Discovering the Greek Heritage of Tarpon Springs, Florida

Located on Florida gulf coast, Tarpon Spring is a known for it’s world famous sponges and amazing Greek food.

Tarpon Springs has a heavy Greek influence as evident by its restaurants, markets, and bakeries. It also has highest percentage of Greek Americans in the United States.

The downtown area is where we spent the morning.  It is located waterfront to the Sponge Docks and is the main hub of the town. It is the best place to find sponges, grab some Greek food, do some shopping, or catch a boat tour. We recommend Hellas Restaurant and Bakery for some great food and pastries!

We came across a man making roses out of palm fronds for donations. We were so impressed and had to have a couple!

The Sponge Docks is the perfect place to sit and rest for a while. If you are there at the right time, you can see the boats as they return from their sponge gathering.

Address:

Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

We spent the afternoon exploring the two beach areas.

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Fred Howard Park Beach has a nice long wide beach with tons of parking. Beaches are also located along the causeway.  The area was very clean and quiet.

 There is a place to rent kayaks to the right as you are leaving the causeway towards the beach. 

Sunset Beach is another beach in Tarpon Spring. It is a popular place to watch the sunset. We arrived before sunset and people were already getting their chairs set up. It was also very clean.

If you have time or are staying for more than a day, St. Nicholas Boat Line has a sponge diving exhibition boat tour where you can learn about the history and harvest of sponges.

Adults $12, seniors (65+) $10, Students (ages 6 – 12) $5, 5 and under free 

Call for reservations:    (727) 942-6425

Address:

693 Dodecanese Blvd.

P.O. Box 382

Tarpon Springs, FL

Lodging

We stayed at the QUALITY INN & SUITES in New Port Richey. I am very picky about hotels and this one had the best reviews online. It was actually nice and clean, but they do have an outside bar that plays loud music until 10pm. I would recommend it if you were going to stay in the Tarpon Springs area for the night.

The hotel is 6 miles from the Sponge Docks.

Address:

5316 US-19, New Port Richey, FL 34652

Tarpon Springs is a great place to explore for both kids and adults. We have been there a couple of times and loved both trips!

Tarpon Springs is located 13 miles north of Clearwater and is about a two hour drive west from Orlando.

Happy Travels!

Honeymoon Island State Park: A Hidden Gem in Florida

Formally known as Hog Island, Honeymoon Island acquired its current name when a New Yorker purchased the island in 1939 and built bungalows for honeymooners.

The island is a barrier island on the gulf coast of Florida and is home to Honeymoon Island State Park. The beautiful undeveloped beaches make it a favorite place for both visitors and locals.

My favorite shells to collect are the turban shells. I have never seen them on any other beach in Florida, or any beach anywhere. I'm sure they other places, I just haven't seen them.

The main beach area is great for swimming and beach activities. The sand is soft with very few rocks in that area. That is also where the restrooms are located.

The pet beach is on the south end of the island. It is a good distance from the parking area to the beach and we had to walk around several puddles of water to get there. The beach is nothing spectacular to look at, but the fur babies will love it. Unfortunately, I do not have the photos that I took of the pet beach. They were on my brand new phone that I dropped in a pool right after we left the park....😭

A fun thing to do is to catch the ferry to Caladesi Island. You can read about our trip here.

Address:

#1 Causeway Blvd.

Dunedin, FL 34698

Hours:

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Admission Fee:

$8.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.

$4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle.

$2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.

$4.00 per vehicle: sunset fee, starting one hour prior to sunset.


Happy Travels! 

Discovering the Hidden Gem of Florida: Caladesi Island State Park

With 3 miles of untouched white sandy beaches, it’s easy to see why Caladesi Island consistently ranks as one of America’s top beaches.  It’s a great place for shelling, hiking the trails, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, or just lying on the beach.

The island is accessible by only by private boat, ferry, or a mile long walk from Clearwater beach.

The Caladesi Island Ferry is located within the Honeymoon Island State park. You will pay an entry fee for the park and then another fee for the ferry.

The ferry will dock on the bay side and then you will take about a 10 minute walk to the beach.

We took the ferry, but I have been told that you can walk from Clearwater Beach. It is about a mile north of Pier 60.

The Bay side

Tips for the trip:

1. Take a bag for all of your beach treasures. You can find a variety of shells, starfish, sea urchins, sand dollars, coral, and sponges.
2. Go early in the morning to get the best shells.
3. There is a store on the island to get food, drinks, and other things you may need, but it is quite a walk from the beach area. I would suggest carrying your own food and drink or purchase something from the store before heading to the beach.

Happy Travels!