St. Pete Beach

The beach is the whole point of St. Pete Beach. One long strip of fine, pale quartz sand runs the length of the barrier island along calm, shallow Gulf water that rarely has much surf. The southern end at Pass-a-Grille is the most relaxed stretch, with low buildings and wide sand that faces west into the sunset. Upham Beach to the north is narrower and quieter. A short drive south, Fort De Soto has long, uncrowded beaches backed by sea oats and pines, and boats run out to the undeveloped sands of Shell Key.

From May to October the water sits around 28°C to 31°C, warm enough to stay in for hours. In winter it drops to about 18°C to 20°C, which suits sunbathers and walkers more than swimmers. Summer afternoons bring short thunderstorms, and red tide now and then makes the water unpleasant for a spell.

Most eating here is casual and close to the water: seafood shacks, open-air beach bars and waterfront grills serving grouper sandwiches, fried shrimp, smoked fish spread and stone crab claws in season. Pass-a-Grille and Corey Avenue have a few more relaxed sit-down places, and sunset dinner on a deck is the local ritual. Beyond that the range is thin, with many chain and resort restaurants along Gulf Boulevard. For craft breweries, coffee roasters and more ambitious cooking, visitors drive across to St. Petersburg.

St. Pete Beach has little to see beyond its beaches. The Don CeSar, a pink Mediterranean Revival hotel from the 1920s, is the town's landmark. Pass-a-Grille's historic district keeps old beach cottages and a small local history museum. The Spanish-American War batteries at Fort De Soto are a short drive south. The serious museums are across the bay in St. Petersburg.

Evenings revolve around sunset. Crowds gather at beach bars and tiki decks along Gulf Boulevard and at Pass-a-Grille, often with a cover band playing, and things wind down not long after dark for most visitors. There are a few lively bars on Corey Avenue and in the larger resorts, but no club scene. Anyone wanting a later, bigger night goes to downtown St. Petersburg, about half an hour away by car.

The landscape here is flat: barrier islands, mangrove channels, seagrass flats and the wide shallow mouth of Tampa Bay. Most outdoor time is spent on the water. Kayak and paddleboard trails wind through the mangroves at Fort De Soto and Shell Key, dolphins are easy to spot from boats, and manatees come into the bay in cooler months. Fishing from piers and charter boats is popular. Birdwatchers come for the shorebirds, pelicans and roseate spoonbills. There are flat cycling paths, but no hills and very little real hiking, and the humid summer heat pushes activity into the early morning.

St. Petersburg is the obvious trip out, about half an hour across the causeways, with its waterfront, the Dalí Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Tampa is under an hour away for the cigar-factory streets of Ybor City and the riverwalk. Tarpon Springs, a sponge-diving town with Greek roots, and Dunedin, a small Scottish-founded town, lie to the north. Across the Sunshine Skyway bridge, Sarasota's Ringling estate and the old-Florida beach towns of Anna Maria Island are about an hour away. Orlando and its theme parks are at the outer edge of a day, around two hours by car.

For young children this is easy beach country. The water is shallow and usually calm, the sand is soft, and many hotels on Gulf Boulevard have pools and direct beach access. Dolphin-watching boats, shelling at Shell Key and the fort and fishing pier at Fort De Soto fill the days beyond the sand. Clearwater's marine aquarium and Tampa's aquarium and science centre are within an hour. The Busch Gardens theme park is about the same distance, and Orlando is a long day trip. Expect to drive between most of these. Summer heat, strong sun and afternoon storms mean planning the day around the cooler hours.

The town is one long, narrow strip along Gulf Boulevard. A beach trolley runs its length, and the compact centres of Pass-a-Grille and Corey Avenue are pleasant to walk or cycle. Beyond that, a car makes life much simpler. Fort De Soto, St. Petersburg, Tampa and every day trip are a drive away, and public buses to the mainland are slow. Tampa's airport is roughly 45 minutes by road.

Shopping here is mostly swimwear, beach gear and souvenirs along Gulf Boulevard. Corey Avenue has a few independent boutiques and galleries, and there are small art and craft shops in Pass-a-Grille. For malls, department stores or anything more serious, visitors head inland to St. Petersburg or Tampa.

St. Pete Beach is expensive. Beachfront resorts charge high rates, above all from February to April when northern visitors arrive for the warm weather, and eating out comes at full American prices with tips on top. Most visitors also need a hire car. Older motels a block back from the sand, casual seafood places and the quieter late-summer season make a cheaper stay possible. The beaches themselves cost nothing beyond parking.

Live performance in town means cover bands and acoustic sets at beach bars. For anything more, visitors drive to St. Petersburg, where there are mid-sized theatres, concert halls and the Florida Orchestra's season. Tampa's large performing arts centre, about 45 minutes away, hosts touring musicals and opera.

There is no bathing tradition here. Wellness means the full-service spas in the larger beach resorts and a scattering of day spas and massage studios along Gulf Boulevard. What the town does well is pace. Days drift from a morning walk on the sand to long afternoons and a sunset that people stop to watch. Pass-a-Grille in particular feels unhurried, and away from the spring-break weeks the place is easy to slow down in.