No. 1 beach pick: Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island is a 7.5-mile sliver that shimmers offshore at the midsection of Florida’s West Coast. It’s home to a conjoined trio of family-oriented, Gulf of Mexico-facing beach communities -- Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria. All are the vacationer's equivalent of comfort food. They’re all laid-back, sun-baked and share a respectful attitude toward Mother Nature. If you're nostalgic for the beach life -- and especially the Florida of old -- not to mention white sands and golden sunsets, you’ll be happy you washed up on Anna Maria. 

AGE APPROPRIATE 

Come one, come all -- and come all year-round. 

TOO MUCH FUN 

Most of this island, from Coquina Beach up to Holmes Beach, is accessible to the public. The milelong white-sand Coquina Beach is a must-visit, with healthy sand dunes, playground, concession stand and cafe, boating access on the bay and a lifeguarded, scintillating strand on the gulf. The basic beach experience doesn’t get much nicer than this! 

BEST ATTRACTION 

Anna Maria Island falls inside Manatee County, named for the beloved (and endangered) sea mammal. Spotting manatees is the equivalent of whale watching in these parts, and the county’s parks department lists 15 manatee watch areas. 

KEEP ‘EM HAPPY 

In this rare case, a museum might well keep the kids happy. The nearby city of Sarasota has been Circus Central in the U.S. for the past century, with as many as 15 big-top operations headquartered here. Towering above all is Ringling Brothers, which moved its world-renowned circus here in 1927. Visitors can tour Ringling’s Circus Museum. While you’re here, you might as well see if you can coax the kids into touring John and Mabel Ringling’s adjoining Museum of Art and their spectacular mansion, Ca d’Zan. 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING 

Winter months can be cool (if rarely cold), but March through October is inviting. Many happily swim in these still-warm waters early in spring and late in the fall. 

AVOID THE CROWDS  

Head across Tampa Bay over the dizzying Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) and make your way to Fort De Soto Park: a series of keys that offers 1,110-plus acres of beaches, piers, picnic shelters, a campground and all the solitude you want. 

CAN’T MISS 

Mote Marine Aquarium and Laboratory brings visitors as close to the coastal ecosystem as they can get without actually diving or snorkeling. This is a living museum of the sea, with several hundred live marine species on display, including spiny lobsters, balloon fish, cowfish, urchins, sturgeons, barracuda and octopuses. The adjoining Marine Mammal Visitor Center has tanks full of dolphins, marines and whales. Ecotourism at its finest! 

BARGAIN LODGING/DINING 

Weekly rates start at about $500 for an efficiency on pocketbook-friendly Anna Maria Island. Contact the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce and your mailbox will sag under the weight of lodging-related literature. 

INSIDE TRACK 

Anna Maria Island is centered between the cities of Sarasota and St. Petersburg, so there’s much to do within a short distance in either direction. Definitely visit St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, a fun shopping area on Lido Key at the end of Ringling Causeway.

-- Parke Puterbaugh, beach guidebook author