No high-rises, no chains, no rush? This Florida Gulf island does things differently

Anna Maria Island’s Old Florida soul

Anna Maria Island sits off Florida’s Gulf Coast in Manatee County, about an hour south of Tampa, and the first thing you notice is what’s missing. No chain restaurants.

No high-rises. No resort towers blocking the sky.

Local ordinances have kept it that way for decades, and what you get instead are pastel cottages, mom-and-pop shops, and a pace of life the locals simply call “island time.”

Seven miles long and less than a mile wide, this place doesn’t try to impress you. It just pulls you in slowly, and then you don’t want to leave.

The homesteader whose name still marks the island’s tip

The island’s story starts in 1892, when George Emerson Bean became the first permanent resident, homesteading the northern tip that still carries his name.

His son later teamed up with developer Charles Roser to build the island’s first streets, sidewalks, and water system. The first bridge to the mainland went up in 1922, and visitors started coming.

The Anna Maria City Pier goes back even further, to 1911, when it served as the dock for steamship passengers traveling from Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Stand at Bean Point where Tampa Bay meets the Gulf

Bean Point is the northernmost tip of the island, where Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico converge, and it feels nothing like the rest of Florida’s coast. No lifeguards, no shade structures, no facilities at all.

You pack in everything you need. The soft white sand and the water on two sides give you a 180-degree view that’s hard to find anywhere else on the island.

Currents deposit fighting conchs, whelks, and olive shells along the tideline, and the light at sunset hits the water from both directions at once.

Manatee Beach has everything a family could need

Manatee Beach sits in Holmes Beach near the main bridge entrance and draws the biggest crowds for good reason.

Lifeguards are on duty during peak hours, the restrooms are clean, and the sand is wide and white with a gradual drop-off into shallow water. Kids can wade out a long way before it gets deep.

There’s a playground and volleyball courts right on the beach, and a cafe steps from the sand if you want lunch without walking far. Get there early on weekends, because the free lot fills up fast.

Coquina Beach has the largest free parking and a Sunday market

Down at the island’s south end near Longboat Pass, Coquina Beach gives you the most parking on the island at no cost, plus shaded picnic pavilions with grills for a cookout.

Tall palm trees line the paths, the volleyball court gets a workout in the afternoons, and the currents near the pass push in some of the best shells on the island. On Sundays, a craft market sets up under the shade trees.

It’s the kind of beach where people show up mid-morning with a cooler and don’t leave until evening.

Pelicans, eagles, dolphins and sea turtles all call this island home

The entire island carries a bird sanctuary designation, and you’ll understand why quickly. Pelicans glide low over the water.

Roseate spoonbills wade in the shallows. A nesting pair of bald eagles lives here year-round, and herons, osprey, and cranes are everywhere.

The surrounding water supports more than 150 resident bottlenose dolphins tracked by Mote Marine Laboratory, along with manatees in the warm bayside shallows.

From May through October, loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to nest. If you fish, the waters hold redfish, snook, snapper, grouper, trout, and mackerel.

Get close to dolphins on a local captain’s boat

Dolphin tours rank among the most popular things to do on the island, and local captains know exactly where the pods gather. Dolphins play in the boat wakes and come close enough that you can hear them surface.

If you’d rather go slow, kayak eco-tours take you through mangrove-lined waterways where manatees, stingrays, and wading birds work the shallows around you.

Paddleboarding the calm bayside water lets you cover the coves and shores of Sarasota Bay at your own pace, and you can stop wherever something catches your eye.

Walk a mangrove tunnel at Leffis Key Preserve

Leffis Key Preserve sits across from Coquina Beach on the island’s south end, 30 acres of restored coastal habitat that volunteers brought back after dredging had stripped it bare.

Over 50,000 native plants went into the ground, and the Coquina Baywalk now winds about a mile through mangrove tunnels with open water views of Sarasota Bay. Fiddler crabs work the mud banks.

Herons and egrets stand in the shallows. The 2024 hurricanes did some damage here, so check conditions locally before you go.

Browse Pine Avenue and Historic Bridge Street on foot

Pine Avenue in the city of Anna Maria runs from the Gulf to the City Pier area, lined with boutiques, art galleries, and gift shops inside pastel cottages.

You’ll find beachwear, handmade jewelry, and island-inspired home goods, all locally owned.

Down at the south end, Historic Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach has been a community gathering spot since the 1920s, when the first mainland bridge landed right there.

Both areas are on the free trolley route, so you can spend the morning shopping without circling for a spot.

Cross the bridge to Cortez, a real working fishing village

Just over the bridge from the island, Cortez is one of the last working fishing villages left in Florida.

Families from North Carolina founded it in the 1890s, and descendants of those original settlers still fish from the same harbor. Commercial boats tie up at the docks, and white pelicans line the waterfront.

You can walk the quiet streets and look at historic cottages that have stood for over a century.

The Florida Maritime Museum is located there, though it was under rehabilitation work as of early 2026, so confirm it’s open before you plan a visit.

Take the free trolley from one end of the island to the other

The island trolley runs every day from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with 35 stops spread across the island and pickups roughly every 20 minutes.

The route runs from the Anna Maria City Pier area on the north end all the way down to Coquina Beach in the south, and it costs nothing to ride.

Renting a bicycle or golf cart gives you more flexibility if you want to stop wherever you feel like it. A ferry also connects the island to Bradenton on the mainland if you want to make a day trip in either direction.

The island took two hurricanes in 2024 and came back swinging

Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit back-to-back in October 2024 and left their mark. The Rod and Reel Pier, a landmark since 1947, was destroyed and hasn’t been rebuilt at its original location.

The Anna Maria City Pier is under reconstruction with stronger materials and is expected to reopen by late 2026. But as of 2026, the shops, restaurants, and beaches are open and running.

The sand is back.

When you spend money at a local restaurant or shop, you’re helping the people who stayed and rebuilt, and the island rewards that kind of visit.

Plan your visit to Anna Maria Island, Florida

Anna Maria Island sits on Florida’s Gulf Coast in Manatee County, about 55 miles south of Tampa. Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is about 30 minutes away, and Tampa International is about an hour out.

All three main beaches have free public parking, but the lots fill early on busy weekends. Once you’re on the island, the free trolley handles most of what you need.

The Anna Maria City Pier walkway is under construction as of spring 2026, so check locally for the latest on its reopening before you head there.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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