I've been here many times If you enjoy the the beach I highly Recommend this This is the gulf ! The water is warm & crystal Clear not dirty I enjoy walking early morning along The beach & collecting the pretty Shells that wash up !! You won't be sorry ! Free parking The sand is clear as they are always Out there cleaning mornings read more

Absolutely beautiful beach!! No bathrooms but we still loved the view and water so it made up for the lack of facilities. read more

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Beautiful and clean beach! White sands, blue water, and a nice breeze! We even saw a manatee swim by! Parking is free on the side streets, you just have to look. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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One of the best beaches that I've been to in Florida. The water is absolutely pristine and the sand is like pure sugar. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Cloudy and overcast today, but still a beautiful beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

This is one of our favorite local beaches. Clean, gorgeous and close to everything. Great restaurants, shops, and ice cream shops, too. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

even after a hurricane storm surge, it was beautiful! plenty of seashells for the littles & a great day to relax on the beach. parking was excellent and close to the beach during a holiday weekend! read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

This place is terrible. The beaches don't exist anymore. Just lots of annoying people. The parking on this island is ridiculous. The parking enforcement followed us around on a golf cart for at least an hour. Be prepared to be harassed by vagrants all day long. Avoid this place, just go south to any other beach. read more

I went on a mini road trip with my friend to explore the beaches on the West side of Florida. It was a four day trip with a different beach every day. Our AirBnb was in Bradenton and our host highly recommended us to visit Anna Maria Beach. Another thing our host mentioned to us is that there is a free trolley that will take you up and down the island so you can visit other beaches on that island. We decided to visit Anna Maria Beach and since it was during Spring Break, parking was troublesome. We avoided the main parking lot and drove up north of the island hoping to find parking and a quieter spot on the beach. Today was our lucky day! Found parking that was close to the beach entrance (it is free and make sure to park between the correct signs). The sand was like flour. Super soft and powdery under your toes. We went on a sunny day so the water had that beautiful blue color. Since we entered the beach on the north side, there was plenty of room to park your beach umbrellas and towels. No annoying birds trying to steal your food. No seaweed getting stuck to your arms as your swimming. Just a peaceful calming day. This beach was my friend and I's favorite beach out of our mini beach road trip. I highly recommend this beach to anyone! read more

The food and service was great.paid to relax on the private beach . Had a good day. Sun was out the waves was rolling in. The water was so green and blue read more

Anna Maria Beach - Shrimp po-boy - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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We discovered this beach by MIL's recommendation. She'd been around here, but haven't really checked out the beach. It was 35-45 mins drive from their place depending on traffic. We first checked it out on a Thursday before Easter Sunday. There was a nice crowd, lot was full but was able to snag a spot after 5 mins. Beach has white powdery sand and blue waters. Water's a little on the wavy side. They have 2 changing house with rinsing stations in between. 2 3-stalled restrooms & 2 accessible ones on both genders. There's (free?) air outside of the restrooms for floaties and stuff. There's also a sizable bar that serves smoothies and cold drinks. Some cafe tables around it. On the shaded area, theres few picnic tables and grills you can enjoy. P.S. we came back Black Saturday and it was packed. We were about to leave after 20mins of going around waiting for a spot (people are atrocious when it comes to parking) when we decided to leave for a minute & circle back. We were able to enjoy the beach and swim in the water. read more

Parking is hectic at best, you will circle like a shark. There were lots of senior citizens who were very unwelcoming and grumpy. Ruined the atmosphere. The older people were very entitled and the attitudes of most of them made it worse. Most of them acted like they owned every single thing or place you wanted to be... even though they, themselves were tourist and I am local. I'll stick to my beaches in St. Pete. Unfortunate, because it really is picturesque. Maybe it's better with less snowbirds? read more

Definitely one of our favorite places to escape the winter cold of KY. The white sands are definitely some off the prettiest in the US. read more

I have been going there since the late 80's. My daughter was married there last summer & we're headed back this year for July 4th. To say I love this place is an understatement! read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

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I've been to a lot of different beaches in different parts of Florida and Ana Maria Island is by far my favorite! So beautiful! We found more good shells here than I have ever found on any public beach. Great for kids and families. Picnic tables, bbq grills, changing rooms , bathrooms and showers are very accessible. Free parking and lots of good restaurants on the main strip . read more

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You ever seen flour for sand? I haven't until i came here. This beach is as beautiful as it is clean as it is clear with pristine waters. The waves are subtle and the surrounding town is equally calm and pretty interesting with boutiques and craft stores. I would put as much effort in finding the right part of the beach as it would be finding the right parking space. Have a daiquiri and call it an evening. read more

If parking on a side street make sure your tire isn't on a inch of the grass !!!!! You will be towed.

Anna Maria Island is one of those staycation spots when you live in or around the areas of St. Pete, Clearwater, Tampa, Sarasota area. I am very happy to be one of those special people. Being that I grew up in Chicago, I take pride in now having the accessibilities of living close to those special beach places in the area. Anna Maria Island has that soft white sand that I do not know how anyone could not love it. I love going to Anna Maria Island bc the beach where I go is very low key and chill. Just the way a beach should be in my opinion. The beach on Anna Maria Island that I go to is right next to the SandBar restaurant. If you do not know where that is, just GPS or look up the address for the SandBar restaurant. There is parking across the street that is called City Hall Parking or city parking something like that. I don't think you have to pay to park. We usually just drop off the beach stuff by the little boardwalk and then my husband parks the car. So much easier with all of the beach chairs and stuff that we carry. The water is a pretty shade of blue, and the water was super clear to the bottom. Easy enough to see little fishes swimming and see seashells. It's so super chill and that is why I most love it. For those who like to be wild and crazy and have their drinks like crazy, there are sheriffs that ride around on their 3 wheeler. I thought alcohol was allowed bc people get drinks from the Sandbar restaurant and drink it at the beach, but I have no idea. The stores on Anna Maria Island to me are just okay. They have a few beachy stores, beachy furniture stores, and a lot of reused consignment kind of stores. Didn't care for that as much. The restaurants are nice and there are quite a bit in the area. My lesson learned is stay on the island for food, bc if you go passed the island, you will get to Long Boat Key. Beautiful mansion houses means super pricey food. We tried to go to a different restaurant, but always get to the same place. It's the perfect setting. It's called the Beach House. I have a separate review for that one so check it out. It's right on the beach and it's the best view and your feet can be in the sand while you are dinining and looking for dolphins swimming in the water. read more

Beautiful, peaceful, serene...that's what comes to mind when I think of Anna Maria. My favorite beach has always been Siesta Key, but too many people found out about it. It's pretty busy on any given day. I heard about this gem, and we traveled down here (maybe 10 min further than Siesta) and didn't even fight traffic! However, we almost missed the beach, because the beach accesses are down side roads, and you have to know where you're going and where to park. There are no facilities, so don't expect a big bathroom or showers, but if you park in the right spot you'll have a couple restaurants to visit for food and beverages. On Anna Maria Island, there are 6 beaches, with Anna Maria being the furthest north along Gulf. At Gulf and Spring, you'll find the main access, and there's a small parking lot. You can also find street parking there across from the sub shop and rental place. Then a short walk down the side road (Spring Ave) and you're on a beautiful beach. We visited on Labor Day weekend, so I'm sure this was busy for this particular beach, but it wasn't even a 5 on my busy scale. The sand was soft and white, the water clear and the perfect temp. There is a restaurant called the Sandbar that we didn't check out, but it's located right at the access with great views of the beach and sunset. I'd love to come back and rent a house on the beach to stay for a few days. Gorgeous! read more

Anna Maria Beach - Perfection - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Heaven on earth. This is one of those places where people go all of the time, and either tell ALL of their friends about it, or none of their friends. The people who tell everyone, want to evangelize the beach because of it's greatness. The ones who tell no one is because they want it to remain a great secret. Not as hot as South Beach, not as tropical as Key West, not as hip and trendy as Tampa, but certainly it's own slow paced, laid back, go with the flow attitude. The beach is a beautiful white sand that even in the hottest sun, won't burn your feet. The water is crystal clear, and usually (unless there are storms) nice and calm. Great mild water temperature that is great for old and young alike. One of the greatest east coast beaches I've ever been to. read more

Great day at the beach! Lots of shells and sand bars! Clean beach, family beach & beach for one and all. Towards the north end breach restaurant and bar. read more

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This is the best beach I have ever been to. We visited on 08/28/14 during the day. It was not busy at all. The beach was clean and beautiful. The water was crystal clear and warm. No waves, just tranquility. This was an impromptu visit, but we were able to park, find lunch and a place to buy sunscreen. We did not want to leave. There was a play area for children and two sand volleyball nets that were well maintained. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Love this beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

The beach is crystal clear, relaxing, makes ya feel you're in paradise. Ana Maria Island is very family oriented and makes you feel as though it's not in our present day because it is not commercialized and has an old world feel to it. read more

Anna Maria Beach - The water in Ana Maria is beautiful - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

Love this beach. My favorite go to spot. Well worth the drive for me. Nice and relaxing. Plenty of shade if need be. Picnic tables and also bbq grills if you want to bbq. Very clean and love the water. My favorite beach. read more

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This is the third (or is it fourth?) year that our family has been to Bradenton, FLA on vacation, and we love it!! Anna Maria island in particular has many wonderful memories, d we always make sure to visit. The sandy white beach is beautiful. There are multiple volleyball nets, restrooms, there's a bar area where local music comes to play, and so much space! The reason why I marked 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the seaweed and the litter. I read on other reviews that the seaweed wasn't bad, and they kept the beach really clean- so maybe it's just while we were here that that wasn't necessarily the case. There was a LOT of seaweed, which is understandable. As far as cleanliness: the facilities, parking lot, sidewalks, etc. were clean, but there was so much trash on the beach. read more

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Loved this beach! Free parking, nice sand and water. Beautiful views. Super clean. Highly recommended to visit!

Anna Maria beach has some great seashells and very clear water! It's not too crowded but it is extremely hard to find parking even on a week day. read more

Wonderful beach with some of the softest sand and great sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.

This was my first time visiting Anna Maria Island and the surrounding beaches, we are from Orlando,FL and was a pretty good drive (1 1/2 hours) which is actually perfect! The sand was sooooo soft and an absolutely beautiful white! The water was so clear I could see my feet clear as day when the water was up to my neck! Such an amazing and stunningly beautiful beach! We have added this to our list of favorite beaches, and it is #1 now so far! We will absolutely be returning to play here often! read more

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First time coming and I definitely will be back! Storm approaching which made the waves super aggressive but parking, convenience of food and clean restaurant made it well worth the trip. read more

We went to Anna Maria beach - up at the northernmost point of the island - to watch the sun set on a Saturday in May. Parking was pretty limited, but we found a side street that allowed it. This is a really nice beach, with beautiful homes, pine trees and soft white sand. It appears the location keeps out the riff raff as well - well-heeled locals made up most of the crowd, which was maybe 40 people total. A few couples had bottles of wine to enjoy this very romantic setting. For the more dring, you can wade out to a tiny island about 30 yards offshore. Not sure if I'd recommend trying to find a parking spot at mid-day due to the limited spaces, but this is a great place to watch the sun set, maybe after an early dinner at the Rod and Reel pier. read more

What a lovely beach Anna Maria is! Truth be told, I don't get to Anna Maria as much as I would like to. The reason being that there are a lot of other beaches closer to me. Every time that I do make the trek, I promise to get back here more often. Here's why: Anna Maria is absolutely beautiful and it is a QUIET beach. There is never issues with finding a nice chill spot and it is a truly pristine and relaxing atmosphere. There are a lot of local restaurants and bars in the area that all have unique flavor to them. This is a great spot for locals and vacationers alike! read more

Came here for just one day and I wish we stayed longer. We were here for a Birthday party and had so much going on but managed to make it. My friends rented a beach house and I already had a hotel reserved. We walked across the street and this beach was beautiful. There was not much seaweed and they kept that beach really clean. I'm telling you, it def beats South Beach. Much more relaxed and calm. Or maybe I have an Old Soul and I'm not in my twenties anymore. :( Hey I can still get down though. LOL Anyways, I would love to come to this Beach again. The hours spent getting a tan was clearly not enough. read more

Great beach at the north end of the island! The beach is a little more secluded than some of the other beaches on the island, but that makes it a little quieter some days. More boats tend to drop anchor here than the other beaches, and when the days are very nice, the beach will be crowded. Be advised that you will probably be walking a ways to the beach because parking is limited all over the north end of the island. The water is crystal clear and as warm as bath water most of the time. Check it out if you get the chance! read more

Simply beautiful! The beach was not very crowded and was very relaxing. I would have given it a 5 but the beach is not in close proximity of the bathrooms. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

At the northwest region of Anna Maria Island, one can find a beautiful beach where you can enjoy the warm turquoise Gulf Waters, sit under a tree, enjoy the breeze, build sand castles, collect beautiful sea shelves, snorkel, and relax in the sunshine. I've been to several of the beaches in Sarasota and Bradenton. This was the one of the very few that I didn't get a chance to visit. This particular beach is north of both Holmes and Bradenton Beach. It's part of the infamous Anna Maria Island. What I like about this particular beach is how it curves to the right and how one can walk all the way to the northern most part of Anna Maria Island. There is a patch of sand in the shape of a peninsula where you can literally just sit there as water calmly flows in. I can easily imagine myself sitting there and meditating. One can find beautiful shells, mollusks, etc. nearby. It's very peaceful. Be careful where you walk though since it might dip. One can also see many small fishes nearby. read more

A Florida gem. We've been coming here for years. Love that there are no high rise buildings allowed. Beach is some of the best in Florida. 4.5 stars !! read more

Such a gorgeous beach it makes you understand how someone could truly be a beach bum. Not someone who loves sun worshiping or hanging out at the beach - I mean a "beach bum" ala the ones in those 50s beach blanket bingo movies with the guy generally named something like Mood Doggie who is slightly older the the rest of the beach goers and lives there all summer long - right on the beach with a hammock underneath a tarp on four sticks. If you are i. The area, head down to the Waterfront or Sandbar restaurants and take a walk on the beach. The west coast of Florida has fantastically beautiful beaches but this is probably the best and most beautiful I have seen. I could float in this water until I grew gills. read more

Great beach. Clear waters and never gets crazy packed like some of the other beaches I used to go to. read more

Anna Maria Beach - Beaches Near Me - Bradenton Beach, Florida

This island has some of the most beautiful water and beaches on the gulf. I love it so much I bought a vacation home close by! With that said I'd love to see some changes as well. Some things I've noticed while being a tourist. Needs more lively entertainment. Not everybody likes complete quiet and light out by 9. Or actually more life in general besides shops to buy things nobody needs. Needs to be more baby friendly. This is a family oriented town, so why not more places or things such as a splash pool for entertainment. And more convenient eateries on the beach. Sure would make moms have an easier time with toddlers and babies... At the beach. I noticed that some necessities such as food, supplies and distractions... Require u to always lug everything back into the car and search. Even if u weren't quite ready to end your day on the gulf. read more

Picturesque beach experience on the Gulf side of Florida. White sandy beaches, and comfortable water. Small waves great for the kids. Quiet community so bring your own entertainment. read more