Anne's Beach is a beach in Monroe County, Florida. It sits roughly 11.2 km (7.0 mi) SW of Islamorada.
Anne's Beach is located at Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida. The Islamorada Beach is dedicated to local environmentalist Anne Eaton. There are 2 parking lots approximately 1/4 mile (0.40 km) apart on US-1 at MM 73. Anne's Beach features a shallow swimming area, covered picnic tables, boardwalk and bathroom facilities. This Keys Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean, but there is almost no wave action, due to the wide expanse of shallow water typical for Florida Keys beaches. Typical of Anne's Beach is the shallow and warm to very warm waters all year around. The sandbar is composed entirely of calcium carbonate. Fully replaced after being destroyed by Hurricane Irma (2017), Anne's Beach reopened on August 23, 2019. Three hundred feet of boardwalk, six pavilions, and a restroom are all available and located at the north parking lot. Dogs are permitted but must be leashed. No motor...From the Wikipedia article “Anne's Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anne's Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:35 AM | 64° ENE | 8:16 PM | 297° WNW | 89° | 13h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 65° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 116° ESE | 5:39 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 35m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 46m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 21m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 40m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 32m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 01m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 56m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 36m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Anne's Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 36° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 6:08 AM | 2.7 | 32° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 4.0 | 36° | SE → S |
| May | 11:35 PM – 5:15 AM | 5.7 | 36° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 5:03 AM | 7.3 | 36° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.8 | 36° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 4.2 | 36° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 2.8 | 33° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:33 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.48 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (64%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 81 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 51 | 54 | 59 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 77 | 67 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Matecumbe Bight, Lower Matecumbe Key, Fla. Bay, 181 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Anne's Beach, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anne's Beach?
What time is golden hour at Anne's Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anne's Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anne's Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anne's Beach?
How far is Anne's Beach from Islamorada?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.