There are two types of people who visit the beach: the locals and the tourists. While both are valued beachgoers, tourists tend to be less informed on proper beach etiquette. Never fear, tourists! We’re here to help you with that. These simple tips will ensure that you’re following proper beach-going protocol and will make your trip that much smoother. Here is everything you need to know about beach etiquette:

Setup and Take Down Services

The perfect beach trip starts with the perfect beach accessories. If you’re visiting the beach for the first time, you will want lounge chairs and umbrellas. Having to set up and tear down your stuff can be a big hassle. That’s why hiring a setup and take-down service is the way to go! Not only will that make your beach experience less stressful, but it will also ensure that everything is cleaned up the right way at the end of your beach day. Proper clean-up is so important for many reasons, but one of the main ones is to protect wildlife. Any furniture or umbrellas left behind can be extremely hazardous for the animals that call the beach home. Especially the sea turtles that lay eggs in the sand. Two wonderful setup and take-down services on Anna Maria Island are Beach Suites AMI and CabanUP. They will be there to do the hard work, so you don’t have to!

Double Check Before Bringing your Pet

Even though your pet is your pride and joy, it is important to respect the “no dogs allowed” policy at public beaches on Anna Maria Island. This rule was put in place for a variety of reasons, including the safety of other beachgoers, the safety of your animal, and the preservation of the natural wildlife and ecosystem of the beaches. There are several dog-friendly spots on the island, including Bayfront Park and Robinson’s Preserve. Anna Maria Island is a beautiful and exciting destination for all, whether you have two legs – or four!

Be Mindful of Your Music

No trip to the beach is complete without the perfect background music. There’s nothing quite like basking in the sun while your favorite songs play. There is something special about the crashing of the waves mixing in with the beat of fun music. However, there may be some people on the beach who are not interested in hearing your music. That, or they may have a music preference of their own! Because of this, you must be courteous about the volume of your music. Whether you’re playing off of your phone, Bluetooth speakers, or going old-fashioned with a boombox, the polite thing to do is, make sure your songs are not playing too loud. If you have a pair of headphones you like to use, that is always a great option. Having the perfect beach experience is important and if your music helps create that for you, go for it! Just make sure you are mindful of everyone else around you.

Don’t Leave Trash

As mentioned before, a lot of wildlife make homes for themselves on the beach. Leaving trash behind can be very dangerous for them. That is the number one reason why picking up any wrappers, cups, or unfinished food is so important. It is also important because we all want to keep the beaches beautiful. There is nothing worse than taking in the views of the sun, sea, and sand, and then all of a sudden, there’s a pile of trash in the middle of it. Luckily, most beaches have easy access to trash cans, which makes disposing of things easy and convenient. If there aren’t trash cans nearby, the right thing to do is bring your trash with you and dispose of it elsewhere. As beachgoers, we want to keep the wildlife safe and our beaches beautiful!

On Anna Maria Island, we love our beach tourists! They are part of what keeps the beautiful island thriving. That’s why we value making sure everyone knows how to practice proper beach etiquette. Doing the right thing keeps our beach beautiful, the wildlife safe, and everyone having a good time. What more could you ask for? If you’re in the process of planning your next beach getaway, there’s no better place to stay than a Serendipity Rental. Our beautiful vacation homes have everything you need to make your vacation one for the books!