SKIP the Bahamas trip this year and stay local on American soil with an uncrowded sandy beach. Anna Maria Island off Florida's Gulf Coast was "once a best-kept secret" among locals. The underrated island sitting between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay features white sandy beaches and emerald green waters.
While it no longer remains a secret, the island is located in a quiet business district, keeping it insulated. Anna Maria stretches for over seven miles and is home to a population of over 1,000 in 2020. With an average age of 60 on the island, the quaint community consists mainly of families, children, and singles.
Read More on Travel Locals, who are committed to a vision of sustainability, signed the island as a partner. for Leave No Trace in 2023, an environmental protection group. The island became the first Floridian destination to partner with the national organization.
Anna Maria Island was also named one of Travel + Leisure 's 2024's top 50 places to travel in the world. Visitors can sign up for community turtle and shorebird watching events every Tuesday, as well as wildlife and sea excursions. Most read in Travel Operators Paradise Boat Tours and AMI Dolphin Tours arrange seven-day-a-week intimate group outings with a dolphin sighting guarantee.
"During the tour, through the stunning waters of Anna Maria Island, we will provide a fully narrated experience while we look for dolphins, manatees, fish, rays, and other wildlife," the Paradise Boat Tours site said. Budg.