With Summer right around the corner and Spring Break is already here for most areas, I put together a list of top beaches in the Tampa Bay area.
FORT DE SOTO PARK
Tierra Verde
Fort de Soto
Park's eponymous century-old Spanish-American War fort serves as a centerpiece for the multi-faceted county park with two separate white-sand beaches. The park lies between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay and is known for its birds and complete facilities, including picnic shelters, two fishing piers, a dog park and concessions. Extensive recreational activities include hiking, biking, kayaking, boat excursions and camping.
Fort De Soto has the only dog park where dogs are allowed on the beach in a designated area. There are also 2 fenced in areas near the beach for large and small dog with water stations (beach entrance is at the far southwest corner of dog park)
CALADESI ISLAND STATE PARK
Dunedin
Accessible only by boat (although you can sometimes walk across from Clearwater Beach at low tide), Caladesi Island State Park remains lightly populated despite its reputation for plush white sands and unspoiled demeanor. A ferry from nearby Honeymoon Island State Park makes the short trip to Caladesi for sun-lovers, fishermen, nature trail hikers and picnickers. Docks accommodate boat-in visitors, and a playground keeps the kids happy.
PASS-A-GRILLE BEACH
St. Petersburg
This quirky community south of St. Pete Beach has a renegade history of rum- and drug-smuggling. Today, its public beach welcomes families with expansive widths of sand, a gradually sloping sea bottom and mellow Gulf of Mexico waves. A number of restaurants and bars lie on the b
each or a few steps away. The beachy town has an artistic verve with a string of galleries and shops along Eighth Avenue, the main drag just off the beach.
SIESTA BEACH
Siesta Key
For decades, Siesta Key has been winning awards for whitest and softest sand in the world. The thick carpet of sand is made up of quartz crystals that wash down from North Florida beaches. Siesta Key Beach is a beach where you can enjoy fishing, boating, parasailing, kayaking, snorkeling, swimming, or you can just dip your toes in the sand and enjoy a good book or the amazing view, but don't forget to keep an eye out for those playful dolphins.
CLEARWATER BEACH
Clearwater
Pier 60 anchors the island’s main beach and is the site of a nightly sunset celebration hailed with musical performances and artisan vendors. Roomy and cu
shy, Clearwater Beach is part of a recent $30 million Beach Walk renovation project that makes the beachfront modern and thoroughly pedestrian friendly. A cool playground, shops, great restaurants, fine resorts and volleyball courts: Everything is convenient to this urban beach.
