Visitors and overnight campers are welcome to explore the fort and lighthouse, learn about the area's history and maybe see a sea turtle or other marine life swimming offshore. There is a Caribbean flavor in its old-fashioned houses painted in a variety of pale pastels. Friendly bars, inexpensive restaurants, an abundance of sunshine and plenty of water-related activities keep you busy day and night. Longboat is connected to Anna Maria by a drawbridge. This southern isle has 11 miles of ghost-white beaches to explore and a relaxing environment for sunbathers and swimmers.
Anglers find many secluded spots for surf fishing as well as piers and jetties.
Local marinas offer rental or charter boat service for those seeking the bigger trophies out in the Gulf. The bay bottom forms a surprisingly solid road to Sir William Van Horne's once splendid estate on Ministers Island. And Quaco Beach's Echo Caves yawn in the morning sunlight, revealing a rocky shore that literally sparkles with jade, jasper and aquamarine. The Bay of Fundy's tides are legendary. Potentially treacherous, certainly awe-inspiring, they rise and fall 25 feet, sometimes more than double that, every 12 hours.