Anna Maria Island’s beaches and parks are its main attractions, and the reason is clear -the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Named for the delicate, pastel creatures that dig into its shoreline, Coquina Beach on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach covers 96 acres on the southernmost tip of the Island. Trimmed with Australian pine trees that shade a recreational path, picnic tables, pavilions and barbecue grills, the beach has a snack bar, lifeguards, restrooms and showers, and plenty of room for a long, long walk.
Second Place
Feature Story
Non-Profile
2013
Manatee Beach at the western end of Manatee Avenue features a playground, picnic tables, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, a gift shop, a fishing pier and an indoor/outdoor snack bar with live music on weekends.
Bayfront Park in Anna Maria overlooks the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the historic Egmont Key lighthouse and two piers – the Anna Maria City Pier at the end of Pine Avenue and the Rod and Reel Pier at 875 North Shore Drive, both popular fishing spots with restaurants.
Coquina Baywalk at Leffis Key on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach is a 30-acre park on the Intracoastal Waterway featuring mangrove-shaded trails and a hill from which you can see Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Bradenton.
Grassy Point Preserve’s mangrove tunnels on the bay side of the Island on the Intracoastal Waterway in Holmes Beach are perfect for kayak exploration. You may see roseate spoonbills (often mistaken for flamingos), roosting pelicans and white ibis, or even one of Florida’s 4,800 endangered manatees. Or walk the short hiking trail and enjoy the native plants.
Butterflies are aflutter at the Anna Maria Island Butterfly Park at 5801 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, open from dawn to dusk seven days a week. Native plants like passion vine, sweet bay and Dutchman’s pipe vine attract wispy creatures like the American Painted Lady, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Gulf Fritillary.
