St Pete Beach Beach Resort Guide
Introduction
About 10,000 people live in St Pete Beach full time, and with a few exceptions, most serve the tourists that double the population of this Gulf of Mexico village during the busy winter season of December through April. It's just a few blocks wide and measures about 5 sq km (2 square miles).
Who goes there?
British, Canadian and German tourists share the sandy beaches with plenty of middle-income American families. The town has about 3,000 gulf-front rooms in more than two dozen hotels and motels. In addition, there are mid-rise developments whose flats are time-shares, owned by people who occupy the same unit just one or two weeks every year.
Where in the world?
At the southwestern edge of the widest part of the Florida peninsula in the USA, St Pete Beach is aptly named: its 7.2km (4.5 miles) of white sand beaches are framed on the west by the warm Gulf and to the east, by Boca Ciega Bay (literally, ‘big mouth,' from the Spanish). The resort is flat; the only elevation in the city is the painted traffic stripe down the high street, Gulf Boulevard. The nearest airport is Tampa International Airport (TPA), 50km (31 miles) to the east.
When to go?
St Pete Beach is subtropical and humid, with winter temperatures being an average of 16°C (60°F) and summer months around 27°C (80°F). The busiest times to visit are around Christmas when holidaymakers flock here for some winter sun and the summer school holidays from June to August, although the constant sunshine makes it a great year-round choice. Hurricane season in Florida is June to November.
Beach
All beach land in Florida below the average high-tide mark is open to the public, and St Pete Beach also has municipal beach areas, with food and watersports concession, plus shower facilities. These beaches have their own car parks, with meters. You can wade 50m (164ft) from shore and only get thigh-deep in the gentle waves. It is advisable, when in the water, to shuffle your feet, rather than taking a chance of stepping on a stingray, which would whip its tail up in defence, putting a non-poisonous barb into your leg.
Beyond the beach
For a taste of culture, hire a cab or drive east into St Petersburg and visit the famed Salvador Dali Museum (1000 Third Street South) (
www.salvadordalimuseum.org). If you visit between April and October, head to the city for an American baseball game: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays play at the vast indoor Tropicana Field (16th Street at First Avenue South).
Family fun
Step aboard the 49-passenger catamaran operated by Shell Key Shuttle (801 Pass-a-Grille Way) (
www.shellkeyshuttle.com) for a 10-minute trip to a tiny island that manages to be isolated while still within sight of the peninsula. The ride is a good chance to see dolphins frolic and sea turtles crest the waves.
Retail therapy
Shop shelves on St Pete Beach are stocked with shell-encrusted souvenirs. But the sprawling Tyrone Square Mall (6901 22nd Avenue North) has more than 100 stores crammed with retail delights, from designer covers for your mobile to the latest fashions.
A night on the town
For more than half a century,
Woody's Waterfront Cafe & Beach Bar (7308 Sunset Way) (
www.woodsywaterfront.com) has catered to down-to-earth crowds, with modestly priced seafood and live music six nights a week. For a louder, larger throng, it is
Gator's Cafe and Saloon (12754 Kingfish Drive, Treasure Island), the next community to the north, along busy Gulf Boulevard. It mixes beach and sports bar themes, with Bass, Guinness and Newcastle on draught.
Eating out
These restaurants make you feel like Jimmy Buffet offstage: relaxed, casual, low-key Florida. Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish (1350 South Pasadena Avenue) is legendary for serving smoked mackerel or mullet, with hot potato salad at picnic tables indoors and out. They cook great hamburgers, too. Slightly more upscale (maybe deck shoes instead of flip-flops are in order) is The Hurricane (801 Gulf Way), found across the street from the beach in the funky artists' community of Pass-a-Grille. The Hurricane used to be just a pass-through counter with swivelling barstools on the sidewalk; now it's three storeys tall, with two outer decks and a rooftop music patio. The house special is the grouper sandwich.
Getting around
There is a limited bus service; it's better to take a cab or hire a car, either at Tampa International Airport or from offices along Gulf Boulevard.
Exploring further afield
Get close to indigenous birds by heading north to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary (on the sand at 18328 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Rocks Beach) (
www.seabirdsanctuary.org), which has been a haven for injured critters for more than 35 years. Those too damaged to fly are fed and cared for, and panhandling pelicans show up for daily feedings.
Splashing out
For a memorable start to Sunday, put on your best suit and step into one of Florida's legendary pre-Depression hotels for brunch in the King Charles Room of the
Don CeSar Beach Resort (3400 Gulf Boulevard) (
www.doncesar.com). On the fifth floor of the brightly pink landmark (Robert De Niro was once flown in to film a single beach scene, with the Don providing the 1920s Florida backdrop) the chefs stage a 200-item festival, from crepes to roast beef.
Flying in
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
