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Top Family-Friendly Attractions to Experience on Your Florida Gulf Coast Vacation

When you come to the Florida Gulf Coast, get ready for a fun-filled vacation! There are so many perfect attractions for you and the whole family. The fun-filled activities are only a short drive away from your Anna Maria Island vacation rental. Take a day trip to explore the best family things to do in Tampa during your trip. It’s a quick drive from our rentals on Anna Maria Island. You can also travel to nearby cities like Sarasota for even more to explore.

When you’re ready to venture out of your Florida Gulf Coast vacation rental, check out some of these unforgettable attractions that the whole family is sure to enjoy!

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens is an all-day family fun adventure for more than just your typical theme park! Busch Gardens is perfect for roller coaster enthusiasts and family-friendly riders. This is the home of Florida’s best roller coaster and thrill rides. You can ride the new Iron Gwazi, the Tigris, or the Cheetah Hunt. The park also has a schedule of shows to take your family to sit and enjoy. You can take part in the safari tours and look at all the animals they have on exhibit! Make sure you take a break and stop into the many restaurants in the park to refuel and enjoy the rest of your day at Busch Gardens!

Adventure Island Waterpark

The Adventure Island Waterpark is the perfect place to go when you want to cool off from the summer heat. The cool water is ideal for refreshing you! Adventure Island has some of the best waterslides in Florida. Take a spin down the Rapid Racer, where you can feel the rush as you slide down the two-person raft, gliding through 600 feet of the slide! There are many pools, endless surf wave pools, and lazy rivers for you to sit back and relax as you let the water refresh you from the summer heat. Make sure you stop at the restaurants in the park so that you can grab a quick bite before going back out for the slippery thrills! 

The Florida Aquarium

Looking for an undersea adventure? The Florida Aquarium is the perfect place to go if you seek an easy and relaxing day out. You can stroll through all exhibits and watch the scuba divers interact with the sea life. You can watch them swim with sharks, play with dolphins, and even pet whales! There are many trail talks with the rangers here in the park. You can wander the wetland trails while the rangers teach you all about the wildlife and the conservation efforts to protect the Florida Wetlands. When you walk through the exhibits, you’ll be able to explore and discover all the aquatic and terrestrial animals like the sea turtles, lemurs, and otters! The massive park has an 80-foot-glass dome home to the wetlands and 500,000-gallon coral reef habitat. The tank has a gorgeous panoramic window that lets all visitors see the sea life. There are many cafes and snack shacks to stop in a refuel as you enjoy your day at the Florida Aquarium! 

Lowry Park Zoo

Come here to tap into your wild side and learn all about the wildlife at the Lowry Park Zoo! You can have face-to-face experiences with some of the nature here! You can also witness how the Florida manatees are receiving life-saving care. The mission here at Lowry Park Zoo is to help all visitors get in touch with wildlife and educate them on taking action to protect and preserve the wildlife. ZooTampa at Lowry Park was voted the best kids’ attraction by Tampa’s Magazine’s Best of South Tampa 2021 awards. They are also the five-time winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence from 2010 to 2015. The zoo shows off several endangered species, ensuring that every visitor knows the dire need these animals are in. You’ll see animals that are endangered, threatened, and vulnerable to extinction. All animals here at the zoo come from climates similar to that of the Tampa Bay region. The zoo has over 1,000 animals that you can witness and learn all about when you visit the Lowry Park Zoo. Be prepared to come in and learn about how you can make a difference for all these lovely animals!

Plan Your Visit!

Ready to have your most memorable family adventure yet? View our Anna Maria Island vacation rentals, reserve your favorite, and prepare to experience the fun!

Sarasota Jungle Gardens

When looking for things to do in Sarasota with kids, the Sarasota Jungle Gardens is the perfect place to go! This family-owned and operated attraction is a local and tourist favorite. Both national and international tourists come here looking for the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. They make sure to educate and delight visitors of all ages! The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is not like the traditional zoo. They don’t rush their visitors or manufacture their speeches. They provide up close and personal interactions with nature across all exhibits. Its mission is to educate and inspire the community with their interactive experiences with animals and nature. 

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There are more than 200 native and exotic animals that you can learn about when you come here. You’ll see majestic birds of prey, parrots, macaws, primates, and more! For the reptile and amphibian lovers, you’ll be able to see snakes, lizards, iguanas, alligators, and crocodiles. Many of the animals here have been rescued or donated for conservation efforts. A visitor favorite is the flamingo exhibit. They are not shy to walk up and greet the guests as they walk the trails alongside you! You’ll be able to watch them flap around and splash in the park’s wetlands. The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is the perfect place for all visitors to enjoy!

When you come to stay in a Sarasota vacation rental or one of our other Gulf Coast properties, you’ll be staying in only the most luxurious properties. Here, we strive to ensure that your Anna Maria Island beach rental is like your perfect home away from home. We want you to be able to kick back and relax after your full day of adventuring around the area. You’ll be able to sit back and unwind in your comfy couches in your spacious living rooms with flatscreen TVs to relax in style. Your fully equipped kitchen is perfect for cooking or heating your restaurant leftovers. Lay back in your cozy beds to rest up for your next day of adventuring. Our beachfront rentals on Florida’s Gulf Coast give you the perfect view of the beach and the Florida Gulf Coast. You need to open your back door, and you’ll have the most stunning beachfront views. If you don’t want to venture out to the attractions, you’re only a short walk away from the beautiful white sand beaches! 

Are you ready for your Gulf Coast vacation? Contact us today to book your Anna Maria Island vacation rental!