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