Bradenton and Anna Maria Island: Artsy, Relaxing and Tons of Fun in Florida

It’s mid-morning on a lovely February day in Bradenton, Florida. I’m kayaking through the tranquil Robinson Preserve in the northwest corner of the city, sliding past deep green mangrove forests dotted with majestic blue herons and brilliant white ibis.

I’ve lucked into a morning paddle with Ranger Randy West from Kayak Jack’s. We get to talking as we roll along, and West tells me he used to be a professional volleyball player. Among his opponents over the years was Karch Kiraly, the legendary U.S. volleyballer and two-time gold medallist often considered the finest man to play the game.

“I earned just enough to starve,” West tells me with a twinkle in his eye.

 A friend who’s along for the ride pipes up.

“Randy lost to some of the best players in the world.”

Ouch.

I’ve just met these people, and they already feel like old friends. I think being out on the water and out in nature helps with something like that, where conversations are about paddling and birds and mangrove forests and small critters resting on the shallow waters of Tampa Bay.

I spent two days in and around Bradenton and Anna Maria Island in early February. Anna Maria, in particular, was damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year. But almost all hotels and restaurants in the area were open, as were most shops. I spoke with several shop owners and employees on the island who were working away at repairs, and they all told they’d likely be open by early March.

I was on the island for a day in 2018 or so, but this was the first time I was able to really explore an island I found to be utterly charming. There are no high-rises in sight, and hardly any chain stores or restaurants.

I also had time to wander around the Bradenton harbor and to take in the wonderful and sometimes wacky homes and galleries in the city’s ultra-colourful Village of the Arts, which is a hoot and three-quarters.

Here’s a look at great things to see and do in Bradenton and next-door Anna Maria Island.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND

THINGS TO DO

 

In “downtown” Anna Maria, Pine Street offers a series of cute shops that seemed like the perfect mix of upscale and casual. The bright Shiny Fish Emporium offers everything from lovely stationery, to pretty purses, cocktail bitters and shiny ukeleles. Kids can do a sand-dollar-painting class, which looks fun. There’s also a golf cart rental place in town, as well as a pizza place and donut shop. Around the corner on Gulf Drive, Ginny and Jane E’s Cafe and Gift Shop is a wild spot with bicycles hanging from the ceiling and tons of those “this way to the beach” and “It’s five o’clock somewhere” type of signs, as well as pirate statues. It’s also got a popular bakery and restaurant tucked into the back that serves breakfast and lunch. Their website said to try the coffee latte with two pumps of caramel and one of coconut, but I decided not to risk it.

I’m not sure if you’d call it midtown Anna Maria Island, but I’m going with it for the gaggle of shops near the intersection of Marina Drive and Gulf Drive, just north of the Highway 64 bridge that brings you to the island from north Bradenton. The Artists Guild of Anna Maria Island (the locals call it AMI) features beautiful art in a huge variety of styles; watercolours, abstracts, portraits on wood, and more. There’s also colourful jewelry and pottery on display. When I stopped in, artist Carroll Klingensmith told me she lost many of her paintings when Hurricane Milton flooded the shop with several feet of water. But she reopened in late January, and her shop is definitely worth a visit. Just a few feet away is Sand Dollar, where a worker told me that locals came in to help with post-storm clean-up without even being asked. To me, that says a lot about a community. Sand Dollar is a fun, pretty store with Anna Maria Island gear, books, kitchenware, soft blankets, candles and more.  

Bridge Street is a small but lively shopping and dining area in Bradenton Beach, the southernmost municipality on the island. There’s a small but nice-looking miniature golf place, and several bright, colourful boutiques. I had a nice treat at Bridge St. Gelato.

Several companies offer boat tours, including romantic sunset rides and dolphin tors. There are also jet ski rentals. On the south end of the island, Coquina Beach is a great stretch of sand with lots of parking, restrooms, picnic tables, and a paved bike trail.

FOOD AND DRINK

 

Located at the end of the Bridge St. Pier, Anna Maria Oyster Bar offers up everything from, well, oysters to burgers and fresh grouper. I had tasty, blackened scallops and shrimps and a nice glass of Pinot Noir at the tiki table, which overlooks the intracoastal waterway.

Tide Tables Restaurant and Marina is a fabulous, family-owned place that’s smack dab on the edge of the intracoastal waterway that separates the village of Cortez from Anna Maria Island. I enjoyed a plate of three blackened fish tacos with fresh filets right out of the gulf. I didn’t have a scale, but they had to weight close to a half-pond. Ask for the mango hot sauce, and try the black beans and pineapple slaw. The outdoor space is bright and cheery. Cortez was settled in the 1880s and now is the last working commercial fishing village on Florida’s Gulf coast and a designated National Historic District.

Sandbar is a super-casual beach restaurant with tables that are inches from the sand. Look for grouper sandwiches and burgers and other simple fare. I had a good hogfish sandwich dipped in cornbread.  

In the north end business district, Mademoiselle Paris has good coffee and excellent croissants, as well as perfect baguettes that have just the right crunch. Try some on the small outdoor patio with good butter and homemade strawberry jam for a taste of France on the coast of Florida.

Cheesecake Cutie serves a large, filling breakfast burrito and has good, strong coffee. I was there in the morning and, alas, didn’t try the cheesecake.

I wasn’t hungry and didn’t feel like a drink, but I stood and admired some musicians and fun-loving customers from Wisconsin whooping it up with train whistle “woo-woo” sounds as they sang Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison” at The Bridge Tender Inn Dockside & Tiki Bar. It looks to me like a place where happy hour lasts most of the day.

WHERE I STAYED

 

On Anna Maria, I was lucky enough to get a small, cute cottage at Cedar Cove Resort and Cottages in the town of Holmes Beach. There’s a small parking sign out front that warns guests that “immediate relaxation is about to commence,” and I can certainly vouch for that. My room (the Mimosa cottage) had a kitchen with a stove, fridge/freezer, microwave and Nespresso maker, as well as free Wi-Fi and air conditioning. It’s a fun, super-casual place close to shops and restaurants, and there’s a free shuttle on the island. My unit was just across the road from the beach, but it was less than a hundred yards to the sand. It wasn’t open when I was there, but there’s also a great-looking tiki bar on the beach. The owners look like guys who’ve been around the beach most of their lives, and there are pictures on the lobby wall of Don Felder from the Eagles and members of Foreigner. The sunsets here are divine. I raced back to the resort? From dinner in Bradenton one night and watched the light from Venus twinkle between the leaves of towering palm trees on the beach, with Orion’s belt stretched out in the sky behind me.

If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, Waterline Resort is a fine Marriott property a block or two from the beach on Anna Maria Island.

GETTING HERE

It’s an easy drive from Bradenton to Anna Maria; maybe 15 minutes. But you also can take a ferry to the island from Downtown Bradenton and relax along the way.

BRADENTON

OUTDOORS

 

Nature lovers will be thrilled to experience Robinson Preserve, where you can enjoy serene nature, paddle under bridges, and climb to the top of a water tower that offers exceptional views of Anna Maria Island, the Skyway Bridge to St. Pete and even downtown Tampa. The water is a mix of salt and fresh, so you’re very unlikely to see an alligator. The property was targeted for a golf course at one point, but local governments agreed to buy the land (and water) from a local family, for which all of Bradenton should be forever grateful.

Just a few feet down the road from the Robinson Preserve is Palma Sola Botanical Park, which has pretty art work scattered around two small ponds. There’s a pretty gazebo, and tropical/semi-tropical plants such as hibiscus and avocado. There’s also a pretty grove of palm trees. It’s a delightful, free place to spend an hour or two.

VILLAGE OF THE ARTS

 

This is a remarkable, wonderful district just west of Highway 41 in central Bradenton. You’ll find houses painted in colours the Crayola crayon people never dreamed of; vivid pinks and deep purples and Irish moss green. There’s also funky folk art and twisty metal sculptures on front lawns, as well as. One place I ducked into had stunning pottery in shades of sea foam green and soft, Delft-style blue. They also had calla lily paintings I can only describe as sensuous. Outside one home, a man who calls himself Billy Stick was showing me his hand-made, wooden guitars, some with old cigar boxes and others with paintings of folks like Bob Marley or Route 66 signs. He played a few bluesy licks for me, and we had a short but delightful conversation. The homes are open to visitors on the first Friday of every month and the following day, and there’s live music and good food. They’ve added a “Third Saturday” event for this year. Definitely a don’t miss attraction.

There’s a small but attractive shopping and dining area on W. 12^th St., near the Bradenton marina on the Manatee River. I found attractive, upscale clothing stores, an ice cream shop and a fine coffee place called Orange Blossom, which features beans roasted in nearby Palmetto.

FOOD AND DRINK

 

Pier 22 is an upscale, attractive restaurant on the south bank of the wide Manatee River. I sat on the patio, with a nice view of the glittering white boats at a nearby marina, and enjoyed a nice dish of seared ahi and very good crab cakes packed with meat.

Located in the Village of The Arts, Arte Caffe is a place that lives up to its neighbourhood. One room is painted avocado green and features hanging dolls, while another is painted dark red and has a display case filled with police badges. Near the kitchen I found a series of yellow rubber ducks outfitted with Formula One gear and little helmets. They were playing lovely, soft jazz when I visited, including Canada’s own Diana Krall. I had a side salad big enough for a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team, and a nice, large dish of pasta carbonara that was littered with tasty pancetta. I asked my waitress about the portion sizes and she just smiled. “Mangia, mangia,” she said. There’s a small market next to the kitchen where you can buy pasta sauce, jams, truffle oil, and other goodies. This is both a tasty dining spot and a super-fun place to visit.

WHERE TO STAY

They were full when I stopped by, but the Compass Hotel Anna Maria Sound by Margaritaville in west Bradenton is a lively waterfront spot that’s just over the bridge from Anna Maria Island.

GETTING HERE

Bradenton is roughly one-half hour south of St. Petersburg, and less than an hour from Tampa International Airport.

MORE INFORMATION

www.bradentongulfislands.com