Anna Maria Island with kids: Florida Gulf Coast in photos
This time one week ago, I was sitting in the airport at Tampa trying to persuade my daughter to eat before we boarded our night flight back to the UK and waving goodbye to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
press trip*
We’d been staying on Anna Maria Island in family-friendly Bradenton on the Sunshine State’s west coast – soaking up the laid-back atmosphere, eating doughnuts, spotting dolphins and manatees and relaxing on the beach.
It’s the kind of place which is just a dream for families. Powdery soft white sand, a huge private pool in our holiday house, incredibly child-friendly welcome and loads to do in and around Anna Maria Island with kids if you didn’t just want to chill out by the water.
Although frankly, with scenes like these, it’s pretty tempting to lounge at the beach the whole time, toes in the powdery white sand, looking out to the horizon.
For more of the best beaches in Florida with kids, check out my top picks
And that’s assuming we could drag ourselves away to the sea from our daily dips in the swimming pool of course…
There are some fabulous holiday homes for families in this part of Florida, ideal if you’re travelling with several generations or just want your own private space to spread out.
Apart from my nerves at driving on the opposite side of the road, I could feel my heart rate dropping as we approached the island – some of the road curves out over the water between islands too, for incredible views.
If you want to explore more of Florida, this great two-week Florida road trip itinerary takes in Miami, as well as the Florida Keys and Key West, Everglades and the Gulf Coast.
It’s all about lazy breakfasts on the terrace, watching the sun set behind the palms or just enjoying laid-back island living as we discovered on a very chilled-out first day exploring Anna Maria Island.
In between? Well, you can start with mastodons, prehistoric sharks and the rather more modern-day aquarium at the Bishop museum of science and nature in Bradenton, home to manatees (including the much-loved Snooty during our visit).
Or mooch along the River Walk in Bradenton itself, speedily licking ice creams before they melt in the sun and playing in the spray of water fountains in a splash park.
As well as those manatees, you can spot wild dolphins frolicking in the bay at Bradenton Beach – our boat trip caught sight of a pod before we even set sail, and it’s a fantastic way to see more of the Florida Gulf Coast with kids.
Plus those rather fabulous places to stay – check out the full review of ours, Serenity Beach holiday house, but this shot gives you a flavour of some of the stunning houses on the island available for families to rent.
More than a little part of me wanted to stay – perhaps why it’s taken most of the week to throw off my jetlag!
PIN FOR LATER: ANNA MARIA ISLAND WITH KIDS
Disclosure: My trip was courtesy of Visit Bradenton. All opinions and beach addiction are my own.
Images copyright MummyTravels
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Love your pics Cathy. I’ve never been to Florida and I must admit first thoughts are always of Disney.
Bradenton looks brilliant though, and the holiday house shot is very impressive. Looking forward to the lowdown
Thank you! I’ve never actually been to Disney – I do love Miami but this is so gorgeous and less discovered too.
beautiful photos! I wouldn’t mind living there too!!
Thanks! Am missing the sand and sea…
Absolutely beautiful! You lucky, lucky thing – I’m sold.
Superb photos, Cathy.
Thank you! It really is beautiful there.
What stunning pictures Cathy! I need to pay Florida a visit. Seeing dolphins like that in the wild and so close to shore is incredible. Don’t blame you for missing being there! #mondayescapes
Thank you 🙂 I couldn’t believe quite how many dolphins we saw, including a baby which was fabulous. Definitely a lovely part of the world with a family.
ooh I wouldn’t mind living there for a while. The school run today got me utterly drenched for work and it is all feeling a little grey today. Those piccies cheered me up! #mondayescapes
I’m glad! Flicking through travel photos is definitely one of the quickest ways to cheer up a horrible grey rainy day/season…
Beautiful photos! Yes, my heart-rate dropped just looking at them, so I can imagine the reality of sitting on the beach quite easily. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! It’s a very calming scene, isn’t it – although I’m sure plenty of similar ones in New England too…
Looks absolutely beautiful! I can’t wait for our visit in 12 days!
Oh lucky you! Have a wonderful time.
Beautiful photos Cathy! I lived in Orlando for a year whilst at uni although did not get to visit many undiscovered gems like Bradenton! It looks like a fabulous place to relax and recoup #MondayEscapes
Thank you! I’ve never actually been to Orlando, but would definitely be tempted back to the Gulf Coast again if I’m in Florida, for a bit of relaxation.
Just looks stunning! I would find it hard to tear myself away from the beach too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen sand that white!
It was incredible. So powdery soft, it was practically like talc – we had to pour water on it to get any kind of sandcastles.
Ok. So I was a little envious when you went on your trip. Now I am green! Seriously, what stunning photos – and a beautiful area. I’ve never been to this part of Florida but I tell you what, lazy breakfasts, strolling along eating icecream and beaches like that with gorgeous marine life thrown in, I’m booking to go to Bradenton. Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Wait til I post about the house we stayed in! 😉 But absolutely, it just is perfect with kids, so chilled out and exactly what they want from a holiday (with added manatees)
I’d love to visit Florida and it isn’t too far for us so I really should get a wriggle on! I do just tend to think about Disney, but maybe that wouldn’t be half bad either! #twinklytuesday
Nothing wrong with a bit of Disney too – but this coast is just gorgeous (especially when you don’t live with white sand and turquoise sea every day!)
Oh wow it looks so beautiful, we spent all of our time between Disney and Universal and them went over to Turks but the Florida Coast looks incredible too, and oh that house ! x
It really is that lovely – still yet to get to Disney and Universal but it was amazing here.
Beautiful photos and looks like it was a gorgeous place to visit – the beach looks so inviting as does the swimming pool and those sunsets are just stunning.
Thank you! The sunsets really were amazing.
I could use some beach time too right now 😉 and wild dolphins? how amazing is that?!!!
They were amazing – couldn’t believe we’d spotted some before the boat even left!
I used to visit Florida with work, the beaches are beautiful and you have captured them here so perfectly. It makes me want to return one day, perhaps when our 6 have left home and we can afford it again! Thank you for sharing your dreamy photos on Country Kids.
Thanks! It was a side I never really knew existed… definitely somewhere to go back to.
I can practically feel the soft sand between my toes.
It is incredibly soft too…