December 2024: Anna Maria Island received a lot of damage from the fall 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton. Although many businesses have reopened, make sure to check websites or social media for any specific place you’d like to visit on the island to make sure it’s open.
Have you heard about Anna Maria Island in Southwest Florida and wanted to plan a visit? If you’re not able to stay overnight “on the island,” as locals call it–or even if you are and you want to plan your visit–then read on for our day trip ideas during a visit to Anna Maria Island.
Before we share the details on what to see and do during a day trip to Anna Maria, let’s get some background out of the way.
Anna Maria Island is part of Manatee County, close to Bradenton, Sarasota, and the authentic fishing village of Cortez. It’s also about an hour or slightly more to St. Pete and Tampa.
Anna Maria Island is actually home to three towns: Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. Each town has its own popular beach enclaves as well as shops and restaurants. Without traffic, it will take you about a half hour to 40 minutes to drive from the tip of Anna Maria (called Bean Point) to the end of Bradenton Beach where it borders Longboat Key.
The barrier island of Anna Maria reflects “Old Florida,” a time before high rises took over the skyscapes of many Florida coastal cities. (Fun fact: One of the original Anna Maria pioneers, Charles Roser, was an inventor of the Fig Newton cookie.) Anna Maria remains a family-friendly and snowbird-friendly destination that maintains a small-town feel. As Anna Maria receives more accolades from national media—include Southern Living —it’s attracted more tourists and traffic. Still, it definitely has its charm, even for those who live local and visit often.
That background out of the way, now let’s take a look at some of the best day trip plans for a visit to Anna Maria Island:
A Beach Day on Anna Maria Island
If you’re down for relaxing beach time, then that could take up a full day (or more!) of your day trip plans on Anna Maria Island. Our fave (try to keep it a secret!) is Bean Point, located at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island. (Our article here offers more Bean Point scoop.) It offers spectacular views as it’s right where the island curves around to meet Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The water has clear, turquoise and dark blue hues, and you’ll see many people on their boats and fishing. On one side of Bean Point, you can stare at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge going from Manatee County into St. Pete and then look further left to see Fort DeSoto Park and Egmont Key, both in St. Pete (Egmont Key is accessible only by boat).
As great as Bean Point is, parking can be tricky, and it’s a little further of a drive. If you can’t make it there, Anna Maria Island has several miles of beach coastline you can access. Manatee Beach and Coquina Beach both offer a lot of parking (although it still gets tricky to find a spot when busy) and cafes, restrooms, and changing areas as well as lifeguards. Bradenton Beach is another beach area we enjoy as it’s not as packed as those larger public beaches.
Don’t miss sunsets on any of the Gulf-facing beaches!
Shopping on Anna Maria Island
If you want a beach break to load up on coastal souvenirs, then make some time for shopping on Anna Maria Island during your day trip. Pine Avenue, located in the town of Anna Maria, offers several blocks of unique shops and restaurants as well as the Anna Maria Historical Society Museum and Jail (see info in our next section). At the end of Pine Avenue is the Anna Maria City Pier, which was a great destination for fishing or to take in the peaceful view before part of its boardwalk was destroyed by Hurricane Milton in October 2024.
Keep your eyes open as you walk, bike, or drive around Anna Maria for other shopping destinations that dot the commercial areas. One favorite of ours is Sand Dollar, located on Marina Drive and featuring coastal decor, clothing, soaps, and books. In the same shopping plaza you’ll find Sun and Surf Beach Shop, a beach supply store that also has the cutest parrots in cages right outside. Watch what you say around them as they may imitate you! BTW, it’s not a shopping destination but Waterline Villas and Marina right across the street from Sand Dollar and Sun and Surf is interesting to check out as well.
On Bradenton Beach you’ll find Bridge Street, a smaller enclave of shops and restaurants along with the Bradenton Beach Pier, where you can dine at Anna Maria Oyster Bar.
Depending on when you visit, you may also be able to support local vendors at the City of Anna Maria Farmers Market, held on Tuesdays from October to May. Coquina Beach also has its Coquina Beach Market on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. (Market season may be affected by 2024 hurricane damage.)
Get Historical on Anna Maria Island
Are you a history buff? Then reserve a chunk of your time to immerse yourself in Anna Maria history with a visit to the Anna Maria Island Museum and Historical Park, located on Pine Avenue. At the museum, you’ll discover Anna Maria’s roots, going back thousands of years and then fast forward to the early 1900s when it was a destination for the wealthy. The museum also features the 1927 Old City Jail, an open-air jail you’ll want to visit and take fun pictures at, but be thankful you’re not actually staying at long-term. The heat and bug bites alone were punishment enough for people who had to stay there. The museum also features Belle Haven Cottage, which once was located on the Anna Maria City Pier and served as a bait shop until it fell in the water in 1926. Somehow, the house remained intact and was brought to land and eventually saved from demolition. Inside the home, you can see dozens of artifacts from life on the island during the 1920s.
Make sure to check the museum’s schedule online before you visit as it sometimes as limited hours.
If you want more history, the AMI Historical Society has prepared brochures with self-guided walking/biking tours for Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach. You can find them at the museum.
Fish on Anna Maria Island
*Note: The piers are not currently open due to hurricane damage. Rod & Reel Pier was completely destroyed, and a large chunk of the City Pier’s boardwalk was destroyed. These piers will eventually rebuild, so we’re including our information below for past/future reference.*
Cast your fishing rod, and you’re almost bound to hit a good fishing spot on Anna Maria Island as you’re never too far from coastline. That said, in addition to fishing right on the beach, there are a few piers we can recommend. The Anna Maria City Pier is open from 7 a.m. to 10 pm; in addition to fishing, you can grab something to eat at City Pier Grill (outdoor seating only) or check out the free mini-exhibits from MOTE Marine Aquarium. Rod & Reel Pier is Anna Maria’s other iconic pier, a perfect destination for fishing and seafood. It’s open from 8 am to 9 pm. Down on Bradenton Beach, there are several unnamed, small piers that jut out into the water that are often used for fishing, snapping pics, or just taking in the view. The Bridge Street Pier is bayside and has a cute clock tower.
If you really want to fish, consider a captain-guided fishing tour.
Eating on Anna Maria Island
Let’s face it, you’re going to get hungry during your day trip to Anna Maria Island. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of yummy places to eat. The challenge is that we can’t list them all here. If you’re like most people, you’ll do your research and read reviews to pick where to grab a bite. However, here are a few that we like for the view, the food, or both:
—The Sandbar in Anna Maria and The Beach House in Bradenton Beach. Both are Gulf-facing so they have great views and are used to accommodating tourists. Both are operated by Chiles Hospitality, which specializes in sustainable food practices.
—La Creperie in Holmes Beach. An authentic French crepe place on the island!
–-The Ugly Grouper, which has, appropriately, an ugly grouper statue on its premises
—Ginny’s and Jane E’s Cafe and Coastal Store, which focuses on breakfast, brunch, and lunch in addition to some cool souvenirs and other items
—Two Scoops Ice Cream–because having ice cream when you visit the beach is almost mandatory
—The Donut Experiment. Did someone say donuts?
Finding a Different Way to Get Around Anna Maria Island
As most people will arrive to Anna Maria Island by car, it may be an interesting day trip activity to try a different way to get around. Did you know that Anna Maria Island has a free trolley that will take you all the way from the top to the bottom of the island? There’s also a new ferry that travels from downtown Bradenton to the AMI City Pier to the Bridge Street Pier on Bradenton Beach. We haven’t tried it yet but we’re intrigued. We’ve seen lots of people rent golf carts or bikes to traverse around the island. Last but not least, you can always take a captain-guided boat ride for the pure pleasure of it or to reach a certain destination, like nearby Egmont Key.
Day Trips From Anna Maria
Finally, if you’re staying in Anna Maria for longer than a day and want to do a day trip elsewhere, here are some quick suggestions:
—Cortez, the authentic fishing village that’s just a couple of miles away (this could probably be an afternoon, not a full day)
–Downtown Sarasota
–Sarasota around the Mall at UTC for shopping and to grab a bite to eat