Anna Maria Island Beaches

Anna Maria Island Beaches

Anna Maria Island beaches are truly incredible, beautiful and unique, and one of the best reasons to plan a family vacation there.

With calm and warm turquoise waters to swim in and soft sparkling cool-to-the-touch white sand to cushion your feet, these beaches make any Anna Maria Island vacation wondrous and dream-like.

There are three main public beaches with excellent facilities at Bayfront Park, Manatee Public Beach, and Coquina Beach, and three large areas with multiple beach access points on the Gulf side of the City of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.

These beach access points have fewer facilities than the main public beaches but can often be a good alternative when you’re looking for something a little quieter. Here are some helpful details about the public beaches on the island and the beach access points.


Bayfront Park

Location: 310 N Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, FL

Bayfront Park on the northern tip of Anna Maria Island offers some stunning views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and proximity to the numerous restaurants, stores and other attractions in the City of Anna Maria including the historic City Pier and Rod and Reel Pier.

This is a family friendly beach with its excellent facilities, and it is an ideal spot for a beach picnic. The spectacular views of this park along with its tall shade trees give it character and make it one of the more charming and peaceful beaches to visit on the island.

The island’s free trolley has a stop right at this beach park for anyone who is interested in visiting, but substantial free parking is available as well.

Facilities here include:

  • Tables
  • Benches
  • Grills
  • Pavilions
  • Restrooms
  • Showers
  • Playground
  • Water Fountains
  • ADA Accessible
  • Free Parking
  • Trolley Stop

Manatee Public Beach

Location: 4000 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach, FL

Located toward the center of the island, Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach is known for being one of the most popular beaches on the island for families with children.

Anna Maria Island Beach Café is also one of the area’s most popular restaurants, and it is located right on the beach for hungry families and travelers. Concessions and facilities here are among the best that you will find on the island. Other restaurants such as Skinny’s Place with its delectable burgers and hot dogs are within walking distance.

This beach is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, beach volleyball, and exploring for shells, as you’ll find several varieties on the shore. Lifeguard service is also on duty and the water is relatively calm, clear and shallow, which is ideal for younger children.

The free Anna Maria Island trolley also stops right at Manatee Public Beach so that you can conveniently travel there without having to worry about parking. Plentiful parking spots are also available when you prefer driving. A Publix grocery store is located nearby to pick up items for a beach picnic.

Facilities here include:

  • Bicycle Racks
  • Lifeguard Stations
  • Café
  • Gift Shop
  • Changing Cabanas
  • Restrooms
  • Showers
  • Water Fountains
  • Shaded Picnic Tables
  • ADA Accessible
  • Free Parking
  • Trolley Stop

Coquina Beach

Location: 2650 Gulf Dr. S, Bradenton Beach, FL

Coquina Beach is located on the far southern end of Anna Maria Island and offers a distinct change compared to the other beaches with some truly gorgeous natural scenery and a little more seclusion, as it is the longest stretch of beach on the island.

Like the beaches mentioned above, it has excellent facilities for families and is located on a trolley stop. The soft white sand and clear and clean blue ocean water here rivals Siesta Beach, but you won’t deal with nearly as big of a crowd.

This is another popular destination for beach picnics as it has every facility you would need, as well as swimming and surfing with lifeguards on duty.

Dolphins are frequently sighted along the shore in this area, and it’s also right by the exciting Leffis Key nature preserve which you can easily walk to before or after your beach adventure. An extensive scenic bike path is available that runs along the dunes.

Facilities here include:

  • Bicycle Racks
  • Lifeguard Station
  • Concessions
  • Changing Cabanas
  • Restrooms
  • Shower
  • Gift Shop
  • Playground
  • Volleyball Courts
  • Water Fountains
  • Multi-Purpose Paved Trail
  • Grills
  • Picnic Tables
  • ADA Accessible
  • Free Parking
  • Trolley Stop

Other Beach Access Points on Anna Maria Island

On the Gulf side of the city of Anna Maria, and throughout Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach there are multiple beach access points available with minimal parking. These are a good option for snowbirds, couples, and those who are not traveling with families. There are far fewer people on these beaches on most days, but there are no facilities or lifeguards.

Bean Point is off the beaten path in the City of Anna Maria and is considered a “must visit” beach if you plan on venturing out from the public beaches. It is located at the furthest north point on Anna Maria Island and you can enter it at a crossroads on North Bay Blvd. and North Shore Dr.

These beach accesses also offer an excellent opportunity for birding, as many rare shorebirds will nest in these less populated areas, as well as some incredible sunset photographs since most of these access points are along the Gulf side of the island.

A full map of all the beach access points from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection can be viewed here for your convenience: Anna Maria Island Beach Access Points