Explore Beaches Near Cortez, Florida
Holmes Beach
Holmes Beach is a small town on Anna Maria Island in the Gulf of Mexico just south of Tampa Bay. It boasts miles of gorgeous white, sandy beaches, emerald Gulf waters, and abundant sunshine. If you want to spend a day on the water, there is excellent fishing in the waters surrounding Anna Maria Island. Take a charter boat and head out in the Gulf for an exciting day of sport fishing. The grouper, snapper, or mackerel you catch can provide the ingredients for a delicious seafood dinner at your vacation rental. Inshore or backwater fishing is also very popular. Enjoy a beach picnic with the locals under the Australian Pines, or find a secluded cove and enjoy some private sunbathing. Prefer an animated beach crowd? Then the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts at “Cafe on the Beach” is your scene.
Coquina Beach
Located on Anna Maria Island, Coquina Beach is home to Gulfside park and the family-friendly Coquina Baywalk. Learn more about Coquina Beach, Florida.
Bradenton Beach
Located on Anna Maria Island off the Gulf Coast and a brief drive from Bradenton and Sarasota, Bradenton Beach is a small town known for its fishing piers, sugar-sand beaches and a quaint strip of shops, restaurants and other family-owned businesses. The pace noticeably slows on the Gulf retreat of Bradenton Beach. Exhibit A: Drive-through restaurants are prohibited here. Exhibit B: On Pine Avenue, near the northern end of the island, you’ll find French-milled soaps, specialty olive oils, handmade clothing and small art galleries. Pine Avenue also is home to the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum, Artspace Studios and Gallery, Anna Maria Accommodations (which can help you find a place to stay) and Beach Bums, which rents bikes, kayaks and paddleboards for exploring Bradenton Beach and the surrounding area.
