Anna Maria Island - have you been?

[WindsorHillsPad]

What is it like please? Where do you recommend we eat or visit?
Thanks

[Burgmeister]

Hi, we stayed in Bradenton a couple of years back and took a trip to Anna Marie Island. Very nice. We ate at the Beachhouse Restaurant which was pleasant enough. If you take a stroll along the beach there people do some very nice sand sculptures.

[SusieK]

Oooh you will love Anna Maria Island. There are so many lovely places to eat. I'm just popping out but will post back later all my favourites.

[pepsicube]

You could visit Disney World - it's only a couple of hours away...
Seriously though, the Sandbar was a good place to eat, as was Mr. Bones.
The beach is beautiful - although when we went the weather let us down - it was either too cold or too wet until our last day so we went back to WDW a couple of times and came to the conclusion that we could have a beach holiday in Europe and leave Florida for the parks!
Although I am drawn back to the Gulf next year - but just for one night / two days in Clearwater.
Other places to go - Sarasota - we visited the Jungle gardens which was very nice, Ellenton outlet mall - a great place for discunt shopping.
You'll have a great time as long as it stays sunny!

[lausan]

Anna Marie Island is a very relaxing place nice shops and resturants
dont go to a Hotel go here (http://www.harringtonhouse.com/) discover the secret place is magical

[disneyvisit]

Anna Marie Island is a very relaxing place nice shops and resturants
dont go to a Hotel go here (http://www.harringtonhouse.com/) discover the secret place is magical

We love Anna Marie Island IMO its much better than Clearwater. This place looks fab Ive put them in my folder for our next visit.

[S'mE]

Interested in this thread as after two weeks in the World this August we're chilling out in a cottage on Pine Avenue, Anna Maria Island for a week!:grin:

This "Cafe" (http://www.sandbar-restaurant.com/virtual-tour.html) is at the end of our road! We may just visit there a couple of times!!

[lausan]

Interested in this thread as after two weeks in the World this August we're chilling out in a cottage on Pine Avenue, Anna Maria Island for a week!:grin:

This "Cafe" (http://www.sandbar-restaurant.com/virtual-tour.html) is at the end of our road! We may just visit there a couple of times!!

we may go it looks great

[disneyvisit]

Not too far from Anna Maria Island is a Island called Caladesi Island, you get on to it by a ferry from Honeymoon Island. Its got beautiful beaches, when we were there we saw Dolphins swimming along and in the harbour a manatee was behind the ferry....it made my day

[SusieK]

Hi! Places I recommend are:-

For Breakfast
Peaches - an American diner
Paradise Cafe (formerly Paradise Bagels) - specialises in different bagels and cream cheeses
Rod & Reel pier - watch the dolphins in the bay if you are lucky
Ginny & JaneEs at the old IGA - what a mouthful but what a place! An antique shop cum home bakery


For snacks
Two Scoops - great ice cream

For dinner
Mr Bones - Cajun/Creole food and not a chip in sight! Place looks weird - but food excellent
Waterfront - Smart restaurant
Sandbar - used to be one of our favourites but was disappointed last year
Bridge Tender Inn - our new favourite - love it
Sign of the Mermaid - like eating in someone's front room - great food but small restaurant so you need to book -oh and the owner won the award of best Key Lime Pie in USA!!!!

Here's a good link http://www.annamariaislandchamber.org/list.cfm?cat=2 and another http://www.amisland.com/index.html

Hope this helps.
Susie xx

[trev]

We visited the island last week and frankly, I was very dissappointed with it. Our DS has an friend who now lives on the island and after we dropped him off at her house (very exclusive area) we drove around the island to see the rest of it. We were very dissappointed with what we saw. There are a lot of old properties, all packed in very close toogether, that look very run down and an a lot of properties up for sale. It appears that the property developers are making a killing on the island by buying up a lot of these older properties at low cost, demolishing what is there and rebuilding on the sites.
The Gulf coast side has terrific beaches which have 'baywatch' type lifeguard towers and boats are not allowed within a certain distance of the beach to make swimming safer. However, there are a lot of shells on the beach which, without watershoes, made it quite painful to get from the sand into the water. The water was really warm and a pleasure to swim in. We also looked at some of the beaches on the 'inland' side of the island but these were not as nice, nor did they have the lifeguards.
We had originally planned to spend a week on the island next year, but after our visit, I doubt we will - we will probably go to Clearwater or St. Petersburgh instead.

[COOLPAUL]

i went there once about 5 years ago its lovely plus all around there is just as good and for food your just have to see when you get there it changes so much have a good time

[Hemelman]

oops duplicate

[Hemelman]

We love AMI it's such a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of Orlando or many of the other larger Gulf coast or Atlantic coast resorts. It's Florida as it used to be before they cottoned on to tourism.

You don't go to AMI to race around visiting one attraction after the other or for the non stop night life, it's a place to relax, unwind, chillout and go with the flow.

Enjoy the 7 miles of soft white sandy gulfside beaches (usually uncrowded) and fantastic sunsets, no high rise condos spoiling the vistas here. Sure there are alot of older properties but that's because there are strict planning regulations that are enforced to try to keep the character of the island and just like anywhere else redevelopment goes on.

A number of restaurants to enjoy - my favourites: the Sunhouse and the Waterfront for a lovely evening meal. if you fancy something more rustic how about the Rod & Reel Pier or Anna Maria City Pier. Most close pretty early by UK standards 9pm -10 pm so no late night eating. Novelty places to eat: Mr Bones, grab a ice cold beer from the coffin. Get a pastry from Ginny & JaneEs at the old IGA whilst looking at the furniture and local art for sale.

We are back there for two weeks on 5th Aug - cannot wait. S'mE might bump into you we're renting a house on Elm Avenue.

Mick

[Hemelman]

And again!!

[S'mE]

Mick......

Elm looks to be only about 300yds from us as I think we're right in the middle of Pine, as it says about 2 1/2 blocks to either shoreline! :grin:

Really looking forward to it after a hectic fortnight in the parks. Our family are flying home leaving the two "oldies" to recuperate by the gulf for a week!!;)

We're arriving early evening on 16th after dropping them off at MCO. My plan is to head straight for the Sandbar restaurant, to watch the sunset, perhaps sample the ale!:cool2: