We came to Longboat Key for vacation in June. We're lucky enough to stay at a place that has…read morebasically a private beach. The sand is soft, the water is beautiful shades of blue, and there always seems to be a breeze, which is nice. We got to see a lot of different types of birds each morning, manatees, dolphins, and the occasional shark. Shelling on this beach can be hit or miss. If there winds up being a storm out at sea, you may be lucky enough to find various conch shells!

The beaches of Longboat Key are absolutely stunning. We had a wonderful sunset picnic and it was…read moresome of our best memories in the Sarasota area.

I've been to Coquina Beach b4,& it's a beautiful spot to spend the day in Florida. There's a huge…read morepark area w/ plenty of space to relax, have a BBQ, & enjoy some time outdoors. Of course, there's also a big beach w/ plenty of room to swim, soak up the sun, or just enjoy the water. The water is always so warm & clear. Unfortunately, the day I went this time, the weather had other plans. We were dealing w/ thunderstorms & rain, so we had to pack up all our BBQ stuff & leave. It was a bummer b/c we were ready to enjoy a nice beach day & BBQ all day, but safety comes 1st. Even though the weather cut our day short, I still enjoy coming to Coquina Beach. I'd come back again hopefully next time w/ plenty of sunshine so we can actually enjoy the whole day!

Yes I recommend it cuz it's Gorgeous waters but a couple of things…read more - no dogs allowed - no alcohol allowed - the little chairs with umbrellas that are out you have to rent from the shop/ cafe right there -free parking -there are bathrooms and showers -parking isn't far from your car -water is super clear and sand is great! This is. A part of Anna Maria island I believe. The little shop sells alcohol and food but you can't take it on the beach. There are lifeguards and guards that drive around. I saw some people bbq by the parking lot so not sure if that's up for grabs or not

This has become our go to beach in Sarasota. We like it better than Turtle Beach, our other go-to…read morebeach. We don't love Siesta Key as well bc it's so crowded. This is always a chill gem of a beach. We find the same parking in a side lot or the street that are always free as well. This beach is on the way to and from St. Armand's Circle. We can also go to the restroom at the nearby Lido Beach Resort if we need to, plus they have a beach bar too.

Beautiful beach and great for shell hunting!…read more We used the free breeze trolley to get here and that was a very quick and smooth ride. It dropped us right at the pavilion area that has tables and bathrooms. The back is very wide and has tons of shells. The water is calm and it's really overall relaxing. The sunset view here was gorgeous! If you plan to stay long, make sure to bring some sort of shade as, opposed to the beaches that I'm more used to on the east coast of the state, there's not really many trees or anything in the sand.

I really love Long Boat Key Beach. It's Day and Night with Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island…read more It's Much Smaller, the parking lot for the access I went to is small, but it's like paradise. It's so quiet, no one is around compared to the other beach we just left a few hours before hand. I haven't really gone to this beach much. I was nervous I could never find parking. But it's a matter of just looking out for the public beach access signs and driving a little bit slower. We found one which is a small sign and ended up turning around to check it out. Parking is also free on the beaches here, so that's def a nice treat considering Clearwater and St. Pete Beaches for the most part are not. I'll def be back more often bc I loved the quietness here. It was quite beautiful. If you are looking other businesses in Longboat Key, there is not much but they do have some restaurants and cafes. They are open on Saturdays but last time I went on a Sunday, they were closed so make to check that out for yourself. We simply went to Tyler's ice cream, but ended up eating in Sarasota.

Tony and I stopped at Longboat Key parking. We drove down from Anna Maria Island…read more The water here was beautiful beaches deserted but tons of shells! Hot sunny Beaches Definitely recommend but wear your sandals!

I saw a video on IG a few months back that stated this beach would make you feel like you were on a…read moreisland, so I had to check out Bean Point Beach. It was an hour plus drive south from my friends house in Gulfport to Anna Maria Island. Bean Point is the north point of the island. Be cautious if you park in a neighborhood as they will ticket you $75 if your car is touching the road. We find out the hard way:( We walked a few blocks and found a public beach access. When I saw the beach I couldn't believe my eyes. The water was a gorgeous color of blue/green! It was hard to belive this was Florida lol. We walked for a while and I found some pretty shells to take home from my adventure. This part of the beach wasn't too crowded which I loved. A few people were fishing and others were sitting and relaxing. While a few tourists were in the water. Brrrr it was too cold for me. I only let it hit my feet lol. I highly recommend checking out Bean Point Beach so you can see this lovely water and beach for yourself!

We checked all the beaches in Anna Maria Island, so of course we had to come to Bean Point. It…read morefeels like a more private beach, surrounded by vacation rentals, but it is still open to the public. Parking is not easy to find, and on weekends it is probably even harder. We came on a Thursday late afternoon, and it was already a bit difficult. There are no bathrooms or restaurants here, just you, the sand, and the ocean. It's quiet, peaceful, and not crowded at all. It feels romantic but also nice for families who want a calm beach day. It's definitely worth visiting, but it's less accessible than Coquina Beach or Manatee Public Beach.

Beer Can Island, also known as Hooked Spit Island & Greer Island is located at the northern tip of…read moreLongboat Key, and is visible from the Longboat Pass drawbridge & Coquina Beach's most southern side. Beer Can Island is right across from Coquina beach and is located on Longboat pass which is a busy channel for boaters coming in and out so it's a good spot to see a lot of boats going by. This popular white sand beach has crystal clear blue waters on sunny days, was formed by tidal currents, and offers a beautiful undeveloped shoreline which is a popular stop for boaters. Over time, mother nature has eroded portions of the beach uprooting many of the Australian pine trees that once stood on the shore. The huge tree trunks and roots give the beach a real exotic feel and create an amazing landscape of fallen and weathered wood. A lot of people come to Beer Can Island by boat. There are no formal docking spots, but the shallow sandy water makes it a great spot to drop anchor and come ashore for a fun sunny day! If you're not coming by boat, you can take North Shore Road until you see signs for the beach, park, and walk north along the beach. You'll know when you're getting close by the driftwood becoming more and more plentiful on the shore. I saw a beached huge 10 foot lemon head shark and got some shark teeth from here! Although Beer Can Island is more secluded than some of the other area beaches, it does get busier on the weekends with all the boaters anchored up! All of the trees close to shore make this the perfect place to bring your hammock and lounge out! We saw a number of people who had strung their hammocks across two trees! Note, since this is a secluded island, there are no bathrooms or showers here.

Cool hangout spot! Kinda reserved from all the people at the other beaches. If you like hammocking,…read morethere are good spots for that too. Just keep two things in mind: - A lot of people like to come here to get drunk and high since it is reserved. Hence the name. Can sometimes get annoying and a little trashy. Kinda why I don't really come here anymore much. But recently local police have been cracking down a little on it. - The water on the side with the channel can be a little rough and unpredictable, so just be a little careful. Could possibly cause small rip currents.

I'm not saying Siesta Key Beach is the best beach in the United States... but I'm also not not…read moresaying that. This beach is easily in my personal Top 5. The sand was CLEAN, WHITE, and ridiculously soft, while the water was so clear and warm it felt like somebody set the Gulf to "luxury bathtub" mode. I could've stayed out there all day with absolutely ZERO plans beyond: Beach chair Umbrella Get in the water Nap Repeat And the breeze?! 10/10. No notes. It was giving "why do I have responsibilities?" We rented 2 beach chairs and an umbrella for the entire day for $70 including tip, which I honestly thought was pretty reasonable considering we basically secured ourselves a beachfront living room for the day. I went on a Friday around 2 PM, so I'm sure conditions and crowds can vary, but my experience was giving PERFECTION. And yes, I ate. I grabbed a hot dog with fries and a virgin piña colada. Everything was tasty, and I asked them to get my hot dog as well-done as humanly possible. They heard me loud and clear. At this point, I was basically living my best retired-person life: chair, umbrella, water, breeze, snack, nap. Please don't call me back to reality. I'll DEFINITELY be back to Siesta Key much sooner than later because apparently I've found my new emotional support beach.

A couple things to note The walk from the car is kinda long…read morejust fyi There is a big visitor center you can stop at and buy things (;food alcohol sunscreen) There are big Publix bathrooms and picnic tables which is great. Parking is free No dogs allowed Water is super clear and awesome and you can go way out and just hang out Not a lot of waves. Very cool beach! Definitely recommend !! You can buy frozen drinks and take them on the beach Drinking is allowed at this beach

First time at AMI, what a beautiful beach! St. Pete Beach is less than 20 minutes from me so I…read moredon't find myself compelled to visit other beaches, but AMI was a treat. A lot of free street parking (even arriving at 12:30pm on a Sunday), perfect sand, and pretty water.

It was a nice beach, but it was raining so we couldn't enjoy the whole experience. It was clean…read moreand the water was clear. We were able to sit for about 30 minutes, it was drizzling so it made the whole experience calming and peaceful.

My friends and I had a perfect beach day! It was my first time at this beach and I loved it! There…read morewater is so clear and pretty and the sand is very soft. There are so many food options at the Anna Maria Island Cafe! My friend got a chicken tender platter, and although I think the prices are a bit high, you do get a lot of food. Also she was charged .50¢ to pack her food "to go" which is strange. All in all we had a great day and will definitely be back!

Heaven on Earth can be found here. If I could just stay here, & go no where else I would be happy…read more Only thing is the beaches aren't dog friendly here. The closest is in Venice. It's ok though. We go to the same spot on the beach. We have the best free parking here always found and the beach is steps away. There's no restrooms here. The closest is the Walgreens. There's also a nearby plaza with Crepes, tacos, ice cream, and souvenirs, Publix and CVS are just down the street. It's a perfect spot in our happy place in Anna Maria Island. Also pretty close to getting off the island which is good bc the traffic is crazy in other spots.

Best time ever ! Our anniversary gift to each other. Both 74 years old and loved, loved…read moreeverything about this experience. Maddie was my guide and encouraged me to stand on the back of my horse, Conga. Wow....I did it ! My husband's guide was Trey and his horse was "the cuddler", Wahou. What a blast to hold on to their tails in the water and let them pull us along. EVERY ONE should do this !!! What a great group of people, what great horses and what a great memory. We will definitely do this again.

We had the most amazing time with Florida Beach Horses! Our experience was so wonderful that we…read morewent back twice in the same week we were there. Everything was fantastic, from the easy booking process to the incredible guides. A huge thank you to Dakota, Sky, Erica, Maddie, and all the other guides for making our experience one of a kind. The horses were beautiful, clearly well cared for, and so loved. We can't wait to come back!