Hello. My husband and I are planning a week along the Gulf Coast and would love to find a nice quiet beach area that is not popular with the spring break and party crowd. We would be interested in beaches from Bradenton to Sanibel. Anna Maria Island? Sarasota/Lido Beach? Cape Coral? Time frame is Feb 28-March 4. Thank you!

That is likely NOT spring break dates....

Too early for Spring Break, lucky you.

In general the places you mention would be places where a college kid might bring a few friends to stay with their grandparents, though I don't know Bradenton anymore.

I would avoid Ft Myers Beach, just south of Sanibel, but your other choices are likely safe.

Even Fort Lauderdale has very strongly discouraged the city/beach as some sort of "destination."

Cruise ships, at one time, became a huge break destination as did some portions of the Mexican coast.

I tend to agree with Ackislander and in terms of exactly when SB occurs, I am not sure that is necessarily some uniform sort of period anymore.

So let me see if I understand this. You're looking for a beach location that is so lousy that no one wants to go there for spring break? Did I get that right?

Found a site that lists spring break dates that might come in handy:

http://www.springbreak.com/Spring_Break_Dates.html

I didn't think my question was that difficult to comprehend? We've been to many beautiful Gulf beaches in off season and would like to repeat the experience. Does this make sense now? Just looking for a nice beach that can be enjoyed without all the idiocy of spring break.

I guess I still don't comprehend how one can repeat the experience of a quiet beach off season by going during one of the busiest weeks of the year. All nice beaches will be packed with tourists, whether they are college kids, or families and children. If you go at such a busy time, you need to expect the beaches to be busy. Or do you mean you'd rather have lots of screaming kids rather than college students.

from the GREAT link that sludick posted, the earliest posted date for the start of Spring Break is 3/5/16. While the list is likely not to be totally inclusive, it should provide support to the idea that your dates are before the majority of Spring Breakers arrive.

I have no idea if grade/middle/high schools will be on a break during that time period but back in the day; it was a week in early to mid Feb and a week in late March or early April near to Easter.

If OP's goal is to avoid college aged students, their date is ok.
Quiet/relative quite is in the eye of the beholder.

You will be fine anywhere. It likely won't be Spring break for anybody. Go to whatever beach you think will be nice.

Your dates are also a considerable time before a lot of those tourists will be down here, too.

You are looking very peak season for Sanibel, so prices will be high and accommodations tight. I'm not referring to spring breakers, though, just tourism season for the area. Suggest you check availability in the areas, that might help you narrow down a bit.

Anna Maria Island is definitely not a party spot. Can't imagine you will find too many spring breakers except for maybe families. Not a lot of big rowdy bars there to attract college kids.

NeoPatrick. Let me see if I can help. I really didn't choose to come down on at the busiest time of the year. It's a funeral which has chosen this time for us and we decided to look to add a couple of quiet days. Just trying to make the best of what we have to work with . And we would much rather listen to the screaming kids, as you say, which will have much earlier bedtimes and respect than screaming college kids. But don't worry, possibly you have read the string of helpful replies from helpful people

Thank you to all for the helpful answers, and to the handy list posted by Sludick. All comments much appreciated

That isn't beach weather time so you should be good.

Thanks for explaining, readytogo, that you didn't originally CHOOSE to go at the busiest time of the year, but I'm not sure what that has to do with the fact that you WILL BE going at the busiest time of the year -- even though you are hoping for the quiet of off season. I'm sorry that my frank replies are NOT what you were hoping to hear, but sometimes just being honest is a good idea.

Since you don't mind screaming kids as much as college kids, I'd suggest staying on the beach at Ft. Myers Beach, where families rule the roost, not college kids -- Pink Shell is a great place for what you are looking for, and won't be plagued with the college set -- but set at the "quiet end of the beautiful beach".

http://www.pinkshell.com/

"That isn't beach weather time so you should be good."

Umm, flpab, have you ever been to south Florida for spring break in March? There are thousands, (maybe millions) who would totally disagree with you. March truly IS the busiest time of the year on south Florida's beaches!

Can we give this semi-pissing contest a rest now?

Dukey, what's a "semi-pissing match" about disagreeing with someone who posts that March is NOT beach weather in Florida so it shouldn't be a popular time to visit? Do you object to correcting such totally wrong information? Would it be better to agree and suggest "no reservations necessary since March is off season"?