Top 5 Quiet Beaches in Tampa, Florida
When I first moved to Tampa from Chicago, this was one of the things I was really excited about. I would go to the “beach” in Chicago every other weekend even during the wintertime. So you best believe I was going to make the most of these 3 years in Tampa!
Here are some of my favorite quiet beaches. Let me know if you would like part two.
Located just South of St. Petersburg, Florida, Fort De Soto Park is made up of five offshore keys, or islands: Madelaine Key, St. Jean Key, St. Christopher Key, Bonne Fortune Key, and the main island, Mullet Key. These are connected by bridges, making it easy to travel in between them.
I visited Fort De Soto in 2020 and this park/beach is perfect for social distancing due to quarantine orders. You have to pay $5 to enter the park as a Florida resident, so it’s less crowded than most of the free beaches in the area. You can do a picnic here and make a whole day out of it.
As you can see in the video, this place felt like a private beach. You can also spot a lot of dolphins here (check out the video below). Please do not feed the dolphins if you see any, the fine is $100,000 and it’s illegal.
2. The Don CeSar
It’s also known as the Pink Palace, and when you see the pictures you’ll know why. This is not a public beach, which is why it’s so exclusive and quiet. You have to stay here as a guest to use their private beach and amenities. And it’s definitely worth it.
The Don CeSar is located right next to St Pete downtown. The downtown area has a lot of restaurants and hangout spots to check out. I love watching the sunset at the beach and driving over to eat at St Pete downtown. Some of my favorite restaurants in the area are:
Hawkers Asian Street Food is known for its street food from different Asian cuisines. This place is always packed, and rightfully so. It’s a good idea to make reservations in advance. And if you forget to make reservations, don’t worry because Central Ave has a lot of unique food options. You can even grab some ice cream later. I personally love Paciugo Gelato & Caffè since it reminds me of Chicago.
3. Treasure Island
All beaches are the same, “it’s just sand and water”, someone once said to me. What they don’t know is, the less crowded it is…the fewer people have peed in it. Do you disagree? Well, this is another one of my favorite beaches during Covid-19 quarantine time, because it’s a residential beach. Not a lot of tourists know about this spot. It’s perfect for social distancing, and if you like a good sunset then you’ve got to check this out. You can even spend a whole day here doing activities:
- You can rent an 8 to 14 person boat or individual or tandem kayaks https://treasureisleboats.com/
- If you love to Jet Ski then check them out!
- Snapper’s Sea Grill is absolutely amazing! I got Lobster and Shrimp Fra Diavolo, and let me just say…my friends wanted a piece of that.
This is not my video but I love how it covers everything in it. Everyone wants to go to Clearwater Beach, I mean why wouldn’t you. Clearwater Beach is known for its white sand, jet-skiing, parasailing, stand-up paddleboarding, and has a beautiful pier. But it is also very crowded. You can enjoy the same beautiful white sand beach with fewer people at Sand Key Park. This does not have a pier, but it has a narrow stretch of land surrounded by water on each side. This is my favorite part of Sand Key Park.
You have to try Island Grille when you visit Sand Key Park. You can watch the beautiful sunset from here and enjoy some fresh-caught seafood. They even have a sushi bar and steak on their menu. I would also check out Sea-Guini if I were you. These two have a completely different vibe but the food and ambiance are great!
Who doesn’t love white sand along the Gulf Coast? There are lots of beach boutiques and casual seafood spots near Pass a Grille Beach, especially along 8th Avenue. The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum is beautiful to look at. Basically, it reminds me of a little postcard town. They also have boat tours departing from Merry Pier. In addition to offering boat tours, Merry Pier is a popular fishing spot. This beach has tons of food options all along the water so you can’t really go wrong. If you are not feeling the food scene here, then you are really close to St. Petersburg. Always worth the short drive.
It’s hard to not smile this big after walking in slow motion on the beach right? Have you guys been to any of these beaches? Have you heard of all of them or did you learn something new today? If all of the above is yes, then I hope at least it put a smile on your face. Love y’all! ?
Until next post.
Xoxo Samiya
