Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway

Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway is a 2.8-mile stretch of Gulf Drive, signed as State Road 789, on Anna Maria Island west of Sarasota in Manatee County. The route begins at the Longboat Pass Bridge and runs north through the small beach city of Bradenton Beach, one of three communities that share Anna Maria Island's stretch of Gulf coastline. It's officially recognized under the Florida Scenic Highways Program, with a local advisory group, the city's Scenic W.A.V.E.S. Partnership Committee, overseeing its upkeep as a designated corridor. Rather than high-rise development, the drive passes low-slung cottages, small motels, and beach shops that preserve an older, "Old Florida" character increasingly rare on the state's barrier islands. Public beach access points line the west side of the road for most of its length, and the short distance makes it easy to drive slowly, park, and walk onto the sand rather than treating it as a through-route. It's one of the newer additions to Florida's scenic highway program, reflecting the island's push to protect its low-key character.

• Gulf Drive / SR 789
• 2.8 miles
• Anna Maria Island
• Longboat Pass Bridge
• Manatee County
• "Old Florida" beach character