Bradenton Guide 2024

YOUR GUIDE TO

Bradenton

ANNA MARIA ISLAND & LONGBOAT KEY

TO THE

Bradenton Area WELCOME

Mile after mile of powder-white sand, historic fishing piers and nature-rich mangroves, trolley buses and streets of sun-faded clapboard houses and rainbow-coloured boutiques – this west coast stretch of the Sunshine State is drenched with Old Florida charm.

Whether you’re walking barefoot on its palm-fringed beaches, cycling along the Manatee River on the Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton, kayaking through the mangroves, or dolphin-watching on a sunset cruise the infectious laid back vibe means you’ll be exploring at a gentle pace.

DISTINCT CHARM

Bradenton and its barrier islands – Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key – sit where the Manatee River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, in Manatee County, named after the gentle sea cow that moves slowly through the waters here.

They are just 45-minutes’ drive south of Tampa International Airport and two hours from Orlando but feel like a world away. Instead of theme parks,

sprawling shopping malls and high rises there are family-run seafood restaurants, pavement cafés, art galleries and flea markets, preserves, beaches and locally-owned shops and breweries.

QUALITY TIME

Holidays here are about switching off from the stresses of modern life and relishing the simple pleasures. Families with young children will reconnect over shell-hunting, mini-golf, fishing for crabs or picking the toppings of their artisan ice creams. The more adventurous can swing or zipline through the lush tropical canopy at the TreeUmph Aventure Course or take to the water for parasailing, windsurfing or jetskiing.

Couples will create memorable moments with a sunrise stroll on a secluded barrier island beach or a picnic at Bean Point, one of the best spots to watch the sun set. They can dine on succulent seafood or sip a cocktail on the romantically-lit deck of a beachfront bar or restaurant, tapping their toes in the soft sand to live music.

Ten

Get a true taste of life in Bradenton, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key with our pick of unmissable things to see and do during your stay

5

1 BY THE RIVERSIDE: Join the locals for a stroll, cycle or Segway on the Bradenton Riverwalk, a 1.5-mile path along the Manatee River between the Green and DeSoto bridges. Take in the views from a shaded lounge chair at the riverside ‘outdoor living room’, watch the beach volleyball and skateboarders, take the children to the splash zone and playgrounds, or go fishing. You might even catch some entertainment at the mosaic amphitheatre.

2 SUNSET SENSATIONS: Take a picnic to Bean Point Beach on the northernmost tip of Anna Maria Island and enjoy some of Florida’s finest sunset views. Or grab a table on the terrace at the nearby Sandbar Restaurant, also a favourite spot for sunset watching, and tuck into clam chowder, oysters, stuffed shrimp, fish tacos and other seafood delights – it's dining with your toes in the sand.

3 NATURE WATCH: Explore Robinson

Preserve by foot, bike, rollerblade, kayak or canoe. With close to 500 acres of mangrove, marshes and tidal flats, the preserve is open 365 days a year from sunrise to sunset and is home to bald eagles, roseate

spoonbills, wood storks, white pelicans and more. Climb up the observation tower for stunning views or take to the water on a kayak for a five-mile tour to Palma Sola Bay and back.

14 FROM SEA TO FORK: Browse the seafood markets for the catch of the day at Cortez, Florida’s oldest working fishing village. Founded by fishing families around 1890, its weathered old houses are dotted with vintage shops, seafood restaurants and sustainable fishing businesses, still using nets and crab traps. The Florida Maritime Museum – home to collections of model ships, shells and historic boats – is under renovation and due to re-open in summer 2024.

5 WORK OF ART: See local artists at work at the Village of the Arts, a neighbourhood five blocks from downtown Bradenton where colourful historic cottages are now home to specialty shops, working art and yoga studios, galleries, bakeries, and cafés.

Visitors are invited to join art walks on the first Friday night and Saturday afternoon of every month, complete with live music, homemade food and eclectic arts and crafts.

6 SEE SHELLS: Go shell hunting on Anna Maria Island where Coquina Beach, Holmes Beach and Bayfront Park are among the best hunting grounds, especially after high tide in the morning. All you need is a bucket, a small spade, sunscreen and sandals or flip-flops to protect your feet. The most rare find is the Junonia shell, which is milky white with brown spots.

7 FERRY AROUND: Visitors can now cruise to/from Bradenton to Anna Maria Island in style on the Gulf Islands Ferry which operates year-round. The 35-minute scenic trip will transport passengers along the Manatee River and lower Tampa Bay with opportunities to spot wildlife (maybe even a dolphin) along the way. It is also helping to reduce traffic on Anna Maria Island.

8 WILDLIFE CRUISE: Join a boat tour to spot dolphins in the crystal clear waters around Anna Maria Island. There are several operators to choose from, such as Anna Maria Island Dolphin Tours, Paradise Boat Tours, Salty Dolphin Tours and Captain Kathe Charters, where the experts will know where to find these beautiful creatures. You can also rent your own

private vessels, from small pontoon boats to twostorey floating tiki boats with their own water slides.

9 PADDLE UP: Stand-up paddle board in calm waters in several locations in the Bradenton area. A popular spot for beginners is the shallow and windshielded Palma Sola Bay in West Bradenton, which opens into Anna Maria Sound, where you can also rent kayaks. More experienced paddle boarders should head to the lagoons and coves around Anna Maria Island, where you can even join a SUP yoga session with Salty Buddha.

10 GO NATIVE: Immerse yourself in native American history at De Soto National Memorial, five miles west of Bradenton. It's a 26-acre, waterfront historic site commemorating the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in Florida in 1539.

The highlight is Uzita, an interactive living history experience where park staff in period costumes perform family-friendly demonstrations of weapons, black smithing and crafts in a replica indigenous village. Shows run four times each day on Thursdays, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays from March - April.

Green GO FOR

Visitors to this naturally beautiful part of Florida are encouraged to travel responsibly and treat it like it's their home year round. Here's how...

GREEN STREET: Check out Pine Avenue on Anna Maria Island, which proudly bills itself as the ‘greenest little main street in America’. Shops sell recycled, vintage or locally-made goods, while solar panels convert the Florida sunshine into energy and residents retain rainfall for their own water supply. Several businesses here are completely off grid.

EAT LOCAL: Farm-to-table experiences allow visitors to enjoy some of the area’s best local produce, from picking fruit to tasting Floridian wines. Dakin Dairy Farms has been sustainably farming since 1973 and runs tours showing how milk, butter and cheese are made. Visitors can make their own butter and sample delicious chocolate milk.

NO TRACE: As part of its ‘Love It Like a Local’ campaign, the Bradenton area was the first Florida destination to partner with Leave No Trace, an international non-profit organisation that uses education and guidance to encourage responsible behaviour to keep beaches and waterways clean, conserve energy, protect wildlife and support local.

TIDY UP: Thanks to the work of community groups like Keep Manatee Beautiful, volunteers regularly come together to take part in beach clean-ups to ensure the beautiful beaches in the Bradenton Area stay litter free. At some of the larger gatherings, the clean-ups are followed by a fun after-party picnic. Visitors are welcome to join in.

ECO TOURS: Learn about Florida’s wildlife, including manatees, dolphins and birds, on a kayak eco-tour with Happy Paddler around Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island. The company is a strong local voice for environmental awareness and its expert guides also take part in eco projects, such as ocean pollution research and wildlife monitoring.

From luxury spa hotels and multi-million dollar rental homes to cosy, family-run guest houses, modern beachside villas and apartments, and rustic campsites, accommodation in the Bradenton Area covers all bases.

You’ll find a few of the familiar hotel chains here but the emphasis is on independent places to stay.

Visitors can check in to century-old inns and quirky downtown boutique hotels, sleep under canvas, cabins or in an RV under the shade of pine trees in a campground, or splash out on a private condo or waterside villa. There’s something to suit all tastes and budgets, and the choice just keeps on growing.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Get the best of both worlds at Mello on the Beach, a new beachside complex in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. It has 11 bright and colourful one-, twoand three-bedroom villas which share a central pool, lawn games and beach access. Perfect for families, couples or singles, villas have kitchenettes and private terraces or balconies with resort views.

Just a few blocks away is another island newcomer, Joie Inn, offering apartment-style accommodation in four units – Blush, Sage, Terra-Cotta and The Sun

Whether you want the freedom of self-catering or the frills of a full-service hotel, this stretch of the Florida coastline has it – and everything in between

– each with their own colour theme inspired by the area’s sunsets and seashells. Electric bikes are also available for guests to pedal around the island.

Opened pre-pandemic is the eight-story SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel, offering panoramic views of the Manatee River and a rooftop swimming pool. SpringHill Suites overlooks Bradenton Riverwalk and is close to the many downtown Bradenton restaurants. It also has its own on-site restaurant.

For something with a sea view, Compass Hotel by Margaritaville Anna Maria Sound offers 123 rooms overlooking the marina on Anna Maria Island and Anna Maria Beach Resort features a lagoon-style pool, hot tub and fire pit.

COMING SOON

Due to open in 2024 is the 252-room Palmetto Marriott Resort and Spa, with breathtaking views of the Manatee River, a VIP rooftop bar and lounge, several pools, a fitness centre, outdoor event space and a beach club with volleyball and pickleball courts, cabanas and loungers. A climate-controlled walkway will connect the resort with the Bradenton Area Convention Center, which is undergoing a $48 million renovation and will be ready for 2025.

There’s plenty to do in the Bradenton Area but make sure you factor in some downtime too. Here’s a suggested week’s itinerary

DAY 3-4

Head into downtown Bradenton to the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, home to a fascinating planetarium and manatee rehabilitation aquarium. Check out the shops and galleries selling paintings, sculptures and more at the Village of the Arts. Enjoy the community vibe on the Bradenton Riverwalk and end with a pint of craft beer at Motorworks Brewing.

DAY 1-2

Let's start gently. Rent a bike, golf cart or take the free ‘hop on, hop off’ trolley bus to explore Anna Maria Island. Go shell hunting on Coquina Beach, have a picnic at Anna Maria City Pier, browse the shops on Pine Avenue (don’t miss Shiny Fish Emporium), and dine at the beachfront Sandbar restaurant to watch the sun go down.

DAY 5

Take to the water on a kayak at Robinson Preserve, a 600+-acre coastal preserve located in northwestern Bradenton, and paddle through mangrove forests and salt marshes, home to jumping mullet and manatees. Back on land there's hiking paths and pretty picnic spots as well as a 53-foot-tall tower with a sprawling view of the Tampa Bay area. It's also great for birdwatching.

DAY 6

Go fishing (or watch the fishermen at work) on historic Anna Maria City Pier and Rod & Reel Pier. From here, you can join a fishing charter with captains who know the best spots. Take your catch to one of the local restaurants that participate in Bradenton’s ‘hook and cook’ experience to cook it just the way you like it.

DAY 7

Go back in time at Cortez, Florida’s oldest working fishing village. From here you can jetski, kayak or parasail or take to the waters on a dolphin spotting tour with Captain Kathe, a fourth generation Cortezian. Families can also set sail on a swash buckling trip on the Sea Gypsy with Pirate Adventures of Cortez.