What if you could visit a place close to home, but it feels like you’re in an exotic location? Anna Maria Island in Florida is THAT place!
Travel Review of Anna Marie Island
Tortuga Inn and the City of Bradenton, Florida, hosted myself and a group of other bloggers in a retreat where we could sit on the sand and plan and scheme our blogs futures! It was JUST what my soul needed! Our rooms were amazing, and we could step out of the resort and the beach was literally feet away! Now I get to share my own travel review of Anna Maria Island in 7 words…I can’t wait to take our kids! It’s already planned and booked!
If you want to head to Florida, it’s time to put together your Anna Maria Island Bucket List. Check out this bucket list full of fun activities while you’re on the Island. This place in nothing short of amazing.
Anna Maria Island Bradenton: Must See & Do
1. Swimming with the Dolphins and Manatee!
Since I was a little girl, this was always a dream of mine. I’ve never seen a dolphin in the wild – until this day!! While I didn’t get a picture of the dolphins swimming in the distance, and I am totally kicking myself for not bringing my camera into the water with me, I was able to look at wild dolphins AND manatee in real life – mere feet from me! It was amazing! We called him Manatee Max, and he swam around us in the beach for a good twenty minutes or more – that is a memory I will never forget!
2. Cupcake Delights
I don’t care where I am, I love cupcakes. When you’re on Anna Maria Island, you have to check out Cupcake Delights. You definitely need to make it a priority to visit and eat a homemade cupcake, it will be impossible for you to pick a flavor – they are all unique, and absolutely amazing.
3. Sandbar Restaurant
When traveling, it only makes sense to visit an awesome restaurant, with local, sustainably harvested food – that tastes even better than you would expect. I love seafood. The Sandbar Restaurant is located on the north end of town – the tables are in the sand so you can literally eat on the beach and it is something you’ll want to experience every time you come back.
4. The Donut Experiment
We are already planning our trip to Anna Maria Island and Bradenton, FL and I can not wait to bring my kiddos to this donut shop! Hot and fresh donuts – made to order. You get to actually make your own donut. You get to pick your favorite toppins and mix and match to create your own donut. Imagine making a donut with bacon on it – with lime drizzle. Yes, it can happen to you. OR a Fruity Pebbles donut, or carmel and pecans, really the donut options were endless.
5. Blue Marlin Grill
Let’s talk about bucket lists for a second. This was hands down my favorite restaurant on the island. I think it embodied the island’s character, relaxed, beautiful, tasty and exceptionally friendly. You cannot leave Anna Maria Island until you head to Blue Marlin Grill. The food is superb and the seafood is only fresh and always local.
6. Free Trolley Ride
One of my favorite parts about Anna Maria Island was taking the free trolley around the city. The city is beautiful and has so much history. The trolley is run by tips only, which is a pretty unique part of the whole experience.
7. Tortuga Beach ResortÂ
When you’re headed to an awesome place like Anna Maria Island, you have to make your visit count. Staying at the Tortuga Beach Resort is something that will make your whole trip. I’m talking Gulf and Bay views, large kitchens, Jacuzzi tubs, multiple pools and more. It’s amazing, I won’t lie.
Heading to Anna Maria Island in Florida was a dream come true. I’ve literally never seen so many awesome things to do on an Island before. While I loved everything about this Island, seeing the beauty of it was simply breathtaking.
Have you been to Anna Maria Island before? Which one of these activities would you do first?
Keep Reading More Reviews of Anna Maria Island
Many thanks to the blogs who joined me in this fun weekend get-away!! They helped contribute photos to the collage at the top of this post! Check out their reviews of the area as well!!
Tastes of LizzyT
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