Historical
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Sandbar Seafood & Spirits History on Anna Maria Island: My Insider Guide
The Sandbar Seafood & Spirits on Anna Maria Island is one of the island’s most iconic beachfront restaurants, with a history that stretches back over a century. Originally a gathering place known as “The Pavilion,” the site has endured hurricanes, ownership changes, and countless reinventions, yet it has remained a central part of island life.…
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History of the Anna Maria City Pier: My Insider Guide
The Anna Maria City Pier is the kind of place that means something different to everyone who has spent time on it. For me, it means fishing, enjoying a cold beer, eating, listening to live music, and sitting on the worn wooden benches trading stories with whoever else happened to be there that night. I…
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Movies and TV Shows Filmed on Anna Maria Island: My Insider Guide
Anna Maria Island has always had a way of stopping people in their tracks. The light, the water, the unhurried pace. It turns out Hollywood noticed long before Instagram did. Two films and two television productions have used the island as a backdrop, decades apart and worlds apart in style. One brought MGM royalty to…
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The Historic Cortez Fishing Village: My Insider Guide
Just minutes from Anna Maria Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Cortez is one of the last authentic working fishing villages in the state. Shrimp boats still head out at sunrise here, fresh Gulf seafood comes straight off the docks, and the laid-back pace delivers a true Old Florida experience that feels worlds away from the…
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The History of Anna Maria Island: My Insider Guide
A Brief History of Anna Maria Island Soft sugar-white sand, pastel cottages, and quiet streets where golf carts outnumber cars set the scene the moment you arrive on Anna Maria Island. That charm is not accidental. It is rooted in a history shaped by early settlers, fishing traditions, and a long-standing commitment to preserving the…
