Amazing Beaches in St. Petersburg
Amazing Beaches In St. Petersburg
Ahhhh. Nothing is better than spending a day at an amazing beach in St. Petersburg. This area is known for its award-winning beaches, white sugar sands, and unforgettable sunsets. The beach communities along the Gulf Coast all have their own character and flair and it’s easy to see why the amazing beaches of St. Petersburg are a popular destination for visitors, year round!
Amazing Beaches In St. Petersburg
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Fort Desoto Beach
Located at the southern tip of Pinellas County, Ft. Desoto Beach includes over 1,100 acres of wilderness, including 5 islands. This is a very family and dog-friendly beach and park system.
Plan on spending an entire day wandering around this vast area by land and sea. Kayak, canoe, and bicycle rentals are available within the park, and there is a 7-mile paved, multi-use trail throughout.
Ft. Desoto has ample parking spots during the weekdays, but get there early on the weekends, otherwise, the overflow parking is all along the road.
Bring your furry friend to the pet-friendly, leash-free dog beach and dog park. The dog park has hoses to rinse Fido off after a day of sand and surf.
Ft. Desoto has 15 picnic pavilions, a snack bar, and a fishing pier. Visitors will often spot dolphins, manatees, stingrays, birds, and other marine wildlife. Large ships in the shipping channel are fun to watch, too!
The campground, located just before the park entrance, offers 238 varied campsites, a camp store, playgrounds, and nice restroom facilities. Take care of your food from the scrounging raccoons!
Ft. Desoto was named Trip Advisor’s Top Beach in 2009 and Dr. Beach named Ft. Desoto Beach the nation’s #1 beach in 2005.
Gandy Beach
Gandy Beach, affectionately nicknamed the Redneck Riviera, is not your typical pristine beach, however, being able to pull your pickup truck, or car, down on the beach and party will appeal to a certain crowd.
Located on the south end of Gandy Boulevard, this beach, with few restrictions, gets very busy on the weekends, but if you’re looking for a beach party, this is your place.
During the weekdays, this is a fantastic place to launch paddle craft and explore the adjacent mangroves.
Don’t forget to wear some sort of footwear, since there is not much by way of cleanup and maintenance, you will likely encounter broken glass and other debris.
Let the dogs run, cast out a line, enjoy your car-side picnic, and enjoy the Redneck Riviera of St. Petersburg.
Madeira Beach
By default, this is my absolute favorite beach because it used to also be my address during high school and early adult years. Things have changed over the decades, just like anywhere else, but one thing remains the same; Madeira Beach is a fishing village with a personality all its own.
John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk has a lot of kitschy shops to browse and many places to grab a bite to eat. You can’t go wrong with any of the fresh seafood options.
There are public parking lots along Gulf Boulevard that provide direct Gulf Access to the white sandy beaches this area is known for.
Grab some candy or ice cream at the Candy Kitchen, a Madeira Beach staple for over 70 years! This small shop has just about any kind of candy you can imagine from vintage faves to new releases.
Hubbard’s Marina offers half-day, full-day, and multi-day fishing trips, along with dolphin watching, sunset cruises, and Egmont Key ferries.
Book now to reserve your Hubbard’s Marina boating adventure!
North Shore Beach
This little gem is located in downtown St. Petersburg and offers a wonderful park with an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a playground, and a white sandy beach! I first learned to paddle board from this beach, so it holds a special place.
Keep an eye on the tide chart, as it does get very shallow during low tides. This is a popular beach for windsurfers, kayakers, paddleboarders, and swimmers.
The North Shore Park has lots of space, a nicely paved multi-use trail, and trees to hang a hammock.
Located just north of the downtown area, you can easily walk, bike, or paddle to the heart of the city.
Tampa Bay is not known as a SCUBA diving destination, however, there are many wonderful dive shops in the area to get your certifications and refreshers.
Also Read: 9 Great Tips to Avoid Sunburn At The Beach
Pass-A-Grille Beach
South of the “Pink Palace”, the Don Cesar Beach Resort, you will find the quaint beach and village of Pass-A-Grille. This is a little sliver of paradise, tucked away from the hustle of the other beaches, and equally as beautiful.
This beach community has several boutique shops for that one-of-a-kind souvenir, several great seafood bar and grills, and Shadracks, the local’s favorite.
There is a small dog beach area, but the tides must be out for the best experience. You can also find fishing charters, a ferry to Shell Key, and a wonderful municipal beach access with a snack bar and facilities.
Skyway Beach
Skyway Beach is a wind surfer’s paradise and on a windy day, you will find dozens of men and women flying through the air and surf. Literally!
This beach does not sport the sugar sands like most of the beaches on this list, however, it is a secluded sliver of paradise with striking views of the magnificent Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Spa Beach
With the addition of the beautiful, newly constructed, St. Pete Pier, Spa Beach was added at the foot of the pier as a downtown oasis.
It’s small in size but offers a large swimming area for everyone to enjoy. After walking around downtown, it’s nice to kick off the flip-flops and dip the toes into the surf for a bit.
St. Petersburg Beach
The area’s namesake, St. Petersburg Beach, or St. Pete Beach for short, is the epitome of beautiful beach communities. Gulf Boulevard lines this beach with resorts, hotels, shops, and restaurants and is a hot spot for spring breakers, destination weddings, and just for fun trips.
Your friends and family will be jealous of your sunset pictures, tan lines, and stories you’ll tell from your vacation. St. Pete Beach has everything you need, you don’t need to go to the mainland.
Visit the Dolphin Village Shopping Center for the grocery store, liquor store, ice cream, burgers and pizza, and more. While you’re there, book your sunset dolphin cruise at the Dolphin Landings Charterboat Center. (I don’t have an affiliate link for them, but I used to crew for them years ago, they are the best!)
Here’s a tip: Don’t Park at the shopping center for your beach day. You will get towed!
Use this map to get your beachfront rooms reserved. Don’t delay, these will book up quickly!
Treasure Island Beach
Now a part of the City of St. Petersburg, Treasure Island Beach is the hidden gem of beaches. The walk from the parking lot to the surf is very long, as the beaches in this area are vast, full of sea oat vegetation, and gorgeous!
Treasure Island was once lined with mom-and-pop motels with bright neon signs lighting up the boulevard. A couple of these remain, giving Treasure Island a grassroots feeling.
There are many places to get ice cream, a meal, and a T-shirt. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Breakin’ It Down: Amazing Beaches in St. Petersburg
I’m a lucky gal, being able to live in paradise. I don’t take it for granted for one minute! It’s easy to see why the amazing beaches in St. Petersburg are so popular with the locals and millions of visitors, year-round.