The quieter middle stretch of Anna Maria Island.
Holmes Beach is in Manatee County, Florida, on the Gulf coast.
Street parking at Holmes Beach is free but limited. A seasonal lifeguard and a concession stand round out the amenities, and the same fine quartz sand as its island neighbors covers this stretch too. Anna Maria Island's north tip sits about two miles one direction, and Bradenton Beach is barely more than two miles the other. Of the island's three small beach cities, Holmes Beach is the largest.
Today's flag, water temperature, surf, wind, UV and tide times for Holmes Beach load on this page automatically. Conditions change through the day, so nothing on this page is a substitute for the flag flying when you arrive.
Amenity details are Coasti's own notes and can go out of date. Fees, lifeguard seasons and dog rules are set locally.
Flags run from green for low hazard to double red for water closed — see what each flag color means.
Tide predictions come from NOAA station Anna Maria Key, Bradenton Beach (8726243).
Weather and marine forecasts come from the National Weather Service at Sarasota Bradenton Intl (KSRQ).
Red tide readings come from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission monitoring map.
Holmes Beach sits on Manatee County's stretch of Gulf coast, where the organism behind red tide, Karenia brevis, occurs naturally. The state resamples Gulf waters every eight days on a rolling basis to keep FWC's statewide map current. The pattern is uneven by nature, so conditions can shift noticeably within a short stretch of coast, and bloom activity generally strengthens through late summer, with the peak months usually falling between September and November. See today's statewide red tide status.
That depends on the flag and the surf, and both change through the day. Coasti shows the posted lifeguard flag when a current one exists, and estimates from surf, wind and rip-current risk when it does not. Today's answer for Holmes Beach loads at the top of this page.
Holmes Beach has lifeguards in season. Outside those months no flag is posted, and no flag flying does not mean the water is safe.
Parking at Holmes Beach is free. Free street parking, limited. Fees and lot hours change, so check locally before you go.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach at Holmes Beach. Nearby rules vary, so check locally before you go.
It is quartz rather than crushed shell or coral. Quartz reflects more light, so it looks whiter and stays noticeably cooler underfoot on a hot afternoon.
More Manatee County beaches · All beaches Coasti covers · Red tide status · What the flags mean