The Gulf Islands Ferry: How to Get to Anna Maria Island Without the Bridge Traffic
A complete guide to the Gulf Islands Ferry — schedule, pricing, dock locations, and how to pair it with the free island trolley for a car-free day on Anna Maria Island.
Every Anna Maria Island guide tells you the same thing about getting there: drive over the Cortez Bridge, fight for parking, repeat in reverse at the end of the day. That’s true most of the time. It’s also not the only way anymore.
The Gulf Islands Ferry connects downtown Bradenton directly to Anna Maria Island by water — a scenic, traffic-free 50-minute ride that skips the bridge, the parking search, and the drive entirely. If you haven’t looked into it, it’s worth understanding, especially if you’re staying anywhere near downtown Bradenton.
How the Ferry Works
The Gulf Islands Ferry runs Wednesday through Sunday, year-round, connecting two docks:
- Bradenton Riverwalk Pier — downtown Bradenton, within Rossi Park along the Riverwalk
- Historic Bridge Street Pier — on Anna Maria Island, in the Bridge Street district of Bradenton Beach
The ride takes about 50 minutes each way — longer than driving, but that’s the point. No traffic, no parking stress, and the boat ride itself is part of the experience: open water views the entire way across.
Typical daily departures run from around 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM, with multiple round trips throughout the day (roughly every 1–2 hours). Schedules can shift seasonally, so check GulfIslandsFerry.com for the current day’s departure times before you plan around it — and booking ahead is recommended, especially in season.
Pricing
The ferry is inexpensive relative to what you’d spend on parking and gas fighting bridge traffic:
| Single trip | Round trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18+) | $7 | $11 |
| Senior (60–79) / Military | $5 | $7 |
| Child (4–18) | $5 | $7 |
| Child (under 3) | Free | Free |
| Senior (80+) | Free | Free |
Tickets are cashless — credit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay through the booking site. Service fees may apply on top of the listed prices, so check the final total at checkout.
Where to Park for the Ferry
If you’re departing from the Bradenton Riverwalk Pier, there’s free parking at the City Centre Parking Facility (3rd Avenue West, between 10th and 12th Streets) — about a five-minute walk along the Riverwalk to the dock.
The Bridge Street Pier on the island side has more limited parking, mostly street spots along Bridge Street — worth arriving early if you’re catching the return ferry from that side.
Insider tip from the ferry operator: arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled departure to grab a good seat.
Why This Matters If You’re Staying Near Downtown Bradenton
Here’s the detail that makes this genuinely useful rather than just interesting trivia: the Bradenton Riverwalk dock is 3.2 miles from Let’s Flamingle — about an 8–10 minute drive.
That changes the calculus for a beach day. Instead of driving yourself across the Cortez Bridge, parking in a lot that might already be full by 10 AM, and repeating the whole thing in reverse at the end of the day, you can:
- Drive 10 minutes to the Riverwalk, park for free
- Walk five minutes to the dock
- Take a 50-minute scenic ferry ride across
- Arrive at Bridge Street already in the heart of the island’s restaurant and shopping district
- Hop on the free Anna Maria Island trolley (which runs the length of the island every ~20 minutes) to reach any beach — Cortez, Coquina, Manatee Public Beach, or all the way up to Anna Maria City
No car on the island at all, no parking search, no bridge traffic in either direction. For families who find driving-and-parking to be the most stressful part of a beach day, this removes it entirely.
A Sample Ferry Day
Here’s how a car-free day on Anna Maria Island might actually look, starting from Let’s Flamingle:
9:00 AM — Drive to the Riverwalk, park for free at the City Centre facility.
9:15 AM — Walk the Riverwalk to the dock, grab your seat 15 minutes before departure.
~10:00 AM — Depart Bradenton, enjoy the ride across open water.
~10:50 AM — Arrive at Bridge Street Pier. You’re already in the island’s most walkable dining and shopping district.
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM — Trolley to Cortez Beach or Coquina Beach for the morning, back to Bridge Street for lunch, maybe up to Manatee Public Beach or Anna Maria City in the afternoon.
~4:00 PM or later — Trolley back to Bridge Street Pier, catch the return ferry.
~5:00 PM — Back at the Riverwalk, short drive home to the pool.
The whole day, and you never touched the Cortez Bridge.
A Few Practical Notes
Pets aren’t allowed on the ferry (service animals are welcome). If you’re traveling with a dog, plan for someone to stay behind or drive separately.
Beach gear is fine — towels, coolers, beach chairs, and picnic baskets are all permitted onboard. Bikes are not allowed, per U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
The ferry is wheelchair accessible, with ramps and designated seating that meet ADA standards.
Weather cancellations happen occasionally. If the ferry is cancelled during operating hours, the operator will contact you directly to rebook or arrange alternatives. Building in a little flexibility on the day is smart, especially during Florida’s summer thunderstorm season.
It doesn’t run Monday or Tuesday. If your trip only allows for those two days, you’ll need to drive over the bridge as usual — the ferry isn’t a year-round every-day option.
Is the Ferry Worth It?
If your goal is simply “get to the beach as fast as possible,” driving is still quicker — the bridge crossing itself takes only a few minutes when traffic is light. But if you’re looking for something different from the ordinary beach-day routine, or if bridge traffic and parking searches are the parts of a beach trip you dread, the ferry turns the commute itself into a genuinely enjoyable part of the day. It’s also simply a nice thing to do once during a longer stay — many guests treat it as an activity in its own right rather than pure transportation.
Given how close Let’s Flamingle sits to the Riverwalk dock, it’s an easy option to build into at least one day of your Bradenton trip.
Check availability at Let’s Flamingle → — 3.2 miles from the Bradenton Riverwalk ferry dock, heated pool, full arcade, sleeps up to 10. Book direct and save the platform fee.