Ocean’s heaven
Anna Maria Island is a tiny slice of feelgood Florida where even breakfast is an adventure
On a map of the world, Anna Maria Island is just a slender shard of paradise – seven miles long, two miles wide, sitting a few feet above sea level off the Gulf coast Florida. But it’s full of surprises.
It’s laid-back lifestyle, which seems almost Caribbean, is mixed with the flavour of Key West in its architecture and personality.
Bearded good old boys, with dogs in front passenger seats, drive pick-up trucks past clapboard cottages of every shade of blue, purple and yellow as they head for Bradenton Beach pier, fishing rods sticking out of the back.
If Bob Marley is not being played at the tiki bar you feel the need to get him on Spotify to complete the reggae party feel.
Even breakfast is an adventure. At The Donut Experiment on Pine Avenue our servers insisted on giving us a box of 12 donuts (unbelievably there were many more on the menu) which included bacon and maple, caramel sea salt, vanilla raspberry drizzle and Reese’s Pieces with chocolate.
It took enormous willpower not to try every one. Our chosen bites, taken on the timber verandah under the cooling, whirring fans, were delicious. The coffee was good too. Walking along award-winning Pine Avenue is a journey into unspoiled American heritage.
There are beautifully maintained cottages transported there by train from Chicago after being bought by mail order from department store Sears and Roebuck decades ago.
QUAINT
On this place called the ‘Greenest Little Main Street In America’ the general store is surrounded by a white picket fence, there are charming boutiques.
There’s a free trolley taking people up and down the island and a “monkey bus” which is tips only for a ride.
Having hired a golf cart from Beach Bums, we headed to our beach house. Called the Tropical Hideaway, it’s a stunning seven bedroom/ seven bathroom place with a deck on the roof for watching the sun rise.
It’s one of 200 properties on the books of Anna Maria Vacations, which vary from luxurious and sophisticated to quaint and cosy.
Many have private pools and air conditioning. Sundecks and barbecues are standard.
We had a sunset dinner on the beach at the Sandbar Restaurant which serves up the freshest seafood from the Gulf.
Large plates of stone crab claws and black grouper, caught on long lines by fishermen from Cortez, were delicious.
The village, across a bridge to the mainland, has kept local restaurants supplied for generations. Cortez is one of the few remaining working waterfronts in southwest Florida.
This is a proud community working hard to preserve its glorious past, refusing to give in to the real estate developers seeking land to build high-rise hotels and apartment blocks.
Passing the time of day with locals sitting on rocking chairs in the shade of their porches, we learned a little of Cortez’s history. How settlers from North Carolina founded the village. How Cuban fishermen come every year to fish for shrimp, snapper, grouper and crabs.
How Cortez, possibly named after the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, has adapted to Anna Maria’s tourism by offering jet-skiing and parasailing. Visitors can eat on the dock at restaurants serving up fish straight from the boats.
GUIDED
But we tried to catch our own lunch on a trip up the Manatee River in search of snook, redfish and speckled sea trout, booked with itrekkers and guided by their US Coastguard-licensed captains Jason Semeyn and Jeremy Fielding.
While casting close to the wall of mangroves, we were competing with far more experienced and successful white pelicans and ospreys.
My trout were too small to keep but fortunately Jason and Jeremy produced two redfish and sailed for Pier 22 restaurant on the water at Bradenton. The chef served a huge dish of our Blackened redfish. Mouthwatering!
Visiting the beach was made easy. Our rented house came with a wide-wheeled trolley that rolled over the sand carrying beach chairs and a cool box.
A short stroll away is Bridge Street, a great spot to eat, drink and hear live music. At the Bridge Tender Inn by the dock we enjoyed grilled shrimp and Mexican Modelo beers at $45 for two.
A three-piece band knocking out reggae, country and rock drew us into the Blue Marlin for grouper tacos and burger in the courtyard where $40 buys a good meal for two.
It was hard leaving Anna Maria, but a visit to the Ellenton Premium Outlets en route to Tampa got us over it. The are bargains to be had if you work the discounts.
The customer services desk hands out vouchers for a string of outlets including Ralph Lauren, J Crew, Nike and Asics.
Then a very willing manager explained how we could get even more off by texting Ralph Lauren for a reply.
Don’t ask how this all worked, but it did and our shopping came in at half price.
And back on Anna Maria, Bob Marley was waiting in the tiki beach bar and, at that moment, it felt there was no better place on Earth to be.