Going to the beach this holiday weekend? What to know before you visit Anna Maria Island

Memorial Day weekend is historically the busiest time for the sandy white beaches of Anna Maria Island and this weekend is expected to be one of the busiest ever as visitors emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a lot to know before you go, but the weather is expected to be picture perfect for the most part as the area continues to enjoy a sunny and dry stretch leading into Monday.

If you are planning a visit for Saturday or Sunday, expect a pair of sunny days with little chance of rain. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will reach 88 degrees with a mild breeze on Saturday.

Sunday is expected to be an identical day but rain chances do start to appear after 2 p.m. with a 20% chance of an isolated storm.

Memorial Day itself will be the first largest chance of rain we’ve had in weeks, with a 40% chance of isolated thunderstorms and temperatures soaring to 92 degrees amid a mostly partly cloudy day.

Getting to the beach

There are three ways to get to Anna Maria Island and all three will require patience as beach traffic peaks over the holiday weekend.

Manatee Avenue West and Cortez Road West, from the mainland, and Gulf Drive from Longboat Key are the only ways onto the island. Cortez Road and Gulf Drive will take you into Bradenton Beach, including Coquina Beach.

Manatee Avenue will take you directly to the public beach in Holmes Beach or you can turn north and enjoy the sights of downtown Holmes Beach and then the city of Anna Maria.

“For anybody coming to the island, if they have the ability to carpool then that means less traffic,” said Terri Kinder, president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce.

There is also a weekend and holiday MCAT bus schedule that allows people to park off island and enjoy an air conditioned ride to the beach, and of course, you don’t need a car on the island with the free trolley that runs from Anna Maria to LBK.

The MCAT “Beach ConneXion” picks people up at the Beachway Plaza located at 7228 Manatee Ave. W., where there is ample public parking. The first pickup is around 9:40 a.m. and the bus service runs back and forth throughout the day, with the last ride off the island around 5:15 p.m.

The bus schedule is convenient, but not recommended for those loaded down with beach chairs, coolers, etc.

Drinking alcohol on the beaches of Anna Maria Island is prohibited, but Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach and Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach have concession stands that sell beer and wine that can be consumed on site.

Pets are not allowed on the island beaches.

Where to stay

From March through June of 2020 was the toughest time of the COVID-19 pandemic for the tourism and service industries on the island and throughout Manatee County with travel restrictions in place, lock downs, business closures and even beach closures in the first month of the pandemic.

As the months went on, island businesses reported a slow pickup of the tourism pace with younger Americans taking advantage of lower prices on and around the island. Overseas and out-of-state bookings are on the rise again, Kinder said, and island accommodations are limited for the holiday weekend.

“I can tell you accommodations are very busy for Memorial Day weekend,” Kinder said. “The percentage of bookings is very high, generally speaking. With some gorgeous weather we are probably going to continue to have, I anticipate everyone will be quite busy.”

It’s good news compared a year ago.

“Most of the island businesses are small businesses so for us to see the return of our visitors is great news for the businesses and to help them rebound so we are very excited.”

The chamber’s website has a wealth of information on all things Anna Maria Island, including where to stay options. Visit annamariachamber.org to learn more.

It’s not just the island that has attractions and visitor appeal. Manatee County offers a variety of nature preserves, Bradenton’s Riverwalk, museums and kayaking opportunities, as well as the Village of the Arts, which is a short walk from downtown Bradenton’s Old Main Street.

There’s even a Realize Bradenton Walk Bradenton app you can use to discover the hidden treasures of the city.

While it may be difficult to find somewhere to stay on the island, there are plenty of off-island accommodations available. Visit manateechamber.org to learn more.

Pandemic policies

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on May 3 that brought an end to all emergency orders relating to mask requirements with the exception of school districts, which were left to make their own decisions.

Immediately upon signing the bill the city of Holmes Beach stopped enforcing an ordinance enacted in the early days of the pandemic that required masks in all local businesses. Since the city decided last year to do an ordinance instead of an emergency order, it will take another ordinance to officially repeal that requirement.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the city is in the process of repealing the mask ordinance, but the city has stopped enforcing it.

“Basically the city is not requiring masks,” Tokajer said. “It’s still up to the individual business owners to mandate masks if they want and if they have someone who doesn’t want to comply, we’ll enforce it if the business wants.”

Bradenton Beach never enacted a mask requirement, leaving it up to the individual businesses.

The city of Anna Maria did enact an emergency order that required masks in all businesses, but the governor’s bill overrode that order, which is no longer in effect.

Kinder said it’s still an individual choice and masks will continue to be recommended in island businesses, but it’s only a mandate if the business so chooses.

In essence, if you are visiting the island for the holiday weekend, it would be helpful to have a mask handy even if you never need it.

Masks are not required for outdoor activities, including the beach, but social distancing is still recommended.

Parking and traffic woes

Parking will be difficult and you can expect heavy traffic if visiting the island for Memorial Day weekend.

It’s important to pay attention to signs and it’s not necessary to find a parking space close to the beach to get to the beach. Remember, there is an air-conditioned free trolley that traverses the island throughout the day.

The city of Anna Maria has the most limited parking opportunities and the city has a long-term policy to allow street parking, but it changes the side of the street in which you can park weekly. Parking at most beach access points in residential areas is prohibited, and again, it’s important to pay attention to signs to avoid parking tickets and the potential of being towed.

Bradenton Beach has ample beach parking along Cortez Beach and hundreds of spaces at Coquina Beach. The city has a few public parking spaces scattered through town and signs will point you to those small lots. The city does not allow on-street parking.

The city of Holmes Beach has limited parking with a few hundred spaces at the public beach and various lots are available to catch the trolley. The city does allow some on-street parking but those opportunities were restricted when the pandemic began and the city eliminated many of those opportunities.

The city drew fire from residents, visitors and state legislators alike for taking advantage of the beach closures during the pandemic to make changes to their parking requirements. That battle is ongoing, but those changes remain in effect.

“If you parked somewhere last year and think you will park there this year, pay attention,” Tokajer said. “We will be issuing $75 parking citations. We have new signs up that says no parking on certain roads or permit parking only. Saying you didn’t see the sign won’t save you from a ticket.”

Tokajer said there will be extra officers working the holiday weekend, “to keep it a family-friendly atmosphere. We want you to have a good time, but you’ll have to be patient. There will be traffic congestion so if you want to find a parking spot, you’ll have to come early.”

Though no pets are allowed on the island beaches, dogs are allowed along the Palma Sola Causeway on the way to the island on Manatee Avenue. The causeway offers plenty of beach parking along the way if you don’t want to fight your way onto Anna Maria Island.

It’s important to look for signs in each of the three island cities as each city has different rules, but the No. 1 rule, according to Kinder, is to just, “Be patient and enjoy our slice of paradise.”

Love it like a local

In April, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a “Love it Like a Local” campaign.

The campaign takes a friendly approach to remind visitors that while they are welcomed to the Bradenton area with open arms, people live and work here.

The campaign stresses the importance of properly disposing of trash, recycling, and avoiding intrusion into sensitive areas such as sand dunes, sea oats, and mangroves. It also is turtle nesting season on the island, which began May 1. The island is home to one of Florida’s largest nesting areas for sea turtles.

Visitors are asked to follow specific, but simple rules to help protect the island’s wildlife, such as don’t leave holes in the beach, don’t leave trash or furniture on the beaches and turn down outside lights at night as they draw hatching turtles away from the sea.

Visit islandturtlewatch.com to learn more about the island’s wildlife and how you can help protect their environment.

To learn more about the campaign, pandemic guidelines, things to do while in the Bradenton area, places to stay and more, visit bradentongulfislands.com.

This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 8:10 AM.