Bean Point — Attraction in Anna Maria island

Locals know it and many Floridians do too - this place is like the Keys only without the throngs of tourists and Jimmy Buffett inspired nonsense. It can get a bit crowded on holidays and finding a parking spot can be an adventure (just arrive in the a.m.), otherwise this spot might be thee best beach in all of Florida. Squeaky white sugar sand, turquoise water, lots of elbow room (for a beach) and a decent amount of wildlife too from manatees to many wading birds. Plenty of food choices along nearby Pine St. One of...

Most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. So beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. An abundance of sea life (we had a manatee swim right by us and saw a few sharks during the evening sunset). Not crowded at all and parking throughout the neighborhood was easy to find. My kids absolutely loved watching the sunset, so much so that they asked to return the following day. Think we found our forever family vacation...

If you're heading to the beach, definitely go beyond the typical public parking areas—explore a little and you'll stumble upon the cutest spots to park and walk in. Bean Point Beach is absolutely stunning—calm, clean, and way less crowded than other spots. It feels like a little hidden gem. Just a heads up: we didn’t see any restrooms nearby. We ended up finding a workers' portapotty and used that, so plan...