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December 2023 by Brandon M.
Hours sunrise to 10p. Restrooms, showers, lifeguards, changing stations and a tiki bar. Soft white groomed sand. Free parking. Chair and umbrella rentals. All you can eat pancakes at the AMI cafe. Less people towards the north end. Just a one star drop because of the sea lice. I found out later that Southwest Florida is a hot spot for it. Just remember to shower/rinse off thoroughly before and after going in the water. I just let the wave hit my lower legs and still got it due to inadequate rinsing.
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July 2023 by Anais T.
I discovered this beach by searching on the internet. It looked amazing online. It's located on the Anna Maria Island strip of beaches. We went on a weekend and it wasn't super packed. The parking is free but limited. Get there early to secure a spot. If a beach cookout is your thing, there are benches and public grills for you to use. Bring your own grilling supplies! No alcohol is allowed, but they do have a bar onsite that sells drinks in souvenir cups. You can get refills for a discount. You just consume the drinks in that area though. You can be fined if you bring it onto the beach. There are restrooms and outdoor showers to rinse off, as well as changing rooms. There is a restaurant that serves all you can eat pancakes from 8 am! They have a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items. There is also an ice cream shop and a souvenir shop. The beach is lifeguard attended. There was a number posted to call after 12 pm for a beach wheelchair for any guests that needed it. I called for my brother, but sadly enough, no one ever answered. The water is pristine and the beach itself it super clean! We had a blast! Will definitely go again! Only reason I gave the 4 stars was because of the wheelchair situation, but overall, highly recommended!
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May 2023 by Bruce F.
Manatee beach was a true oasis: free parking, short walk to the beach from parking lot and soft white sand and turquoise blue water. The chairs and umbrella rentals were affordable and anywhere you setup was a great view of the ocean. A restaurant and bar are onsite to satisfy your hunger cravings. The rip tides were high and the lifeguards kept warning people but they were content to take their chances. A great beach that's not too big or small.
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March 2023 by Kiefer N.
The beach itself is full of life! Lots of people makes finding activity easy and fun. A good sized beach. The restaurant on the beach is decent in price and has pretty good food. I personally suggest the chili cheese fries! Lots of options on the menu makes it easy to find your preferred item!
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August 2022 by Robert C.
It's our home sand. Parking is a perpetual challenge so early in off season or pre-sunrise in season (or after 5pm) Great little restaurant and bar, with chaises and umbrellas available for a hefty price. Service at the bar a d restaurant are great...not so with chair service. The whole coast is lined with top notch beaches so its hard to go wrong. We love it here.
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May 2022 by Rachel M.
This beach is a shit show. Yes I put it out there. Sorry, but I go to a lot of beaches. I use to come here often, but I just love the beaches when you drive through Anna Maria and go down the side streets. They have parking but u need to be patient and look. It's worth it though. Manatee Public Beach does have a big parking lot and it has the showers, changing rooms, & bathrooms, & picnic tables. Also the bus stops at this beach. That's why people come so they can have big family get togethers.I do come to this beach every time to use the amenities - showers, bathrooms, changing rooms. It's a zoo for those reasons. It's. It is not calm and chill. It's definitely crowded.My mission is not to use the amenities at Manatee Public Beach anymore and find a new spot.This is not an ideal happy beach place.Anna Maria Island is definitely beautiful, but if you come take the time to drive the side streets and find a parking spot. You will see the beaches are not so crowded and are beautiful and not so chaotic.
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May 2022 by Pat M.
My favorite beach! Return yearly for the past 26 years. It's my happy place. Great good, music & service.
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October 2021 by Gloria L.
I have been wanting to get to Manatee Beach since Raegan L. posted her photos and review! We finally got to go today. Manatee Beach is on gorgeous Anna Maria Island. This is a beautiful beach. The weather was lovely. Soft island breezes, warm sun and beautiful blue water. The sand is made of shells ground down by time and people. You can still find shells but I prefer to leave them for the future. There is a nice cafe where you can sit and see the water. It allows you to have a bite and not leave. There is also a Tiki Bar that serves beer and blended drinks. You are not allowed to take alcohol to the beach but there are so many lovely places to sit and enjoy. We had the fresh made lemonade-delicious but really sweet!! We added water to drink it. The only bad thing that day was the Red Tide. There is a sign on entrance (photo posted) about the Red Tide. Sad to see. Some who brought chairs got close to others with chairs. I will definitely be back to Manatee County Beaches on Anna Maria Island!
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June 2021 by Raegan L.
Anna Maria== the place to be!!I've mentioned in some of my other reviews, I absolutely love the island of Anna Maria, it's fantastic!! But for some reason, I've hardly been to Manatee Beach on AMI, which is odd for anyone who knows the area because it's the main and largest public beach there. I prefer Bean Point, which is the north tip of the island and far less busy.But Manatee Beach is no slouch, in fact, it's completely amazing in its own respect. Soft and delicious white sand, miles of beach, and the most insanely clear blue/green/turquoise water: the beach of any sane persons dreams!You can find some good shells if you have the right eye, I found a whole sand dollar on my last visit. There's also a lovely sand bar to swim out to, it's a good distance but not too crazy far. Thought I'd be wary of going out because in my last visit, I had the craziest, most unforgettable experience: a great white shark (a good 12 footer, no baby shark) waltzed into the sandbar chasing after a tarpon, which he did eventually catch and make a big bloody mess of. It was so cool but equally frightening.But hey, a beach is a piece of nature so you have to watch out for the locals of the sea anytime you go to any sort of beach. And since Manatee is a large public beach they do have lifeguards who look out for that sort of thing and warn you (like they did with the shark).Manatee does have a large cafe/restaurant/gift shop/ bathrooms building right on the beach too. There's changing stalls and rinse stations and a very large and FREE parking lot. Also trolleys that take you to various spots around the island. All very convenient- just keep an eye out for those hungry sharks! ;)
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March 2021 by Cliff K.
This is a great family beach that has wheelchair access picnic tables and a fair amount of parking as well as lifeguards in a snack shop. you have to be aware that it's going to be busy and plan accordingly all the beaches on this key generally known as Anna Maria island are really great
