Manatee Public Beach(Manatee Beach)

Located in the city of Holmes Beach, Manatee Public Beach is a small, narrow, and rarely crowded beach situated west of the mouth of the Manatee River. Also known as Manatee Beach, Manatee Public Beach faces the Gulf of Mexico and is at the center of Anna Maria Island. The beach’s shore is covered by many seashells which makes it an awesome destination for beachcombing. As the name suggests, Manatee Public Beach is a great beach for watching manatees and is filled with many water sports enthusiasts including swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers, divers, and bird watchers. 

Manatee Public Beach offers many amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, barbecues, playgrounds, biking trails, and hiking trails. 

There are many fun activities at Manatee Public Beach including swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, biking, hiking, fishing, wildlife watching, birdwatching, beachcombing, and beach walking. If you are looking for additional activities, you can see sea turtles and rare birds laying eggs and nesting respectively at the northern end of the beach.

Getting to Manatee Public Beach is very easy – the beach’s free parking lot is situated at 4000 Gulf Drive and is within walking distance to the beach. 

If you are looking for nearby attractions, there are many options within a 30-minute drive of Manatee Public Beach. Oddities & Antiques is an amazing art gallery with collections of paintings, photographs, wood art, and art workshops and classes. Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to North American river otters, green sea turtles, cownose rays, southern stingrays, nurse sharks, great white pelicans, hogfish, red drum, and Winter – a bottlenose dolphin. If you like recreational activities, Caladesi Island State Park offers a three-mile-long nature trail, boats, canoes, kayaks, birding, and wildlife viewing. Another great attraction near Manatee Public Beach is Pier 60, an incredible fishing spot featuring street performers, artistic shops, and beautiful sunset views for clicking Instagram-worthy pictures. 

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 10-minute drive of Manatee Public Beach. The Spanish restaurant Columbia Restaurant Sand Key offers gazpacho, paella valenciana, patatas bravas, fideua, tortilla, jamon, and churros. Gondolier Pizza is a pizza restaurant featuring homemade pizza, breadsticks, and chicken wings. Another good restaurant near Manatee Public Beach is Beach Shanty Café that serves many brunch options including dim sums, waffles, hash browns, eggs, salmon, and blintzes. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Manatee Public Beach, you can drive 20 minutes to many nearby hotels. The 4-Star Sandpearl Resort features a walk-in pool, poolside bar, spa, sauna, fitness center, kids’ club, two beachfront restaurants, and beachfront fire pits. If you are looking for affordable hotels near Manatee Public Beach, the 3-Star Hotel Cabana Clearwater Beach has a nice pool – and Hampton Inn & Suites Clearwater Beach is a 2-Star hotel with a heated pool, rooftop bar, bistro, gym, and restaurant.