Just a hop, skip and a jump away from downtown Sarasota and St. Pete, Anna Maria Island is a quick escape to paradise. The island has vacation rentals, gift shops, ice cream parlors, live music and tiki bars.

The island gives off laid-back vibes as opposed to the surrounding beaches of Siesta Key, Lido Key and St. Pete, offering activities like sunset yoga on Sundays and Tuesdays or beach volleyball any day of the week at Manatee Public Beach.

Photo 94075264 © Javier Cruz Acosta | Dreamstime.com

The bright turquoise water outlines the long, soft beach, which makes it one of my favorite spots to not only look for shells but also to walk a few miles while soaking in the sun’s Vitamin C. If you don’t want to walk the beach, there is a trolley that runs from one end to the other, making it easy for guests to see the entire island.

Whether vacationing or residing in Sarasota, Tampa or St. Petersburg, I recommend escaping to this island for a day to relax. If you do, here are some of my recommendations:

• The Donut Experiment: Build your donut from scratch
• Island Scoops: Dipped waffle cones and excellent ice cream
• Wicked Cantina: Tacos and margaritas with live music and occasional karaoke
• Ugly Grouper: Live music, great seafood selection, drinking games, merchandise and giant ugly fish metal sculpture
• Anna Maria Beach Café: Get a cup and enjoy cheap frozen adult beverages all day
• Shiny Fish Emporium: Unique gift shop
• Bean Point Beach: Relaxing local spot known as the beach great for sunset views and finding sea treasures
• The Real BeachHorses & C Ponies Beach Horseback Rides: Offered on the connecting bridge on Manatee Ave W.
• Robinson Preserve: Hiking and running trails, bike trails, kayaking, picnics and camping

— Christyn Pek, account executive