A day trip to Anna Maria Island (AMI) is the perfect beach getaway from Tampa. Although, there are so many fun things to do on Anna Maria Island that you may want to stay longer! “The Island” is a barrier island and is only 7 miles long. Anna Maria Island is located on the western coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Tampa.
Some people say it is the last place in Florida where you get the “Old Florida” beach feel. There are NO high rise buildings or hotels and very few chains on the island. I don’t personally recall seeing a single one where we were.
It definitely lends itself to a small beach town feel but with the traffic of a downtown city street! I visited with my husband, 2 month old baby and my parents while they were visiting from Missouri. It took us an extra hour to get to Anna Maria Island from Tampa because traffic was so slow. We did visit on a Saturday so maybe you’ll have better luck if you can try and visit on a weekday.
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Getting to Anna Maria Island
The best way to get onto Anna Maria Island is to drive there, there is no public transportation that I know of.
It takes just over an hour to get to Anna Maria Island from Tampa. We live just north of Tampa and google maps says it takes just over an hour and a half to get to the island.
If you are coming from Orlando to Anna Maria Island then it takes two hours and fifteen minutes to drive there. Still doable for a day trip but it is definitely something you are going to want to plan in advance.
Getting Around on AMI
Once you get to The Island you’ll find that the roads are small and the parking is sparse. We went on a Saturday as I’ve mentioned but we also went in February before the real summer crowds hit. We were able to find parking everywhere we went but it was often the last spot or it took some searching for.
I would recommend doing one of two things when you visit. Both options will allow you to park once when you first arrive and get around the island in other ways.
The first is using the Anna Maria Island trolley. The trolley is completely free to use and runs every 20 minutes from 6 AM to 10:30 PM. Trolley routes run all over the island from the southernmost tip to the most northern beach. It will take you wherever you need to go on the island and it has a bike rack on the front where you can attach a bike if needed.
The second option is to bring or rent bikes (or a golf cart) to use for the day. Since the island is not very big biking is a great option to get around easily and get some exercise in. There are bike racks all over the island including at most beach entrances so you can lock up your bike for safe keeping. If you need to rent a bike I talk about rental options just a little further down!
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Food To Try on Anna Maria Island
After that long of a drive I am sure you’re bound to be hungry. I know we were! So make sure you check out one of the many amazing places to eat. These are where we chose to eat but I’ve read about so many awesome places, I can’t wait to visit again and try others.
Donut Experiment
If you make it to The Island early enough for breakfast then these are a must try. This was going to be our first stop but we got a later start than I planned on (life with a newborn am I right?). Plus the traffic slowed us down.
They make donuts fresh to order and have some unique flavors like sriracha in addition to the classics!
Sandbar Restaurant
Since we ended up getting to Anna Maria Island closer to noon we went straight to lunch. The Sandbar lets you eat while sitting directly on the beach or on their deck. Either way you get a great view and get to enjoy the fresh sea air.
The food was delicious and no perfect beach vacation (even a day trip) is complete without a virgin pina colada. The majority of the menu is seafood and our group raved about the fish tacos and the stuffed shrimp. I am not a fan of sea food and got the grilled chicken sandwich which was actually really good.
Overall we enjoyed our time here and had great service. There was a 30 minute wait to be seated which I hear is common. They do not take reservations so be prepared to wait as well. The restaurant is perfectly situated to watch the sunset so this would be a great place to eat dinner as well.
Two Scoops Ice Cream
A delicious end to a summer day is ice cream! We decided to make dinner at home but I needed to nurse the baby before we headed back. So ice cream was a great treat while I nursed. Two Scoops had so many delicious flavors to try from! I had the raspberry pie flavor and it was so good.
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Bike Rentals on The Island
After eating, work all the food off by biking to the beach or you can stop and sight see on your way there. We went to Anna Maria Island with a two month old so we opted for a four person surrey bike instead of traditional two wheeled bikes. The surrey bike has a canopy overhead to protect you from the sun and is more sturdy so you don’t have to worry about tipping over. It cost us $30 for 1 hour.
There are many, many rental companies to choose from on the island but we went with Beach Bums AMI. They were really friendly and the rental process was simple. Plus their prices are extremely fair, with bikes starting at $5 an hour or $14 a day! Plus if you are staying on the island they offer free delivery to your vacation rental if it fits in their truck.
Things You can Rent on Anna Maria Island
- Golf Carts
- Bikes
- Beach Gear
- Umbrella
- Chairs
- Coolers
- Beach Games
- Paddle Boards
- Kayaks
What to See and Do While Biking Anna Maria Island
There are plenty of things to do on Anna Maria Island despite its small size. We only had an hour on our bike but we still got a lot done. Here is what we did plus a few other ideas.
Bike to the Beach
Beaches are everywhere, you are quite literally surrounded by them. Take the chance to bike around and see them all. Or bike to the northern point of the island and visit Bean Beach. This beach is only accessible by bike because there is no parking nearby. Because of this it is less crowded than the other popular beaches on the island.
See the Beach Houses
The streets are lined with the most stunning beach houses. Some beach homes are modern, some are more traditional bright houses and some are old family homes. These beautiful homes are painted every color of the rainbow and so fun to look at. My mom and I enjoyed talking about what we did and didn’t like about certain homes. And of course we discussed which ones we would live in when we buy our beach home here one day! 😉
If you are staying for vacation on Anna Maria Island, definitely rent a beach home. You can choose from ocean front or canal front both of which are great options. AMI is the perfect place for a relaxing, quiet getaway.
See the AMI Jail
This small cute jail used to function until the roof burned off. Now it is a small, free tourist picture spot. Just down the street from the Beach Bums store front, it is worth a quick stop to look at and snap a photo. The kids especially will love playing at the Anna Maria Island jail.
See the Yachts
Ride past the Galati Yacht’s to oogle at the massive yachts. Both the yachts in the water and on the ones being repaired or repainted on land.
Shop on Anna Maria Island’s Main Street
We didn’t do this during our day trip to Anna Maria Island but it is on the list for next time. There are several cute boutique shops along this green main street. It is a great place to shop small and support the locals.
Bike to a Treat
Visit one of the ice cream places on the island or visit The Dr’s Office for co*cktails (or mocktails).
The Beaches of Anna Maria Island
The beaches on Anna Maria Island have gorgeous, soft white sand and clear aquamarine water. Definitely some of the nicest beaches I have been too outside of the Bahamas.
- Coquina Beach: The southernmost point of the island.
- Bradenton Beach
- Holmes Beach
- Manatee Public Beach: This beach does have public parking unlike most of the others.
- Bean Point: The northernmost point of the island, this beach is only accessible by bike or by foot.
What to Bring to the Beach
Umbrella – There is no shade.
Blanket or towel – to sit on as well as to dry off with. Some beach chairs would be nice too but they aren’t a necessity.
Sunscreen – Again, there is no shade and the sun is STRONG!
Things to do – Things like buckets and shovels, a book to read, a ball, some boogie boards, spike ball, etc.
No Alcohol – One thing to note is that it is illegal to drink on the beaches of Anna Maria Island. Some online forums say that it isn’t an issue if you’re discreet and orderly but you will be drinking at your own risk.
Practical Information for Anna Maria Island, FL
Find accommodation, sign up for a local tour, or buy your Florida Travel Guide.
Day Trip to Anna Maria Island
Whether you day trip to Anna Maria Island or you decide to stay a little longer you are sure to enjoy your time on the island. The laid back feel, living on island time surrounded by the sun and sea, you really can’t go wrong. The island is very kid and family friendly so feel free to bring everyone along.
Let me know if you have any other questions or suggestions for my next trip to the island!
