France has the Riviera, Rio de Janeiro the Copacabana, California the Big Sur, and Manatee County the Gulf beaches along Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key.
What the county's sandy playground along the Gulf of Mexico lacks in sophistication, is made up in natural beauty and simplicity.
It was the close proximity to Tampa Bay, providing quick access to the large community of Tampa, that drew the earliest settlers to Anna Maria Island.
The abundance of teeming fisheries off the coast of Longboat Key led Native Americans and Cubans to set up fishing camps on the 10-mile-long island in the 19th century.
But what draws visitors and county residents to the sparkling sands is the sun and fun of a day at the beach.
Starting on the north end of Anna Maria Island the public beaches with adequate parking are:
Anna Maria Bayfront Park, just north of the Anna Maria City Pier on North Bay Boulevard.
This bayside park has a somewhat narrow sandy beach compared to the Gulf side beaches, but provides visitors with a view of Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Egmont Key. Amenities include a large picnic shelter with grills, children's playground and restrooms. The park is handicap accessible.
Manatee Public Beach, at the western most end of Manatee Avenue West, also called State Route 64, in Holmes Beach.
The crown jewel of the county's six public beaches, Manatee Public Beach is a favorite location for families and seniors. Shady groves of large trees lead to the wide-expanse of a sandy beach. A full-service restaurant provides breakfast and lunch, along with cool refreshments on those hot, sunny days. There is also a playground, volleyball courts, picnic tables, a fishing pier and restrooms. Lifeguards are on duty during park hours.
Cortez Beach, starting at Seventh Street South and running south to 13th Street along Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach.
One of the lesser-used beaches, this is the place to finish that novel while getting a sweet tan. Buffered from the sometimes busy Gulf Drive by sand dunes covered with native vegetation, there's a tranquil feel of being away from it all. There are no restrooms, concessions or lifeguards, but it's a great spot to do some fishing.
Coquina Beach, on the Gulf, just south of Cortez Beach, at the southern most tip of Anna Maria Island.
Along with Manatee Beach, Coquina Beach is popular with the weekend and holiday crowds. There's plenty of parking and quick access through the grove of trees to the sand. You can put your towel down close to the concession stand with the crowd, or wander south to the more secluded part of the beach to search for shells. Along with the concession stand, there is a playground, picnic pavilions with grills under the trees, volleyball courts, and restrooms. Lifeguards are on duty during park hours.
Coquina Bayside Park, on the bayside of the southern tip of Anna Maria Island, across Gulf Drive from Coquina Beach.
If you want to see wild water's edge Florida, this park provides a wonderful nature trail on Leffis Key, a restored dredge island. For the boaters, there is a ramp, with plenty of parking for trailers, and some access to the water at the southern end of the park for fishing in Sarasota Bay. Also available are picnic shelters with grills and restrooms. There are no lifeguards on duty.
Greer Island, on the northern tip of Longboat Key, at the end of North Beach Road.
The only county park on Longboat Key, this secluded beach has a history of the party spot for the young folks back in the day - probably how it got its nickname, Beer Can Island. Things have quieted down a lot since the town police have been patrolling, making it a very family-friendly beach. Very limited parking is available, but it's a long walk to the beach, and there are no amenities. But there's plenty of sand, and a great place to walk the beach, especially north to the tip to watch the fishing boats and sailboats cruise through Longboat Pass.
The county and island municipalities provide public access to the beach at the end of most streets, but most parking is very limited on the streets and parking rules are strictly enforced. The public portion of the beach at these accesses are along the surf's edge, so respect the rights of the property owners.
