Your own beach!

The large number and the wide variety of lodgings is a striking indicator of Anna Maria's popularity with vacationers. The town has more than 15 places where visitors can stay and new hotels continue to open their doors to ever-increasing number of guests. An old residence has recently been converted to luxury apartments with a tropical pool and bar, and goes by the alluring name of 'Blue Dolphin'. Beach houses with modern amenities inside are in most demand. Villas with direct access to the sand and with patios and open air spaces for barbecues and relaxing sunset views, fetch lucrative rents. Many owners offer packages for honeymoons and for social events. An Anna Maria vacation is always excellent value because the sun and the Atlantic are an unbeatable combination to get rid of stress and to rejuvenate the mind.

Most Anna Maria vacation accommodation is designed for families to cook their own meals. However the town is geared to delight those who prefer to dine outside. The Beach house restaurant is a good choice when children are involved, because they can play in the sand as an ordered meal is prepared. A well stocked bar keeps adults pleasurably occupied as well. Live entertainment and fresh catch highlight the Sandbar, which is a good restaurant for an important business client. Regular diners and those with a taste for the Old World touch prefer the Mar Vista where a meal is a kind of journey in to the past of Anna Maria.

Shore birds and those that feed on aquatic life forms love Anna Maria at least as much as humans. The entire area is a sanctuary for birds. Birders delight in the numerous sightings reported in and around the town. Endangered turtles favor local beaches and most residents share an active passion for their conservation. The waters off the coastline yield rich fishing harvests and have dolphins and manatees as well in large numbers. The natural history of Anna Maria is as engaging as the delight of lazing on the local beach. The pristine Anna Maria environment can make wildlife addicts out of the most concrete of city slickers!

The best way to explore Anna Maria is on foot, though there are bicycles for hire everywhere and a free trolley service as well. Parasailing and fishing are good ways to spend quality time and craft are available for chartered pelagic cruises. The town has an intriguing collection of unusual stores where one can find bargain souvenirs and gifts for folks back home. The area has a most laid-back atmosphere and you never feel crowded or harried on this island paradise.

Anna Maria belongs to Manatee County and Sarasota-Bradenton is the nearest city. Less than 2 thousand people are permanently resident in Anna Maria. They are middle-class folk, mostly of Italian and Irish descent. 40% have college degrees. Though the town is associated with and known for vacations, it is also a wonderful place in which to live, with carefully planned and adequate infrastructure. The mainland with its city lights are never far away.

Florida Cities and Towns