Anna Maria Island questions

[BaconAndAvocado]

We’re staying in Kissimmee and would like to spend a day at this beach... as long as it’s not too far to drive to!

1.Where is the best place to park?

2. Do they hire loungers and umbrellas?

3. What are the good places to eat?

Tia

[mick]

We've visited AMI from Highgate Park for day trips about half a dozen times. When I say "free" later in post I mean it was "free" in 2019 -our last trip.

Assume that you will arrive on SR64 through Bradenton (City not beach) you'll get to these lights.

Go straight over and there's free parking. Shop with a cafe, changing rooms, toliets and chair hire.

Also a stop for the free AMI trolley - north or south.

Only eaten at the Sandbar which had mixed reviews from Joan and I - bad choice for me. . Lots of dining reviews I guess in the AMI threads in this sub-forum.

Mick

[BaconAndAvocado]

Thank you, Mick. That’s very kind of you to go to the trouble of posting a photo.

Do you know roughly how long the drive would be from Kissimmee?

[mick]

Originally Posted by BaconAndAvocado

Thank you, Mick. That’s very kind of you to go to the trouble of posting a photo.

Do you know roughly how long the drive would be from Kissimmee?

See more...

Highgate Park is only about 7 miles down the 27 from junction with I-4 so we have a good start but 2 hours is about the best we've done. It can be a bit slow driving through Bradenton City.

Put Manatee Beach AMI in Google maps with your starting point.

Mick

[BaconAndAvocado]

Is Manatee Beach the beach we’ll end up at?

[mick]

Originally Posted by BaconAndAvocado

Is Manatee Beach the beach we’ll end up at?

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Manatee beach and Holmes beach are basically the same place.

In theory I think that Holmes Beach is the city and Manatee beach is a beach in HB city.

My photo is on to Manatee beach

Mick

[elmspenguin]

If you end up at the north end of the island go to Ginny and Jane E's, we had breakfast there and it was lovely.

[smithlane]

Holmes Beach is the middle 'city' on AMI and probably the busiest but will certainly be the easiest to find. If you want a purely beach day, I'd do as Mick suggested and park in Manatee Beach car park but if you wanted to explore some local shops and restaurants as well as beach then I'd personally head North once on the island and park up by the Sandbar and use the beach there instead. You are then minutes from Pine Avenue with its quirky shops and cafes plus a visit to Ginny and Jane E's for breakfast or lunch is a must! There is also a rental store down Pine Ave called Beach Bums that rents out beach equipment.
A quick reminder that if you do find parking down a side street then you must park in the direction of traffic with all tires off any walkways - they are VERY strict about this!
Enjoy, it's my favourite place on Earth and I can't wait to get back there in a few weeks

[Neelix087]

I have been to AMI many times and return in a few weeks.
The first time we went there we went to the public beach which has a car park (free if i remember correctly), is has some shops, toilets, showers and life guards.
Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 34217
The further North you travel up the island the worse parking gets.
You must park on the same side as the flow of traffic or you will get a ticket.