What time is it!? SUMMERTIME! That’s right. Recently, I kicked off my 2026 summer vacation series in sunny Florida, where everything is bright, buzzing, and, yes, HOT. But this wasn’t your normal Florida vacation. Well, at least not for me. While I’ve traveled to popular locations like Panama City Beach, Orlando, and Destin, this time, I visited Anna Maria Island. The 7-mile island sits on the barrier of the Gulf Coast, about 30-45 minutes northwest of Sarasota (depending on traffic). Despite the size, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed myself. Yes, the hotel’s bar and happy hour special may have influenced me a bit, but aside from that, there was something in the air that filled me with a sense of peace and calm—so much so that I’m already counting down the days until I return in June. But in the meantime, if you’re planning a trip to the island sometime soon, be sure to read this to help you know what to expect.

Getting There: SRQ, Rental Cars, And The First Taste Of Florida Heat

Anna Maria Island may not be the first part of Florida you think of when you’re starting to plan your summer getaway, so be prepared to do a lot of research about your travel and lodging.

If you’re like me and absolutely hate traveling (by air or car), you’ll want to minimize your trek as much as possible.

Of course, the flight is what it is. For me, traveling from the Midwest, it was an easy two-hour flight from my hometown to SRQ (Sarasota Bradenton International Airport).

Once I landed, I located my rental car, which I booked through an app called Turo. For those who may be unfamiliar with the service, like I was, Turo is one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer car-rental marketplaces.

You hop on the app, share where you’re going, and pick out which vehicle you want. There are Ford Focus options, or, if you want something a little fancier, there’s a slew of luxury vehicle options, from BMWs to Corvettes.

You’ll chat with your rental car provider through the app, and they’ll give you directions to locate your vehicle. While the company I rented through could’ve been a bit more thorough with instructions, I found it in the Dolphin Lot (which required a shuttle to get there), snapped a few pictures, and was officially on my way to the hotel.

Checking In: A Hotel Stay Worth Staying At On Anna Maria Island

I stayed at the Compass Hotel Anna Maria Sound by Margaritaville in Bradenton, Florida. The 4-star hotel is literally seconds away (by car) from the bridge that takes you to the island, so don’t worry about missing out on the action. And, if you need to walk, you can!

The check-in process was easy, breezy, BEAUTIFUL! The staff welcomed me just after 6 p.m. EDT with big smiles, telling me all about the property’s amenities and unique offerings.

On the first floor, patrons can enjoy the gym, which features dumbbells up to 50 pounds, two treadmills, an elliptical, yoga balls, and a cable crossover machine.

Also on the first floor, which I believe is the main attraction, is the hotel’s signature bar, “Compass Bar & Grill,” with the loveliest bartender, Bridget, or B for short, who gassed me up every time I stopped by to order a cold one.

Beyond that, the hotel’s pool (featured in the story’s image above) had plenty of areas to lounge in the shade or sun, and also had hotel staff walking around taking food and drink orders.

The room was nice. Never mind that the shower only had half of the glass door (yes, you read that right); that didn’t spoil my experience. The TV had a few interesting channels, like MTV and USA, but no Bravo, which rendered the flat screen essentially useless for me.

Oh, and one more thing, there was no microwave!? Sure, that’s small. But what happens if a person wants to bring food back and heat it up later? You guessed it—you’re either eating cold grouper or possibly tossing your pricey meal away in one of the room’s three tiny trash cans.

Dinner And Drinks: The Restaurant And Bar That Stole The Show

But what really made the Compass Hotel Anna Maria Sound by Margaritaville stand out wasn’t what I just said above; it was their exclusive on-site eatery, Floridays Woodfire Grill & Bar.

I went during day two of my trip with my little cousin, Dallas, who, by the way, inadvertently reminded me that I’m 10 years her senior by referencing viral TikTok sounds off the dome and mentioning artists not named Beyoncé throughout the entirety of the trip.

Despite that, we GRUBBED at the hotel’s restaurant not once, but TWICE. The first day, I got the wings with a side of fries and a frozen banana margarita… because why the h-ll not!? She got the blackened chicken sandwich with fries and water with a side of lemon.

The second day, Dallas ordered a burger, while I stuck with my staple: wings. We also split a side of buffalo chicken dip with celery and tortilla chips. Throughout both meals, we caught up on life, you know, as first cousins do, and kept saying to each other with full mouths, “This is SO good. We HAVE to come back.”

What makes the Floridays restaurant so great is that it’s convenient for the hotel’s guests. You can walk around the front to snag a seat, or cut across the pool area and sit outside at the bar, which has a tiki-lounge sort of feel. Either way, the food was to die for, and it’s already on my to-do list for when I return.

Island Life: Traffic, Bridges, And Anna Maria Moving At Its Own Pace

Dallas and I actually spent a lot of time together during our weekend getaway on the island. When we weren’t eating, we were lying out at the pool, driving around the city, listening to true crime podcasts, and a little bit of Tate McRae.

Speaking of driving around the island… be prepared for traffic beyond words on the weekend. Starting at the literal crack of dawn, traffic down the island’s two main bridges was stacked with Floridians and vacationers pushing along Manatee Avenue to get a spot at Coquina Beach to see the sun rise and set.

And when I say stacked—I’m not kidding. It took Dallas, my older sister, Kayla, and me an hour to get five miles up the road. So, if you’re planning on heading to the island on the weekend, make sure you have what you need, because getting there AND getting out was a journey in and of itself.

That brings me to my next point: transportation. If you can rent a car, you’ll probably want to, because Uber and Lyft on the island are pretty nonexistent. But can you blame them? Being stuck in standstill traffic while the island’s bridge gates open every 15 minutes would be enough to drive anyone mad.

But even then, once you get through the madness and are able to walk the streets of the island, all of that frustration melts away. At least it did for me.

Something Sweet: Ice Cream And The Simple Wins Of The Trip

To close this out, I have to mention the friend my cousin Dallas and I made on the trip—Melinda. She helps run her family’s ice cream shop on the island called “Holy Cow Ice Cream.”

We stopped in on Friday, and that’s when we met Melinda and another staffer, who, to our surprise, were also from the Midwest! Heyo!

Like the food at Floridays, Holy Cow’s locally made sweet treats are something different and worth all the craze. I got a mixture of cotton candy and birthday cake ice cream, while my little cousin grabbed a few scoops of their salted caramel flavor.

We, of course, stopped by again on Saturday because it was just too good to pass up, and that’s when we spoke with Melinda a little more about life on the island.

So, what did I learn? Well, I discovered that my experience with traffic wasn’t unique and that everyone complains about the hours-long commute up and down the roadway.

I also learned more about the island’s charm and why it’s so beloved. Yes, it may be small and a bit more reserved, but that’s part of the appeal. There are tons of things to do, from fishing to bar hopping (heck, there was even a mini golf course), and it’s those things, along with the community, that make it a special place to reside.