Anna Maria Island

Are you tired of every day life You need to escape to a place where you can relax and rejuvenate your body and mind. Get away to Anna Maria Island in Florida and enjoy your holidays there. This place is unlike other island destinations. The

island has maintained its natural beauty and managed to keep commercial buildings, fast-food chains, amusement parks and showy mega-resorts off its shores.

This hidden beach destination has something which other destinations have lost. It is a place of pure relaxation. You can hang out on the beach with your family without the hustle-bustle and other distractions.

Anna Maria Island is situated on the west coast of Florida. It is the barrier between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. The Island is stretched within 7 miles. It is famous for the white sand gulf beaches and a laid back attitude of the island. This place has only one building with over three stories.

How to reach Anna Maria Island
You can reach Anna Maria Island by car through a pair of bridges connecting the island to the mainland. Take a flight till Tampa International Airport, Orlando or the local Sarasota Bradenton international airport. Anna Maria is about an hour's drive from the Tampa airport and 45 minutes from St. Petersburg. You can also bring your boat and stay in one of the waterfront rentals with its own boat dock.

Anna Maria Island comprises of three very unique and beautiful towns, Anna Maria City (mainly residential), Holmes Beach (both residential and business oriented) and Bradenton Beach (residential and tourist oriented). You can explore these places and have a good time. In fact, doing nothing is the island's best pastime, but you have plenty of options if you want something else to do such as snorkeling, kayaking, or fishing in the Gulf's clear waters.

Where to stay in Anna Maria Island
Most accommodations on Anna Maria are vacation rentals or small condo resorts. A number of rental brokers can set you up with a vacation house. If you are willing to stay at a condo resort, then two of the most popular properties are the Tortuga Inn Beach Resort and Tradewinds Resort. You can rent these vacation homes with water views and pools within $1,000 per week and get seafood entrees at beachfront restaurants. Some of the resorts and villas where you can stay are:

1. Cedar Cove Resort & Cottages, Holmes Beach
2. Palm Tree Villas, Holmes Beach
3. An Island Getaway at Palm Tree Villas, Anna Maria Ialand
4. Anna Maria Pirates Den, Anna Maria Island
5. Bridgewalk, Bradenton Beach

You can check out the island's boutique shops or restaurants by a free trolley which runs up and down the island. Try affordable local favorites such as the Cafe on the Beach, which is known for its all-you-can-eat pancakes.

Things to do in Anna Maria Island
You can enjoy barbecue or picnic party on the beachfront pavillion at Bayfront Park on North Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria.

The island has 3 fishing piers, Anna Maria City Pier, Rod and Reel and the Bradenton Beach City Pier. These offer a dining experience while watching the anglers and the pelicans vying for fish. You can have a great time gazing at the local birds, such as Laughing Gulls, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Brown Pelicans and many more on Anna Maria Island.

Apart from the fishing, snorkeling and kayaking, all the three towns in the Island have excellent restaurants, shopping, and both gulf and bay front beaches.

You will have a lot to do on this Island, or do nothing at all; simply relax on the white sand beaches all day or enjoy a quiet stroll along the shore and an amazing sunset in the evening.