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Tag: Holmes BEach

Cities

Anna Maria Island’s 3 Cities: What’s the Difference?

Written by Staff on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Blog, Info.

While planning your vacation to Anna Maria Island you may have noticed that on this quaint 7-mile island there are three distinct cities. A lot of people seek guidance on which one to book in, so we’re here to help share the differences between the cities of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach.

ALL the Gulf of Mexico beaches on Anna Maria Island are open to the public.  Some prefer one cities’ beach over another, however, the difference between beaches are the amount of visitors on each. The softness of the sand, number of seashells, color of the sand, etc are similar if not the same for all gulf beaches.

Cities

The City of Anna Maria is on the northern tip of the island and has mainly of residential properties, making it much less crowded and much quieter. There are two piers and shops you can explore while you visit. The main street of ‘downtown’ Anna Maria is Pine Avenue runs the width of the island from bay at the Anna Maria City Pier to the Gulf and is voted one of the ‘Greenest Main Streets in the USA’. 

Move further down the island to reach Holmes Beach in the middle. This section of land is home to the popular Manatee Avenue and its widest beach. You’ll find more homes than condos, and numerous gift shops and restaurants as well as the island’s sole major grocery store. This area is considered quieter than Bradenton Beach and has many gift shops, restaurants, and the Public Beach.

Cities

Finally, the southern side of the island holds Bradenton Beach. This section is usually the busiest but it is also the most walkable. The narrowest and the southernmost town on the island, has recently taken seriously its downtown atmosphere and created a foot friendly Bridge Street: the heart of the town. Close proximity to the accessible Coquina Beach and all of the Bridge Street attractions if you’re looking for things to do!

While the cities aren’t far apart, and are virtually indiscernible while you’re passing through, we’ll try to sum up the minor differences to make booking your vacation in paradise a breeze. We offer beautiful and affordable A Paradise accommodations in all three areas, and really as long as you’re on Anna Maria Island you really can’t go wrong.

Photos from VisitFlorida.com

Ice Cream

Anna Maria Island’s Best Ice Cream Shops

Written by Paradise Realty Staff on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Blog, Info.

There is nothing better this time of year – okay, any time of year – than a nice walk on the beach with a delicious ice cream cone. You can never go wrong with a couple of scoops of ice cream to end or start your day! With our year-round tropical temperatures, it’s always a good idea to grab a sweet treat. Luckily for us on Anna Maria Island, we have a variety of excellent local ice cream shops in the area to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite places to grab some ice cream or dessert of your choice.

Small Town Creamery – 5404 Marina Dr, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

Ice Cream

With ever-changing 50 ice cream flavors, homemade fudge, candy, and lots more. Their ice cream even won the Grand Master Award for exceptional flavor, consistency, and taste. So when you’re searching for wholesome, tasty goodness, step out of the Anna Maria sun and into Small Town Creamery. They also include vegan options. It is especially fun for kids as they have a fun selection of popular trinkets and toys for sale.

Tyler’s Ice Cream – 1904 Cortez Rd W, Cortez, FL 34215

Located just over the bridge in Historical Cortez Village, Tyler’s Homemade Ice Cream has been one of the best ice cream shops for the last 3 decades.  In fact, over three hundred flavors have been created since Tyler’s opened in 1984. Each batch is hand made in small five-gallon quantities to ensure distinct taste and freshness with each and every flavor. Stop in and try some of Tyler’s old fashioned gourmet ice cream. You won’t be disappointed!

Dips Ice Cream – 503 Pine Ave, Anna Maria, FL 34216

Dips Ice Cream on Gulf Drive in the City of Anna Maria is an AMI classic and the perfect spot for ice cream and candy.  Dips serves 32 flavors of ice cream, as well as 2 flavors of soft serve, Italian ice, and an amazing selection of candy.  This family ice cream shop has been voted #1 ice cream by the Anna Maria Island Sun 8 times already!

Holy Cow Ice Cream – 3234 E Bay Dr, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

This shop serves up a variety of ice cream flavors & frozen desserts in an offbeat interior. Holy Cow Ice Cream features 36 delicious flavors to choose from, including Sugar Free, Dairy Free and Frozen Yogurt offerings.  Enjoy your favorite flavor in your choice of cone, cup or as a hand-spun milkshake! The tiki lounge and kids area is a great place to enjoy a cool treat with the family. Holy cow!

Two Scoops Ice Cream –  101 N Bay Blvd, Anna Maria, FL 34216

Ice Cream

Two Scoops has much more to offer than ice cream. Located just across the street from the Anna Maria City Pier, Two Scoops Ice Cream is a convenient place to grab an ice cream cone or snack.  Grab a cool treat and take a stroll along the boardwalk by the bay. This shop is known for its 32 flavors of homemade ice cream but their menu includes a variety of casual dining choices at value prices.

Island Scoops – 103B Gulf Dr N, Bradenton Beach, FL 34217

Along with Ice Cream, Island Scoops offers an evolving, extraordinary selection of luscious gourmet cupcakes, desserts, gourmet pies, cakes, cookies, cheesecakes and more. Their ice creams and sorbets are made from quality all-natural ingredients, locally sourcing products whenever possible, and many of our ice cream inclusions are made from scratch in our facility.

Photos courtesy of Pexels.com