Anna Maria beach question (FL)
 

We'll be staying in Bradenton Beach in March.

I'm a little confused by the references I see to "private beaches" and "public beaches" on Anna Maria Island.

Is there a continuous beach on the entire west side of the island?

Will we be able to walk it all, or are "private beaches" fenced off?

They aren't fenced off... the difference is whether the property is a private home or a public one (county park, hotel, etc). Be sure and eat at the pier one night on Bradenton Beach. Very small, very, very casual and has great food !!

You'll be walking on one of the most beautiful beaches around - pure white sand - like talcum powder. As for private versus public - well the access to the beach is most often private but there are public area where you'd enter the beach. Your hotel will have it's own beach access whether you're directly on the beach or not.

Lots of great restaurants on a mainly family type island. Try Duffy's for truly great hamburgs at lunch. If you really want to splurge try "Beach Bistro" pretty expensive but very good. Middle of the road is "Sandbar", Anna Maria City Pier, Rotten Ralph's and, if you have kids with you try "Mr Bones BBQ - our kids like it.

You picked a great time to stay on Anna Maria Island.

Don't forget going across the Cortez bridge to have lunch on a picnic table at the Starfish Company in Cortez! It's a wholesale/retail fish house, with a small restaurant business - wonderful seafood! I second all the other restuarants mentioned.

You are right!! Star fish is GOOD!!!

Just for the record, all beaches in Florida are public, unlike Malibu for instance where a homeowner can own the beach and keep people off it. I suppose private beach might suggest that you're renting a house, not a condo loaded with a thousand other people that you'll have to share the beach with.

During our November stay on Anna Maria I walked several hours either direction each morning on the beach. It was great - especially in the very early morning when there is great shelling (take a plastic bag with you) and almost no one around. There is a free trolley you can take back to your hotel if you get overambitious, like I did. Just make sure you have something on your feet - they won't let you on with bare feet.

I had to sweet talk a shop keeper to let me have some beach shoes, if I promised to come back later to pay. (I walked too long in one direction without money, shoes or water and had to hitch a ride back.)

We have a house 3 miles in from Anna Maria at Palma Sola/86th & Cortez. My husband is there now (while I hold down the fort in TX) and he reports great weather and good times.

Bean Point and Beer Can Island (on Long Boat key but just over the southern bridge) are 2 great walking beaches. Bean Point is accessible by walking along 2 houses so gives the appearance of private. There is a trolley if you walk from one end to the other and don't feel like walking back.

Manatee Beach has breakfast 'on the beach'. Not glamorus except you can call folks back in the snow about sitting on the bech eating all the pancakes you can muster.

Has anyone rented any of the Charters from Starfish?

Fishing or sightseeing? I haven't been on one, but Captain Kim has a good reputation and is pretty active in Cortez village. I know she does sightseeing/bird watching type things - I don't know what else.