Manatee Public Beach

Manatee Public Beach is the central Gulf beach on Anna Maria Island, with soft white sand and a lifeguard tower staffed every day of the year. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the guards stay until 7 p.m., which leaves time for a guarded after-work swim. There are showers, changing cabanas and a concession; after summer rains the lot often floods.

Directions

Photo: Franz Stellbrink · CC BY 3.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 90/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 27°C, wind 5 km/h, waves 0.2 m, UV 4. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: Manatee County beach at 4000 State Road 64 and Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach; open sunrise to 10 p.m. Pets, alcohol and glass are prohibited.
Parking & transport: County beach parking lot; flooding of the lot is common after summer rains.
Lifeguards: Manatee County Beach Patrol staffs Tower 1 here 365 days a year: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. from Labor Day to Memorial Day and 9 a.m.–7 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Manatee Public Beach North' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70.
Season: Year-round with daily lifeguards; sea turtle season runs May 1–Oct. 31 (no lights on the beach after sunset).
Watch for: Red tide (Karenia brevis): FWC says blooms occur in the Gulf almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall, most often between Clearwater and Sanibel Island
Facilities: Restrooms · Shower stations · Changing cabanas · Food and beverage concessions · Gift shop · Picnic tables and grills · Playground · Sand volleyball courts · Beach wheelchairs and wheelchair beach mat