Manatee Public Beach is a great place to take the family for a day at the beach. It is easy to find with all the facilities needed for a fun day at the beach! The beach is open from sunrise to midnight. Sea Turtle nesting season is from May 1st through October 31st. During this time.
No lights on the beach after sunset.
Do not approach turtles or nests.
Remove beach furniture at dusk.
Leave nests and signs undisturbed.
If you would like to volunteer for turtle watch contact Mote Marine
To reach Manatee Public Beach from I-75 get off on State Road 64 and head west. Following this road will lead you directly to the Manatee Public Beach parking lot.
The Beach
The beach is pretty wide. Even on a busy day there is no problem finding your own section of sand to set up camp. The sand it self is a light color with minimal shells. It is not quite as soft as Siesta Key, but it is still very nice.
This beach has a manned life guard tower. The colored flags inform the public on the conditions of the ocean.
Two red flags - Water Closed to Public
One red flag - High Hazard, High Surf and/or Strong Currents
Yellow Flag - Medium Hazard, Moderate Surf and/or Currents
Green Flag - Low Hazard, Calm Conditions, Exercise Caution
Purple Flag - Dangerous Marine Life
NOTE: The absence of flags does not assure safe waters
If you like volley ball there are several volley ball nets for your enjoyment. It is pretty common to find people playing, where you can jump in the rotation.
Going earlier in the day is fun because you may find something unique that has washed ashore during the night.
Going in late afternoon is nice because you get the beautiful west coast sunset.
Facilities
The beach has public restrooms with a changing cabana and spray showers close by to get all the sand off.
The beach cafe is decent. The prices are reasonable. The seating is all outdoors though. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FOOD UNATTENDED. The seagulls will swoop in and eat your lunch if you leave your food alone. They are quick! If the kids want a treat there is an Ice Cream Shop next to the cafe.
If you want to grab a cold one there is a tiki bar to serve up your adult beverages. You cannot take your drinks out to the beach though.
If you forgot some gear, need some sunscreen, or want a boogie board for the ocean there is a gift shop next to the cafe as well. If you don't prefer to fight with traffic or parking there is a free trolley stop at this location. If you don't want to carry your beach gear on the trolley there is a lot of parking, but it can get packed during season or on the weekend.
Nearby
Next to the beach is West Coast Surf Shop where you can find bathing suits, skim boards, and other beach related gear. Across the street is Skinny's Burgers, a small "mom and pop" restaurant. There is no A/C and half of the seating is outdoors. They have good burgers and cold beer.
Down the street is a Publix grocery store. This is a great stop if you need to fill up the cooler with water, grab some snacks, or get some last minute sand castle toys.
Next to Publix is a strip mall with multiple restaurants. There is a Cheesecake cafe, a Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus, Solo Pizza, Peach's Restaurant, Holy Cow Ice Cream, Paradise Bagels, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, and Teriyaki Cove which serves teriyaki dishes, poke bowls, Filipino dishes, and Japanese Ramen.
Can You See Yourself Living Here?
The various areas of Florida offer a distinctly different lifestyle from each other. Anna Maria Island is no exception. This is a very safe, entertaining, and beautiful area of Florida. If you don't want to live on the island the city of Bradenton is just on the other side of the bridge. This is one of my "go-to" beaches because of the quick access and plentiful parking.
If you are interested in finding a home in this area, please register on the home page. I would be glad to help you find the right place for your family.