npurpleh2

I'm looking for advice on nice places to stay for a girls weekend trip to the Sarasota/Tampa area. We've been looking at Siesta Key but haven't found a place to stay that meets everyone's needs so I'm now looking to explore other beach areas within 1-1.5 hour drive from the Tampa airport.

What beach areas/towns should I look at that would have easy access to a nice beach during the day with the option for restaurants and entertainment in the evening? I'm having trouble researching where to stay because I can't figure out which beach area to focus on.

Thanks for any feedback you can give!

dibber44

Hi, I booked a week vacation at Anna Marie Island using Islandreal.com. We reserved a beautiful house for a group of us. The house is called coral escape. We are flying into Sarasota/Bradenton airport with delta for cheap cheap. 275 pp from albany, ny. We are renting a van from alamo for 200 for the week and we did book an off week at the end of April for a discounted rate on the house. I have friends that live on AMI and friends who visit there every other year. They love it and compare it to a kinda key west atmosphere. The beaches are rated up with the best in the world. Check it out, hope this helps. Also look at VRBO for a home rental.

npurpleh2

Thanks I will check it out... what/where is AMI?

npurpleh2

Sorry I found it! Removing my typo changed everything

npurpleh2

We ended up going to Anna Maria Island and really loved it! It is a great spot for families or a girls getaway.