8 Awesome Things to do on Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island is a 7 mile long barrier island located between Tampa Bay and Sarasota. Anna Maria Island has remained untouched by chain hotels and restaurants. It is made up of cute little cottages and quaint seaside inns. We rented a condo from VRBO across the street from Bradenton Beach. Anna Maria Island is a perfect vacation spot for all types of vacationers: those that want to just relax on the beach, or those (like me) who like a little adventure!

How to get there:

You can get to AMI by flying into either Tampa International or Sarasota/Bradenton airport, although Tampa Bay is a little bit further drive. We rented a car, which we did use frequently so I would recommend. However, you could manage without a car, as there is free bus service on the island as well as a “Monkey Bus” that runs in the evenings.

Below are 8 awesome things you can do during your stay on Anna Maria Island.

1. Rent a Pontoon Boat

Everywhere you look in this part of Florida there is water. The Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay, and backwaters flow around the islands and inland. One awesome thing to do during your stay on Anna Maria Island is rent a pontoon boat and explore, or cruise to a sandbar around the islands where you can enjoy the sun and water.

A few other families we knew were staying nearby- so we rented a regular pontoon boat and this fun double decker boat with a slide that we knew the kids (and even some of the crazier adults) would enjoy! We rented our boats from a place in Sarasota called Sarasota Boat Rentals. It was located at Marina Jack, about a 30 minute drive from Anna Maria Island. (If you don’t have a car and want to rent from somewhere on AMI- try Bradenton Beach Marina.)

My husband Travis drove the regular pontoon boat. The staff from Sarasota Boat Rentals gave him suggestions about where to go, and gave him a map. There are numbered red and green markers in the water that help guide you to where you want to go. We headed to Long Boat Key, between Sarasota and Anna Maria Island, and found a nice shallow sand bar to hang out in for a few hours. We spotted a restaurant nearby that we wanted to check out called Shore for lunch. Turns out it was a pretty swanky place!

Imagine pulling up to this place in your double decker pontoon with a slide and having 17 people pile out of it. Needless to say, we felt like we were the Beverly Hillbillies! The service and food were great though and it turned out to be a great place to stop. After the late lunch we headed back to Sarasota. It was a great day out on the water.

2. Go to the Beach

Anna Maria Island has several gorgeous white sand beaches to choose from! We visited Bradenton Beach, Cortez Beach, and Coquina Beach. All the beaches are wide expanses of soft white sand. Although it was Spring Break, there was plenty of room to spread out on the beach. Coquina Beach had the best amenities. There were restrooms nearby, changing areas, a large space under shady pine trees with picnic tables and grills, and a cafe. Cortez Beach and Coquina beaches had life guards. The water tended to be calmer in the morning, then rougher by the afternoon. When the water was calm, it was a beautiful shade of blue green. My 11 year old, Spencer loved the waves in the afternoon. He would tackle the wave coming in like he the linebacker he is!

3. Visit Bradenton Beach Village and Pier

I loved this little cluster of shops and restaurants in Bradenton Beach. It was seriously so cute! There are 5 or 6 restaurants on and around historic Bridge Street, several shops, and even a miniature golf course. Originally, Bridge Street was a wooden bridge that was the only access to the island. Today, there is a lovely fishing pier that is home to the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurant and businesses like Fish AMI and Paradise boat tours. Don’t forget to grab a daiquiri with fun names like “the Karen” or “Purple Nurple” from the Daiquiri Deck while you are here! This area is becoming a hot spot of AMI and I can see why!

4. Kayak

Kayaking is a great way to explore nature! We kayaked in Shell Key Preserve in St. Petersburg. It was a little bit of a drive, but it was well worth it! We chose a company that does guided tours in a completely clear kayak called Get up and Go Kayaking. They have several locations throughout Florida. This kayak trip did not disappoint. The water was so crystal clear and gorgeous- I felt like I was in the Bahamas. We didn’t see much wildlife, but having 3 sons that kept splashing each other with their paddles MAY have had something to do with that. A couple of people in our group did see some sharks and some stingrays. The trip also took you through a little section of Mangrove trees, which are so fascinating to learn about.

The trip is about 2 and 1/2 hours, and costs $59 per person. Don’t fear- you aren’t paddling for the full 2 and 1/2 hours. We stopped on a little sandy island and took about a half hour break to explore. The tour begins and ends at Billy’s Stone Crab Restaurant, where you will want to have lunch because you will definitely have worked up an appetite! There is also a Glow trip offered at night, which features underwater LED lights in your clear kayak. It sounds pretty awesome- but I’m not sure I would want to give up the gorgeous site of the turquois water that we saw during the day.

5. Watch the Sunset at Bean Point

Bean Point is the northernmost point on Anna Maria Island and was named for Anna Maria Island’s first resident, George Emerson Bean. Bean Point is where the Gulf of Mexico meets Tampa Bay. It is a little tricky to find, as the beach access is just a narrow path between two residences. The path is marked by a sign that says beach access. Parking can be tricky as well. There are lots of little residential side streets that you can park on, just make sure you aren’t parked on a street that says no parking. This is a great beach to visit if you are looking for a more secluded, less crowded beach.

6. Hike at Robinson Nature Preserve

Robinson Nature Preserve is 487 acres of coastal and wetland habitats. I love being in nature and hiking so I knew I had to visit the nature preserve while on AMI. The preserve is located in Bradenton, just a short drive across the bridge. Activities at the preserve are hiking, kayaking, biking, paddle boarding, bird watching, or fishing. The preserve also has a cool playground built into the trees called the canopy zone . Spence and I decided to hike a 3 mile loop that went past the observation tower. We climbed up the observation tower and had a great view of Tampa Bay. The trail itself was pretty flat, and went over several wooden bridges. Be sure to take some water: there is not much shade and it gets hot. There were lots of people enjoying nature in the park, so it felt very safe to hike there.

7. Visit the Beach Market at Coquina Beach

On Wednesday morning, Travis and I happened to be walking on the lovely wide path under shady pine trees along Cortez and Coquina beach when we happened to come across this awesome market! It is open on Sundays in November, Sundays and Wednesdays from December to March, and Wednesdays and Fridays from April to July. You could definitely find some great treasures here. There is jewelry, arts and crafts, apparel, and unique curiosities like freeze dried skittles! There is so much to look at at this little beach market.

8. Book a Fishing Charter

We booked a fishing charter with Fish AMI. We chose the 4 hour near shore fishing tour. The cost was $600 for our family. This was my first fishing trip on the ocean, and it wasn’t at all like fishing at the lake. Basically, the captain put a fishing pole into a holder on the back of the boat with a lure on it. Then he would drive the boat and slowly pull the lure until a fish bit on it. Then, the captain would hand one of the boys the fishing pole and help him reel it in. Drew did most of the fishing, as he really enjoys fishing at the lake and wanted to try a fishing trip on the ocean. Luckily, Drew caught a huge King fish that was about 35 lbs. Drew seemed to enjoy the trip. For me, I’m glad I tried it for the experience but probably wouldn’t choose to do it again.

After the fishing trip was over we took our catch to the Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the pier, and they cooked our catch for us. That was a feast of epic proportions! They blackened, sauteed, and fried our fish. Plus we had sides of cheddar grits, French fries, coleslaw, and applesauce. They really took great care of us at the Oyster Bar. It was fantastic. That was the best part of the fishing trip for me!

Anna Maria Island is a great place to take a family vacation. There are many awesome things to do there that everyone in your family will enjoy.

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To learn more about how I planned this trip, read Plan a Perfect trip in 5 Easy Steps