Anna Maria Island Beaches
In Florida, there are two major attractions. And we know you’re not here for the Magic Kingdom.
If we had to pick just one way to describe Anna Maria Island, we’d say “spectacular beaches.” We’re talking soft white sands that you can’t wait to sink your toes into. Picture-perfect golden beaches that ring our island, promising fantastic shelling, glorious sunbathing, and take-your-breath-away views. Promising day after day of leisure, fun and relaxation.
Promising paradise.
Because with 1,200 miles of coastline and nearly perfect weather, Florida beaches are forever receiving awards. And yet, even amidst such excellent (and competitive) company, Anna Maria Island is superlative. In fact, Anna Maria Island beaches are so impressive, TripAdvisor named the island America’s #1 Beach Vacation Destination.
Think about that for a moment: the best beach vacation destination in the United States. The same United States that is also home to Hawaii and Puerto Rico, SoCal and even our neighbors, the Florida Keys. And Anna Maria Island is the best. One island to rule them all.
And to think, from our Anna Maria Island condo rental, you’d be just steps away from some of America’s best beaches. You’d be gazing out over the aquamarine Gulf of Mexico. You’d be sniffing the salty deliciousness of the sea breeze, and hearing the methodical lapping of gentle waves on the seashore.
You’d already be in paradise.
Affectionately known as “The Island In The Sun” Anna Maria Island comprises over 150 miles of waterfront, more than 7 ½ miles of powder white sand beaches, Gulf temperatures averaging 84 degrees and more than 361 days of sunshine per year. The surrounding waters of Anna Maria Island are known as the nursery because of the large number of dolphins that raise their young here. Anna Maria Island boasts more sunshine per year than Honolulu and some of the finest beaches in the world.
No need to worry about exclusive resorts staking claim on precious spans of beach. Discover Anna Maria Island and you’ll find that the entire stretch of beach all the way around the island is free to access. You can walk miles from the top of the island to the bottom with your toes in the sand and gentle Gulf surf. This hidden beach destination that people from all over the world escape to, Anna Maria Island has somehow managed to keep condo towers, all-fast-food chains, amusement parks, and glitzy mega-resorts off its shores. In fact, no construction on the this seven-mile long barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast is more than three stories tall and 60 percent of its land is open beach.
“My trip to Anna Maria made me feel in a nostalgic sense what beach vacations must have been like 20 or 30 years ago,” says Tim Leffel, author of “Make Your Travel Dollars Worth A Fortune” who visited the Anna Maria Island with his family. “It has something other destinations have lost. It’s an old-fashioned place where you can just relax and hang out on the beach with your kids, without arcades and other distractions.
Quaint, according to Webster, means marked by beauty or elegance, unusual or different in character or appearance, pleasingly or strikingly old fashioned. That’s Anna Maria Island, according to the November issue of Islands magazine, which names Anna Maria Island the Best Quaint Island in the world for family vacations. The Island is ranked alongside 13 others exotic locations including Tahiti’s Bora Bora and Hawaii’s Kauai.
While selecting family-friendly island vacation destinations, the magazine considered factors such as opportunities for discovery and family bonding, easy accessibility, fun amenities and roomy accommodations. At the top of its checklist for quaintness is the absence of large resorts and chain restaurants. “Anna Maria Island” Big resorts? No. Chain restaurants? No. Miles-long beaches? Oh yes,” says the Islands magazine article. “All that makes for beautifully charming days on Anna Maria Island, just a drawbridge removed from the Florida mainland.”