Anna Maria Island, FL: Beach Days, Boat Days, and a Few Great Side Trips

We rented a great Airbnb right on the water and spent most mornings having a lazy breakfast on the balcony before taking long walks on the beach, swimming, and then coming back for lunch overlooking the ocean. Since the sunsets from the balcony were so beautiful, many of our dinners were enjoyed there, too.

If you really want to elevate your beach experience, several companies will arrive early and set up a beautiful beach spot for you. The most upscale setup I saw was from Beach Suites. They had high-end beach chairs, tents, games, coolers, and more, all ready to go.

Our teen kids loved that we were so close to town and biked everywhere. There were cute shops nearby, plenty of good restaurants, and enough to do without constantly getting in the car.

One of the neighborhoods I especially enjoyed driving through was Key Royale. The houses were beautiful.

But what really made me smile were the mailboxes. Many of them were fun, creative, and full of personality.

Key Royale Mailboxes

We also enjoyed a morning at the Anna Maria Farmer’s Market, which had a lot of cool vendors.

And when we weren’t balcony and beach hopping, these were a few of our favorite side trips.

Favorite Restaurant: Beach House Waterfront Restaurant.

We also enjoyed a morning at the Anna Maria Farmer’s Market, which had a lot of cool vendors.

Robinson Preserve

A large coastal preserve in Bradenton with walking and biking trails, boardwalks, water views, and an observation tower. Elizabeth really wanted to go birdwatching, and it was a great place to do so. I would definitely go earlier in the day, before it gets too hot.

Venice Beach for Shark Teeth

We drove to Venice Beach specifically to look for shark teeth, it’s known as the Shark Tooth Capital of the World, and Elizabeth found 10. It’s absolutely worth doing if that interests you.

If you’re going for that reason, bring a strainer or shark tooth scoop. You will need it. It makes the search much easier and saves a lot of bending over.

Renting a Boat + Egmont Key

We rented a boat for a day and went out to Egmont Key State Park, a secluded, boat-access-only island at the mouth of Tampa Bay known for its ruins and wildlife like gopher tortoises. If you don’t rent a boat, there are ferries and boat tours to get you there. Boating around that area, you also see a ton of dolphins and manatees. There are dolphin cruises you can book, too.

Myakka River State Park

We spent a morning at Myakka River State Park to see all the alligators, and there were a lot to see.

Lots of great trails and the Canopy Walkway was very cool! The walkway is suspended through the treetops of an oak and palm hammock and then leads to a tower overlook. It gives you a completely different perspective of the park and is one of its most unique features.

An Evening in St. Armands Circle

We also enjoyed an evening in St. Armands Circle. It’s a nice change of pace from beach time, with shops, restaurants, and people out walking around in the evening. It feels polished yet relaxed, making for an easy night out.

Anna Maria Island was beautiful on its own, but having places like Robinson Preserve, Egmont Key, Myakka, Venice Beach, and St. Armands within reach made the whole week feel even more layered and memorable.

It was the kind of trip that made it easy to slow down, but still gave us plenty to explore when we felt like moving.