Tarpon Springs, FL

Sponge Capital of the World

Tarpon Springs is named after the tarpon, a fish found abundantly in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This West-Central Florida city is rich in Greek heritage, a population of roughly 20,000 people according to the year 2000 census and a waterfront area of approximately 51 miles. Tarpon Springs is one of the many attractive cities in Pinellas County, a highly frequented tourist area in the state of Florida.

The city of Tarpon Springs is also referred to as “the sponge capital of the world”. Tarpon Springs is a leader in the national sponge market, from the harvesting to the auctioning of the sponge. Tourists that visit the Sponge Docks can eat, shop, and take cruises down the Anclote River. They can also go deep-sea fishing and visit a saltwater aquarium. The Tarpon Springs Aquarium, located on Dodecanese Blvd, displays a living reef, a 120,000-gallon tank with sharks and various sea creatures and the opportunity to watch a diver enter the tank and feed all of the inhabitants. For those brave visitors that would like to feed a shark or a stingray, the Aquarium offers a “Touch Room”.

Depending on what time of year you are visiting Tarpon Springs, there are special activities going on that are sure to suit every traveler. The most common types of activities are Greek festivals, Sunset Beach concerts and Arts and Crafts shows. For shoppers, Tarpon Avenue offers many antique shops and art galleries. To get from the Sponge Docks to the shops and sights of the historic Downtown District, tourists can catch a ride on the Tarpon Springs Trolley.

Tarpon Springs has many hotspots for nature loving visitors. The Pinellas Trail, an area for walking, riding, and skating, winds through most of Pinellas County and ends in Tarpon Springs. Other notable locations include Sunset Beach, Fred Howard Park, A.L. Anderson Park, Highland Nature Park and several playgrounds. Sunset Beach is located at the end of Gulf Road and is mostly used for picnics, boat launching and swimming. Fred Howard Park, located just west of Florida Avenue, consists of 150-acres and a mile-long causeway. A.L. Anderson Park is 128-acres and has a nature trail. Highland Nature Park is a relatively small park focusing on Florida foliage.

Visitors to Tarpon Springs have two convenient airports to choose from - Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Approximately 2 hours away is Orlando and all of Orlando’s popular tourist attractions.