Bradenton holiday condo: Bradenton

Shorewalk at Bradenton is in a very good position: handy for the excellent, clean beaches at Anna Maria Island; close to local shops and restaurants and just a short drive to Sarasota for more shops and restaurants; and close to a fast motorway to Tampa for even more shopping, and Orlando for theme parks.

The complex itself is clean and well maintained, with good facilities, including two very good, small swimming pools, tennis courts and a clubhouse, and with attractive grounds. There's plenty of wild life around, including ducks, geese, herons, turtles, and squirrels. Wi-fi was free at the clubhouse, or you could pay a small amount per week for wi-fi in your condo.

The condo that we rented was large and airy, with a well stocked kitchen/diner; a good sized lounge with a large dining table and comfy sofas; a very good sized master bedroom with en-suite toilet and shower, and huge walk-in wardrobe; another good sized second bedroom; and a separate bathroom. There was also a nice enclosed veranda with padded chairs and a table with views over one of the lakes. It was nice and clean, well maintained, and very comfortable with the all-important air-conditioning to keep us cool.

For the nights when you don't want to cook, there are plenty of good local restaurants and fast food takeaway places within a few minutes drive, and branches of Applebee's and Outback are within walking distance. The best pancakes we've ever eaten were found at the First Watch cafe at the 71st Street shopping centre on Cortez Road, a couple of miles west of Shorewalk - huge, but light and fluffy, and delicious. We also loved the donuts at Bradenton Donuts, a vintage cafe on 14th Street on the way to Sarasota.

The owners were very helpful and friendly, replying quickly to any questions I had, and the local agents for the property were also very helpful. The only, minor, problem I had was that the agents wanted payment in either cash or by money order, which was not as convenient as paying by debit card. It was easy enough getting cash before I traveled, but it meant carrying a large sum of money with me on the flight from the UK. As I say, only a minor problem, but allowing payment by debit card would have made the entire rental process completely trouble free.

In conclusion, this was a perfect holiday spot for me and my family, and I would not hesitate to recommend this condo for families looking for a good self-catering holiday, and a wide range of holiday activities.