Nature & Wildlife

For those who love the surf, sand, and sun, a trip to scenic Anna Maria Island promises to please. However, if you happen to be traveling this was with a passion for wildlife intact, it’s also an amazing destination to view sea turtles! Visitors are often amazed to find that not only a few, but hundreds of turtles actually choose the sands of Anna Maria Island to nest year over...

When you want to get away from the beach and add some excitement to your Anna Maria Island vacation, spend the day or a few hours at TreeUmph, Southwest Florida’s only elevated adventure course! About a 45-minute drive from AMI, at TreeUmph! you’ll feel the exhilaration of climbing, zip lining, swinging and free-falling from 15 to 60 feet in the air . . . all while harnessed to equipment designed...

For the serious beachcomber, the most important thing about shelling is to know the tides. Charts are featured in most local newspapers, as the best shells are found just before low tide. Another opportune time is after a storm – advancing cold fronts tend to push water away from the beach and tropical storms can churn up the tides bringing shells ashore. Three excellent locations for shelling on Anna Maria...

Have you ever fed a giraffe? Have you ever smelled their grassy breath? These are memories that will last you a lifetime. At Giraffe Ranch in you’ll experience first hand, the lives of giraffe and other species from around the world living under huge live oaks in a setting that is right out of Africa. Giraffe Ranch is a licensed working ranch that specializes in exotic species as well as...

Crowley Natural and Cultural History Center also known as “Crowley” is a non-profit organization furthering natural and cultural history located on 190 acres of pristine Florida including pine flatwoods, oak hammock, hardwood swamp, sawgrass marsh, and the Myakka River. Enjoy a guided or self-guided tour of untouched Florida landscapes. Kids love the Children’s Discovery Path with five interactive stations on native Florida creatures. Farm animals, organic garden, and more! Open...

Just an hour’s drive from Anna Maria Island, the world famous dancing horses are a must see! Founded in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria, the Royal Lipizzans are unquestionably the rarest, most aristocratic breed of horses in the world. The pride of the Hapsburg Empire, the Lipizzan breed was first established by Archduke Charles at Lipizza (now part of what was...

Anna Maria Bayfront Park is an ideal place to put things in perspective. From any vantage point, you get a sweeping view of Tampa Bay and the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge, but the best lookout is arguably from the end of the century-old Anna Maria City Pier. There you can have a drink and a sandwich while watching fisherman reel one in. You may also spot dolphins or manatees. This...

Whether you are sitting on the beach or kayaking near the still water’s edge at Fort De Soto, you find yourself absorbed in the abundance of natural beauty for as far as the eye can see. The complexity of the ecology is not immediately apparent, but the park offers the greatest diversity of systems just about anywhere. Emerging from the wealth of bird life, sea life, wild life and plant...

Open sunrise to sunset, Neal Preserve, is a 120-acre ecological gem that overlooks Sarasota Bay. Located on the south side of Manatee Avenue just a few minutes from Anna Maria Island, the preserve features passive outdoor recreation opportunities including a 20 foot tall observation tower, shell trails, and boardwalks that wind through the coastal environment. Neal Preserve is a very historically significant site. As you walk, imagine the active Native...

Around the Bend Nature Tours offers professional guides to help you discover Native American history, creatures of Sarasota Bay, and the nature around the Gulf Coast! All of the guides are professionally Certified Master Naturalists through the University of Florida or the National Association of Interpretation. They can take you around Emerson Point in Palmetto, the largest remaining temple ground on Tampa Bay, and learn how the first Floridians lived....