ANNA MARIA (SNN TV) – The only place in Florida to make this list of ‘Greatest Beach Towns in America’ is Siesta…. actually no, it’s not Siesta Key.
No, Anna Maria Island makes the list by Thrillist, a travel website The Herald-Tribune calls influential.
For those of you new to the Suncoast, Anna Maria Island is on northwest Manatee County by the mouth of Tampa Bay. Thrillist noted Rod and & Reel and Sandbar as must-eat destinations and recommended biking to Bean Point, a lesser-known beach, particularly when you compare it to Siesta Beach.
Thrillist says Anna Maria is packed with “old-Florida charm” from its sun-faded architecture and ice cream shops to beachside seafood snacks, calling it “a 1950s time warp.” It also praises the paddle boarding, kayaking tours, snorkeling trips, and the marine life: stingrays, manatee, sharks, and dolphins.