Tarpon Springs

Surprisingly there is no springs in Tarpon Springs. They say that the town’s name originated with a remark made by a landowner’s daughters in the late 1800s. They saw fish jumping in the bay and said, “Look at those tarpon spring”.

Quick Tips:

Some people claim that the town is a “Sponge Capital of the World” because Greeks arrived in this lovely town about one hundred years ago to harvest Tarpon Springs’ fertile sponge crops, 30 feet below. We found that influence remains strong in the town’s sponge market, Greek pastry shops, onion-domed St. Nicholas Orthodox church. You will find Greek restaurants, an Athens street, a Poseidon gift shop etc. With a lively atmosphere, the historic Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard are great place to spend an hour browsing the shops selling sponges while Greek music comes from everywhere.

Best Way To Get Around:

From Tampa we took I-75 north and turn left (exit 58) on SR 54. Alternatively, you can take SR 580, than US 19 and left on Tarpon Ave (SR 582). Walking is the best way to get around town.

The town center is two miles from the coast, where Tarpon Ave (SR 582) meets Pinellas Ave (US 19A). It’s a pleasant place to stroll, full with shops and restaurants. Due to its historic significance, downtown is listed in The National Register of Historic Places. On the Cultural Center (Pinellas Ave) you can learn the town’s history.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral is the most striking symbol of Tarpon Spring’s Greek Heritage. The cathedral, a replica of St. Sophia in Istanbul, was built in 1943 using marble delivered from Greece. If the cathedral is open, you should see the three huge Czech chandeliers and the 23 stained glass windows.

If you happen to be in the area January 6, than you’ll witness awesome Epiphany Day Celebration when local folks dive for the Epiphany cross thrown into the water in Spring Bayou. After a church service at the Cathedral, in downtown Tarpon Springs, there's a procession to Spring Bayou where the Epiphany cross will be thrown. Here participants wait while the Archbishop blesses the waters. Finally the Archbishop throws the cross…and 50+ Greek-American youths dive into the harbor to retrieve the cross. Huge crowd on the quay is waiting… and one of the divers surfaces with the cross in hand! He will be blessed with good luck for the next year!

Sponge docks is the place which most of the people visit first. It’s only a quarter mile north of the historic district. Here you can eat, shop, take cruises to the Gulf of Mexico, or go deep-sea fishing.

Besides numerous shops and restaurants, there are 2 museums here. Coral Sea Aquarium maybe a good place to visit with kids. A scuba diver feeds sharks at 11:30, 1, 2:30, and 4 PM. In my opinion, Florida Aquarium in Tampa is much better. Open daily 10 to 5. Admission fee $4.75 for adults, $4 seniors, $2.753 for kids 3 to 11.

Spongeorama – Admission is free. You can buy a sponge here (but most likely you’ve bought it already on the docks) and watch video about sponge diving (very old and boring). Open 10 to 5.

Fred Howard Park hides far from the mainstream in Tarpon Springs, but is the best beach in this parts that is accessible from the mainland. Howard Park offers both beach (on the island) and wooded areas (on the mainland). The beautifully canopied grounds are favorite for picnickers. A mile long causeway delivers you to a sandy beach on the island.

Sunset Beach is south of Howard Park, at the west end of Gulf Road. Hours are from sunrise until 10:00 PM. We were told that locals prefer Sunset Beach to Howard Park but I got impression that it’s more popular as a picnic area and boat launch. I personally like Fred Howard Park more.

If you play golf than you probably know that Florida is unofficial golf capital of the US because the state has more golf courses that any other state. You would like to play golf, than the Westin Innisbrook Resort at Tarpon Springs has its Innisbrook Golf Institute here (largest resort-owned and operated golf shool in North America). "Golf Digest, "Golf" magazine, and others pick this resort as one of the country’s best places to play (provided you stay here).It has 90 holes on championship courses. The most famous course, the Copperhead, hosts the JC Penney Classic.