St PETE BEACH
Area: Florida
Country: United States of America


Location:
In the SE United States, on the Gulf coast, halfway down the peninsula of Florida State. 20 mls S of Clearwater Beach; St Petersburg town 20 mls; Sarasota 40 mls; Orlando 110 mls; Tampa International airport 25 mls; Clearwater/St Petersburg airport 15 mls.

Telephone code from UK:
1 727

Position:
A key (or cay) on the Gulf of Mexico. Linked by road bridges to the resorts of Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Redington Beach and Indian Rocks.

Description:
With its pleasant, upmarket atmosphere, this resort is more sophisticated and quieter than Clearwater Beach, but not as classy as Naples, Marco Island or Sarasota. Built along the main coast road in a strip 7 mls long, there is no real centre; much of the action (restaurants/bars) is spread out, often tucked into side streets off the main road. (For nightlife of any note, one must visit downtown St Petersburg, where nightspots often host live bands.) Being flat and paved, St Pete Beach is suitable for those with mobility problems, but, as hotels and amenities are quite spread out in some parts, motorised transport might be needed.

Suitability:
Attracts all sorts, including many mature visitors (mainly American and Canadian) in winter, more families in summer. The British are the most numerous Europeans.

Accommodation:
A good selection, and generally of a medium- to first-class standard.

Shopping:
All the basics; the main shopping plaza is Dolphin Village.

Beach:
Good, wide and excellent for all: 7 mls of powdery white sand.

Entertainments:
Daytime: some hotels have tennis courts and there are public ones within a few miles. Many types of fishing; charter boats. Water sports (for a charge), including para-sailing, windsurfing, catamarans and sailing. Local history museum.

Eating:
A reasonable choice of restaurants and bars, as well as the in-house restaurants of the better hotels.

Public-transport:
A public bus runs along the main coast road (weekly passes available for unlimited use), which goes past most of the hotels. A change of bus is necessary for St Petersburg. Taxis can be booked from hotels and restaurants without difficulty. While useful, a car is not essential if a beachside holiday is all you want.

Local-excursions:
Tour companies operate bus trips to Orlando, bookable at most hotels. Cruises include dinner, dolphin-watching and shelling excursions. More choice in St Petersburg town: a municipal pier with trolley rides, small aquarium, restaurants, etc; the Salvador Dali Museum has a comprehensive collection of the artist's works; Museum of Fine Arts; the Florida Holocaust Museum. See also Tampa.