Shopping

They say no vacation is complete unless you "shop till you drop" and that's certainly true here. Shopping on the Island for colorful resort and casual clothes, elegant casual for that special occasion, creative, amusing T-shirts, caps and other resort souvenirs including gifts, jewelry (shell and elegant), and even antiques, is a cherry experience around here because of the intriguing stuff offered and the pleasant purveyors who'll greet you. Even food shopping is warm and friendly, from the centrally-located Publix Supermarket to the many nature foods and delis, pizza and "special edibles" shops.

Small shopping centers are the norm, tucked into cozy and convenient locations in all three cities and easy to find. Of note are The Shops at Bayview Plaza in Anna Maria, opposite the City Pier; Holmes Beach Shopping Center on Marina Drive; the large Anna Maria Island Center on East Bay Drive in Holmes Beach; and those quaint fun shops along newly-restored Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach.

Just outside of the Island you will find St. Armands Key - an island shopping center removed from the mainland by two bridges over magnificent Sarasota Bay, and the Prime Outlets Ellenton - West Florida's largest outlet center with over 130 factory direct stores including Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue, OFF 5th, Coach, Stuart Weitzman and many more.