Big-city
St. Petersburg boasts a waterfront downtown scene that pulses with energy. Center
of attention, The Pier takes the futuristic shape of an upside down pyramid with
a glass elevator to transport you from its ground-level fishermen’s catwalks,
boutiques and food court up to restaurants, a marine aquarium attraction, and
a five-story view of Tampa Bay.
At the approach to The Pier sit two of
St. Petersburg’s superlative museums: the St. Petersburg Museum of History
and Museum of Fine Arts. Other fascinating museums include the Salvador Dali Museum,
Florida International Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum and Heritage Village.
Downtown
boasts the domed Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and BayWalk,
an entertainment-shopping complex. Hotels in the downtown area range from Victorian
B&Bs to the grand and historic Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club; restaurants,
from an outdoors purveyor of smoked fish and a favorite breakfast joint marked
by a giant chicken to houses of haute fusion. Visit St. Petersburg’s charming
waterfront communities – Safety Harbor and Gulfport – for more fun dining
and shopping. In its outreaches, St. Petersburg spreads an impressive blanket
of green for outdoor enthusiasts. Two of its most outstanding recreational features
include the 2.6-mile Friendship TrailBridge, the nation’s longest over-the-water
recreation trail, and Weedon Island Preserve, home to the Native American Cultural
& Natural History Center.
For the ultimate in nature and recreation,
head to the islands that make St. Petersburg and Clearwater famous. This string
of island pearls begins in the south with a couple of unhooked islands: aptly
named Shell Island and Egmont
The Pier in St. Petersburg
Tim Boyles
Key, home to a wildlife refuge, a historic lighthouse and fort ruins. Its
sister fort went up across the pass at today’s Fort DeSoto Park, occupying
a handful of islands popular with shellers, cyclists and campers.
In twenty-odd
miles of heavily touristed coast, only Pass-a-Grille, at the very southern tip
of the barrier island chain, has the look and feel of a genuine community - two
miles of tidy houses, cared-for lawns, small shops and a cluster of bars and restaurants.
At weekends, informed locals come to enjoy one of the area's liveliest
set of sands. A mile and a half north of Pass-a-Grille, the painfully luxurious
Don Cesar Hotel, is a grandiose pink castle, filling seven beachside acres. Continuing
north on Gulf Boulevard brings you into the main section of St. Pete Beach, a
string of uninspiring hotels, motels and eating places. Further north,
Treasure Island is even less varied tourist territory. An arching drawbridge leads
to Madeira Beach, essentially more of the same - although, if you can't make it
to Pass-a-Grille, the beach here justifies a weekend fling. Anclote
Key State Park
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB
stands lookout
on the southern end of the island's four-mile beach while ospreys nest in the
pines throughout the island. Six distinct biological communities provide habitat
for dozens of species of birds including bald eagles. Anclote Key is an excellent
swimming area and provides a perfect area for nature study. The island is accessible
only by boat, but you can catch a ride from the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs. Fred
Howard Park
Located in north Pinellas County on the Gulf of Mexico, this
150-acre family park features a 1,000-foot public beach. A mile-long causeway
connects the swimming area with the mainland. It’s a good spot to windsurfing
or to watch others who are. Sunset Beach
This small city-run park
in Tarpon Springs features a quiet, sheltered waterway in the north end of Pinellas
County. The light surf and constant breeze makes this a perfect area for windsurfing
or sunset watching. Honeymoon Island State Park
Both sandy and
rocky shores line this state park. Wildlife is abundant, and two bird observation
areas and nature trails offer plenty of opportunities to see osprey and other
native Florida
A family plays in the sand
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area
CVB wildlife. Sunbathing, shelling, swimming, fishing and picnicking are also
popular here. Caladesi Island State Park
Named by Dr. Stephen
P. Leatherman (Dr. Beach) as the fourth best beach in the United States this year,
Caladesi is a pristine island only accessible by boat. Enjoy the three-mile nature
trail that winds through the island’s interior. Ferries depart hourly from
nearby Honeymoon Island. Spend your day shelling, picnicking, swimming or scuba
diving. Clearwater Beach/Pier 60 Park
This wide beach of sugar-fine
sand draws volleyball players, sun worshippers and swimmers. In other words, this
is where the action is. Pier 60 Park features a recreation complex on Clearwater's
expansive beach with covered playgrounds, fishing and concessions. Come visit
Pier 60 for festivals, concerts, entertainment, and most of all, beautiful Gulf
of Mexico sunsets. Sand Key Park
With a half-mile of powder-white
sand and gorgeous blue water, Sand Key Park is consistently rated among the top
beaches in the Unites States. Hosting mostly families, the 90-acre park includes
picnic shelters, restrooms and plenty of parking. Bellaire Beach
This
beach is the beginning of a narrow strip of gulf-side communities surrounded by
the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other. Belleair
Beach offers several public beach access points along Gulf Boulevard. The largest
site is at Morgan Street. The Belleair Causeway, a popular place to windsurf and
kayak, connects Belleair Beach to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area mainland. Indian
Rocks Beach
Indian Rocks Beach features wide, flat, white-sand beaches
on the Gulf of Mexico and is accessible by more than 20 beach access points along
Gulf Boulevard. The public access park is conveniently located near several restaurants
and shops. Indian Shores
Indian Shores includes a fishing pier
and access to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. The beachside sanctuary is the largest
wild bird hospital in the United States and cares for more than 500 birds at a
time. Public beach access is north of Park Boulevard. Tiki Gardens park is the
most popular beach access point in the area and features ample parking, restrooms
and showers. Redington Shores, North Redington Beach and Redington Beach
Redington
Shores, North Redington Beach and Redington Beach are relatively quiet neighborhood
beaches known for three fishing piers.
The Don CeSar is a prominent feature
on the St. Pete Beach coastline
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB
Public
beach access points are available throughout the area. Madeira Beach
A favorite among tourists and locals, this wide, sandy beach is packed
on weekends with families and singles, both young and old. At the southern end
is John's Pass Village. This cozy, turn-of-the-19th century fishing village is
a world apart in rustic charm. There are several beach access points, the largest
being at the County Park, which is a 1-½-acre site featuring 450 feet of
beach, ample parking, restrooms and showers. Treasure Island
This
big, wide, community beach has abundant sea shells on its white shores, which
are often jamming with sports, concerts and cooking and crafts shows. A playground
and three public boat ramps are also on site. There are six public access points. St.
Pete Beach
Set on seven-mile Long Key, which also contains the community
of Pass-a-Grille and the renowned Don Cesar Hotel, St. Pete Beach offers wide
swaths of shelly sand and usually calm waters, making this a popular family hangout
and is an ideal place for a long walk. Water sports abound on these five-miles
of soft sand.
Yellow chaises dot the Treasure Island shoreline
St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Area CVB
Public access, restrooms and showers are available at Upham Beach. Pass-a-Grille
Beach
The first established town on Florida's West Coast barrier islands,
Pass-A-Grille retains its historic charm. The area has no tall buildings and the
beach is wide. The two-block-wide peninsula features inns, stores and restaurants.
There is parking along the beach, and showers and restrooms are located near the
center of town. Shell Key
This island features dynamic sand dunes
and beaches. Shell Key remains one of the last pristine barrier islands in Florida,
providing ideal habitat for more than 100 species of nesting, migrating and wintering
seabirds and shorebirds. Its beach offers excellent shelling and sunbathing opportunities.
Located near Tierra Verde just north of Ft. DeSoto Park, this island is accessible
only by boat. You can catch a ride from St. Pete Beach. Fort De Soto
Park
This year, Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, also known as Dr.Beach, ranked
Fort De Soto Park the number one beach in the continental United States. A historic
fort built during the Spanish-American War is located on Mullet Key, the largest
of the five islands making up this unique area that features fishing piers, kayak
rentals, rollerblading and biking trails, camping areas and 900 unspoiled acres
including seven miles of wide, white-sand beaches. Egmont Key
This
440-acre island wildlife refuge was once a camp for captured Seminoles and, later,
a Civil War Navy Base. Accessible only by boat, this island is recognized by its
1858 lighthouse and the ruins of Fort Dade. Daily tours to the island are offered
from Ft. DeSoto, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island and John's Pass. | 
