Anna Maria Island, Florida

Looking for a quaint beach town that highlights all that Florida has to offer? Anna Maria Island is the place for you! A barrier island located in the Gulf of Mexico off the southwest coast, Anna Maria’s small 7-mile stretch has a lot to offer. We grabbed our bikes and explored as much as possible.

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First up, a boat tour that included dolphins, sandbar hopping, cannon balls and a party under the Cortez bridge.

We booked our tour through Captain Kim’s Boat Rides and Charters and we had a great experience. Kim was very helpful and kept us updated with how the weather was looking, it was touch and go all day before we arrived. Lucky for us it all worked out, rain and all!

After we were all on board Captain Guy came out swinging-he took us straight to the dolphins. It never gets old seeing animals in their own habitat especially dolphins, we were all impressed. I wasn’t sure how he was going to top that but he did.

Next, we went over to a sandbar and the boys were able to touch sand dollars. There were hundreds. We learned all about them and felt their prickly little spines, took some pictures, and returned them back to their homes.

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I LOVE learning about the places we visit especially from a local. Guy knew all the cool stuff you want to hear about. From the Cortez fishing village we passed while on the boat, to how Anna Maria Island had developed and changed over the years, and how different hurricanes had affected things. It was great. I can’t even go into all the coastal wildlife and plants we discussed.

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Captain Kim’s offer a few different charter options to choose from and we ended up with a little bit of everything, it was perfect. We did have to cut our time short because a storm came rolling through but that even turned out exciting for the boys. We pulled under a bridge for a few minutes to let it pass and they pretended to be true sailors on the rough waters of the open seas. (kids are funny creatures)

This is a real deal, see Florida for what it is trip. If you’re looking for a place to sip champagne and sail about, you may want to find another charter.

Beach day is the best day!

We took a fun bike ride from the marina where we were staying down to Holmes Beach.

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Hidden Gem: The beach access on 65th street is amazing! There is a catch-22. The reason it’s great? There is no parking. You have to either live close enough to walk or bike. This thins out the crowds pretty quickly.

It was a gorgeous, clear day and everyone was ready to enjoy the beach. Boats dotted the horizon while paddle boarders enjoyed the glassy water and kids played in the sand. It was postcard perfect. We definitely recommend this area for a great beach day!

Beach front dining.

We tried The Sandbar. Good things to share: the view is amazing, the food is good, and my my drink was yummy.

With a huge caveat that we are in the reopening phases of Covid-19 and everyone is trying to figure out how to handle this. I would not return. The overall experience was mediocre. I guess I’d give it 2 pineapples and hope it turns out better for you then it did for us.

Where we stayed!

A new found love among the boys is fishing. We thought it would be fun to check out the Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club in Holmes beach. It’s a great location in the middle of AMI. The villa we had featured a kitchen, stackable washer/dryer, living area and two separate suites. All things that we prefer to have when we’re traveling.

We always schedule in some down time during our trips so no one gets worn out. Waterline has a great little shaded area with family style games. We played table tennis, bean bag toss, and ladder ball. It’s right off the pool deck which includes a fire pit and a view of the marina. Great place to relax between adventures.

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Bonus fun at the Marina!

We had a cool visit with some of Manatee County’s finest. They were very kind and let the boys check out their boat. Lights and all!

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Fish stories! Both boys got a catch.

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House options for larger groups.

We ran into some friends on the island and they were staying in one of two homes offered by Urban Oasis rental homes. These look like great options for a beach week, girls trip, or larger family meetup. For me, the pool and golf cart are game changers when staying at the beach. We haven’t stayed here yet (post to follow once we do) but for now I trust my sweet friend Jen’s experience and feel good about recommending them.

For the homeschool peeps… and anyone else who loves learning!

Here are a couple of resources I used for this trip. I created these as a worksheet but they can just be discussion questions while you travel to the island. Or they can be a quiet activity for everyone to research on their own. Depends how the travels are going:)

Questions download on the history of Anna Maria Island and the Anna Maria Island Chamber website where you can find the answers.

Sea Shell Math download (single and double digit addition page)

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Dolphin Series. We watched these after we saw the dolphins on our ecotour.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great page on Sand dollars! The video of sand dollars burying themselves was especially cool since we had visited the sandbar to see some sand dollars.

We give Anna Maria Island five pineapples!