Visit Florida Gallery

In 2015, Visit Florida featured a series of articles about our Florida Scenic Highways. A different photographer took photos of each byway as part of this project, giving us a wonderful window on each byway. Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway was photographed by Lara Cerri. All images are copyrighted by Lara Cerri and Visit Florida, and cannot be used for any other purpose than this gallery.

A walker finds solace on the Gulf of Mexico beach on Anna Maria Island, where the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway runs parallel to the water. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Bradenton Beach resident Paul Curtis takes his morning bicycle ride on one of the many bike trails on Anna Maria Island that are accessible from the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Morning Bicycle Ride

Morning Bicycle Ride

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Bradenton Beach resident Paul Curtis is surprised by a friendly squirrel as he pauses on his morning bicycle ride on an Anna Maria Island bike trail that is accessible from the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Friendly Squirrel

Friendly Squirrel

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Tourists enjoy the morning at Longboat Pass, which connects Sarasota Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The Longboat Pass bridge, which connects Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, is the southern end of the 2.8-mile long Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Longboat Pass

Longboat Pass

Photo by: Lara Cerri

John Ginaven, of Longboat Key, visits Leffis Key daily to look for wildlife, including herons and white pelicans. The key is an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Leffis Key Island Preserve

Leffis Key Island Preserve

Photo by: Lara Cerri

White pelicans, which frequently visit Florida in the winter, splash about Sarasota Bay off of Leffis Key. The key is an island preserve that is directly accessible from the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
White Pelicans

White Pelicans

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Al and Angela Crisp, of Holmes Beach, look out over Sarasota Bay from Leffis Key, an island preserve that is directly accessible from the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Sarasota Bay from Leffis Key

Sarasota Bay from Leffis Key

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Visitors at the Via Roma Beach Resort relax in and around the pool on a November afternoon. The Mediterranean-style resort includes condos with kitchens, a beachfront pool and BBQ area. It is located at 2408 Gulf Dr. N., right on the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Via Roma Beach Resort

Via Roma Beach Resort

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Collected shells dry out on a towel at Bradenton Beach, where visitors can travel to via the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Collected Shells

Collected Shells

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island offers wide swaths of sugary sand, an old Florida feel and less crowds than most tourist beaches. The Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway runs alongside this public beach. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Sugary Sand

Sugary Sand

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Boats, bikes, pedestrians and vehicles all use the Longboat Pass bridge, which connects Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. The bridge is the southern end of the 2.8-mile long Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Longboat Pass Bridge

Longboat Pass Bridge

Photo by: Lara Cerri

A cyclist rides along the Coquina Beach trail in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. Bradenton Beach has more than five miles of bike paths and bike lanes along Gulf Drive, which includes 2.8 miles of the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. Biking Anna Maria Island May 5, 2013 Photo by Lara Cerri
Cyclist Rides Along the Coquina Beach Trail

Cyclist Rides Along the Coquina Beach Trail

Photo by: Lara Cerri

The Gulf of Mexico at sunrise casts a rainbow of hues on Anna Maria Island, where the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway runs parallel to the water. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
The Gulf of Mexico at Sunrise

The Gulf of Mexico at Sunrise

Photo by: Lara Cerri

The Gulf of Mexico at sunrise casts a rainbow of hues on Anna Maria Island, where the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway runs parallel to the water. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
The Gulf of Mexico at Sunrise Casts a Rainbow of Hues

The Gulf of Mexico at Sunrise Casts a Rainbow of Hues

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Terns greet the sun on the Gulf of Mexico shore on Anna Maria Island, where the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway runs parallel to the water. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Terns Greet the Sun

Terns Greet the Sun

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Trolleys run along the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Trolleys run along the Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island.

Trolleys run along the Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island.

Photo by: Lara Cerri

Colorful murals are visible along the Bradenton beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island. (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway on Anna Maria Island is a waterfront highway corridor that offers nature, scenery, and pedestrian and bike-friendly paths. At 2.8 miles long, it offers panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay along Highway 789. It also includes access to Leffis Key, an island preserve with trails and plenty of wildlife and bird viewing.) (Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway) Photo made on 11/30/15 Photo by Lara Cerri
Colorful Murals

Colorful Murals

Photo by: Lara Cerri

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