a manatee showed up. He loved the attention and stayed for at least an hour. We finally had to leave for lunch. He had many admirers. Who doesn’t love a manatee?
Somedays the waves are a little bigger than other days. Leave the paddle board at home but bring the boogie board.
These were all taken around the same spot. Interesting how quickly the water can change from day to day or even from morning to afternoon.
These were during Tropical Storm Cindy in June 2017. My pictures really don’t do justice to the size of the waves. These girls were worn out after a couple of hours of fighting these waves.
My girls – they love this island and they love to jump. One was a gymnast and one is a dancer.
Lots of sand dunes. They are protected so stay off. Sea grass is protected too.
There are so many sand dollars. Please leave them to grow and populate.
Our little slice of paradise.
I love the calm water. These are my favorite days.
I love when it’s not crowded. The crowds come to the beach on Christmas and Thanksgiving, during spring break – which lasts for weeks, on the main holidays like July 4th, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and also during President’s Day week (the schools in the northeast take a winter break). It’s hard to find parking during those times and it’s hard to find personal space on the beach.
Be sure to build a sand creation before you leave. We have built turtles, sharks, dogs, alligators, cakes, castles, and even entire villages. It’s great family fun.
Watch where you step. You won’t want to crush a mermaid.
Round the bend and the views start to change.
The Gulf of Mexico turns into Tampa Bay. Egmont Key in now in sight.
The shore begins to get a little rocky.
We find different birds.
Different, yet amazing.
Once we even found a flamingo feather.
These crabs had quite a battle going on for a while.
No idea what this is. It looks like a sponge but feels hard and solid like a rock.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the starfish!
They are very tickley on your hand. I’m sure that’s a word.
Do you think this is a mom and her baby? I can certainly see the resemblance. Maybe that’s the dad up above……
This guy was very spiny and attached himself to our anchor.
Such a scenic little park – a nice place to stop for a few minutes and enjoy the view of Tampa Bay and Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This park is between the City Pier and the Rod & Reel Pier. We’ve eaten there a couple of times for lunch. It’s good but not WOW!
Go out on the pier when the fish are feeding and you’ll be in for a real treat. How does such a small bird eat such a large fish. We once saw a dolphin with a fish in his mouth. He was tossing it up and catching it. I think he was showing off for us, especially since he had a smile on his face the whole time.
We rented bikes on our first trip here but now we bring our own.
Watch for dolphins. They are everywhere.
From the Gulf heading toward AMI.
Looking at the City Pier. It is closed for repairs since Hurricane Irma. So sad.
Love walking out on the pier. Be sure to wear shoes. It gets very hot and often we see people running to get off the hot boards.
The Tampa Bay water is usually very calm and nice for paddle boarding.
We don’t see water spouts all that often, but when we do, they are pretty cool. Life jackets and whistles are requires on all vessels. A vessel is defined as anything that floats and has a paddle. The waters are patrolled by the Coast Guard, the local police and the sheriff. They do issue tickets – I haven’t had one. If you’re under 12, I think you have to wear a jacket.
If you’re an early riser, come out for sunrise.
You won’t be disappointed.
There are plenty of fun shops along Pine Ave.
The Donut Experiment is a must must must DO. The donuts are amazing!!!
During season expect to wait 30, 60, 90 minutes for fresh donuts.
They close early, so come before lunch. You can watch the whole process.
The last time I was here, June 2018, they changed their sign to remain open until 3pm.
This was our first batch ever. Spring break 2015. I waited 90 minutes for them!!! I went in to buy 3 but met some people in line, who said you just can’t leave without at least a dozen. I settled for 8. The three of us scarfed these down in about 3 minutes flat. They were delicious, although I got the chocolate with bacon for my daughter who absolutely loves bacon, it was our least favorite. It didn’t go to waste, but we’ve never ordered it again.
Just seeing these pictures and writing about them makes my mouth water. We are actually going to get some this weekend. My birthday is Friday. My husband’s is Saturday, and Mother’s Day is Sunday.
We have introduced many family and friends to these wonderful donuts and I think everyone gives them a thumbs up. A new location opened last summer (2017) in Siesta Key. It’s not quite the same experience as eating them on the old-fashioned porch but still tasty. They are served warm. I don’t like them hot. It changes the flavor of the toppings and is just not as good to me, so if they ever ask me if I want to wait for hot ones, I say no.
Right next door to The Donut Experiment is Poppo’s Taqueria. They share the front porch. It’s a neat place to eat, the food is very good, but the service is usually unfriendly. We’ve been there many times only because we love the food, but now they’ve changed their chip recipe and we noticed that some new options have opened just down the road. There are other Poppo’s around Bradenton with much friendly staff. The chips are made fresh when you order and you order (Chipotle style) picking and choosing your style (bowl, burrito, tacos…., protein, veggies, extras….). The chips used to be very thin and crisp but recently the they have been thicker and just not as tasty to us. This is true for all locations.
If you walk the entire tip of the island and cross Pine Ave (where the City Pier is), it is about 3 miles. Go ahead and have the donut!
Life’s A Beach…..Enjoy it every day!
Along Rt 64 just before you cross the bridge to AMI, there are 2 bodies of water – one on each side of the road. On the right (north) you might notice the horses that give water rides then you might find this bus renting kayaks and paddle boards. There’s nothing exciting to see, but if you’re a beginner, this is a good place to learn. The water is almost always calm.
The left side (south) is Palma Sola Bay. Many dogs beach here. There is occasionally fly boarding. Lots of jet skis in this area too.
Shells…..We’ve Got Em’
Just in case you didn’t find what you’re looking for at the beach……
or in the water……
There are plenty of shops.
The Bradenton Red Barn Flea Market has a great selection of not only shells but lots of treasures. The Mexican restaurant, well it’s just an ordering and pickup window, has great authentic food. The spicy pork is SPICY! YUM!
Remember, leave the live shells in the ocean. A woman was recently arrested and sentenced to 15 days in jail for taking live shells in Florida.
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The Best of Sarasota 