Anna Maria Island's Beaches and Sunsets Keep You Coming Back For More...
If you ask your typical Florida vacationer what it is that attracts them to the Gulf coast, most will tell you its the beaches.
Lets face it, when people visit the Gulf Coast of Florida, they are most likely headed to the beach... lol.
Florida Gulf Coast Beach Communities
If its a Florida Gulf coast beach you're after, you've got several prime locations from which to choose. The islands just off the coast of Sarasota and Bradenton have beaches that are hard to beat.
-
Siesta Key has been rated as one of the top ten beaches in the nation.
-
Longboat Key and Lido Key are also well known and very popular as beach vacation destinations.
-
Then there is the all time favorite of course, Anna Maria Island. But my favorite is Anna Maria Island.
That Old Florida Look and Feel
Anna Maria Island is located at the southern edge of the mouth of Tampa Bay and boasts 7 miles of sugar white sand beaches that can leave you absolutely breathless. For most return visitors to Anna Maria, its the fact that the island is so normal that brings them back.
One local Anna Maria resident told me, "The reason I prefer living on Anna Maria Island over the others south of us is that it’s so…normal. It’s a place you can live. It isn't that real estate is particularly cheap on Anna Maria, but to live and play on Longboat Key you have to have ridiculous amounts of money.
Anna Maria Island is definately more affordable, and it lends itself to a true 'Old Florida' look and feel.
Unlike the Key's to the south of us, there aren’t gates and guards at the entrance of each neighborhood, there are tons of restaurants and shops to visit, there are public beaches and fishing piers you can actually fish from."
Wow, hows that for an Anna Maria Island testimonial... lol.
Anna Maria Island Dinner and a Sunset
My wife, friends and I recently travelled to Anna Maria Island, from East Manatee County, just to catch dinner and one of those breathe taking sunsets the island is so famous for. We had dinner at the Sandbar Restaurant, one of the only restaurants right on the beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
The outside dinner tables literally touch the sand less than a hundred feet from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Laid Back and Relaxed
That is Anna Maria Island's Lifestyle
After dinner we walked up and down the beach, and watched the most spectacular of sunsets. It was awesome, so nice and relaxing. Don't laugh, but I remember when relaxing meant going to the local college pub and blowing off some steam with friends.
Sometimes we would go on what we called 'a power trip'. That is when you load up the car or van and cover as much distance and take in as many sites as you can in as short a period of time as you can.
Really relaxing.
Ah, that's sarcasm folks... lol.
These days we prefer taking it easy. We avoid the crowds, visit with friends, enjoy the sunsets every chance we get, and Anna Maria Island is our west coast Florida location of choice. We prefer it over both Longboat and Siesta Key, and especially enjoy the more laid back atmosphere, smaller crowds, and the fact that I can enjoy a good portion of the beach to myself.
Sorry, not trying to be greedy. Its just that as I get older and mature with age... I've decided I like it that way... and if you ever get to Anna Maria Island, you will too ;-)
Recent Comments