Thus, every day is a terrific day to go fishing or swimming with sea turtles at either the Coquina Beach, Manatee Beach, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Cortez Beach or the Anna Marie Beach. What is more, every moment is terrific for dining at the fancy restaurants here. They all, for the most part, have a diverse menu of mouth-watering entrees from French to German, British, Italian, Oriental, Spanish and Southern Florida seafood.
For centuries, Ana Marie Island has lured in hundreds of tourists, not just because of its beaches and dining scene but because of its illustrious landmarks and long history:
Originally, Ana Marie Island could only be reached by boat, and it was the land where a number of Indian tribes resided and hunted, namely the Timucuan tribe. In the early 1500's, Ponce De Leon came upon this land and attempted to colonize it, but he was kept from doing so by the Indians, who shot and killed him in 1521.
Moving from Connecticut, George Emerson Bean made this island his home, becoming the first permanent resident in May 1894. Mr. Bean settled on the northern end of the island, which is now called Bean Point, and began to build sidewalks, houses, streets and a water system. Most of his handy work makes up the city of Anna Marie, which has a populace of approximately 1,814. This city also has a wide variety of wildlife and fair-priced homes and vacation rentals.
Industrial wise, Charles Martin Roser was one of the pioneers who developed this island. His competence, combined with his high-profile status, was enough to turn this island into what it is today: A historic paradise that has a treasure trove of wonderful sites–Ana Marie Island Historical Museum, Bean Point, the Rose Memorial Community Church and many more.
