The Area
Anna Maria Island is our backyard
Morning walks & shelling
This is the ritual: early light, wet sand, and a bucket that keeps filling up. We'll walk you to our secret stretches — sand dollars, whelks, and the occasional perfect lettered olive. Low tide mornings are jackpot mornings.
- Coquina Beach — Shade trees, calm water, and the best morning parking on the south end.
- Bean Point — Where the Gulf meets the Sound — wide sand, big sunsets, quieter crowds.
- Manatee Public Beach — Classic island beach with a café and easy bathroom access for kids.
Gulf seafood, the right way
We live ten minutes from Cortez, one of Florida's last working fishing villages. Fresh shrimp, smoked mul spread, oysters on the half shell — and key lime pie that ends every argument. Here's where we take everyone:
- The Sandbar Restaurant — Beachfront dining on Anna Maria — book a table right at sunset.
- Beach House Waterfront — Grouper sandwiches and raw bar with your toes practically in the sand.
- Star Fish Company — Cortez fishing village institution — dockside peel-and-eat shrimp.
On the water
Dolphins patrol the sound like they're on the payroll. We can point you to boat rentals by the hour, sunset sails, and kayak trails through the mangroves — or just take you out ourselves when the calendar's open.
Ask us about: dolphin tours out of Cortez, sunset cruises from Anna Maria, and paddleboarding the calm side of the island — including our own boat basin, where the manatees hang out.
Quick hits
10 min
from our door to Anna Maria Island beaches
~75°F
winter water temps — yes, you'll swim
Oct–Apr
peak season: direct MSP flights and perfect weather
Every day
a sunset worth putting your drink down for