Gulf Islands Ferry Extends Regular Service to Presidents’ Day
The Gulf Islands Ferry will extend its regular service schedule to include Presidents’ Day (Monday, February 17, 2025), providing an extra day to enjoy traveling between the downtown Bradenton Riverwalk Pier to the Historic Bridge Street Pier on Anna Maria Island.
“The demand for this service is remarkable and it’s our goal to maximize the schedule during our peak visitation season by providing additional days on the existing schedule to residents and visitors to enhance their experience in the Bradenton Area while alleviating the strain on our roadways to the island that become congested during these optimal beach weekends,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Tourism Bureau.
Weather permitting, the regular service will continue to run Thursday through Sunday. The boats will depart from the Riverwalk Pier beginning at 7:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. to the Historic Bridge Street Pier, on Anna Maria Island with service starting at 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. For more information and the full schedule, visit www.gulfislandsferry.com or the Bradenton Area Tourism Bureau website.
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ABOUT THE GULF ISLANDS FERRY
Launched in January 2024, the Gulf Islands Ferry connects downtown Bradenton to Anna Maria Island. This public transportation service, supported by the tourist development tax, was launched in an effort to cut down on high traffic and car use attempting to access Anna Maria Island during peak travel seasons. This year-round service offers a convenient and affordable 40-minute ride out to the island all while taking in abundant marine wildlife and the amazing local views of the Bradenton Area from the Manatee River and intercoastal waterways. The ferry routes are operated by two ADA-accessible catamarans and a soon to come third boat, the Manatee Belle, which will be fully enclosed and offer a faster service out to the island. Up-to-date run times and scheduling can be found at www.gulfislandsferry.com, or riders can call customer service at 727-200-6487.