Listen. We’re not going to be like everyone else and complain about this cooler weather. It’s refreshing and a nice change of pace if you ask us – but it doesn’t mean we aren’t daydreaming about some warm sand between our toes and some impossibly fruity beverage with tiny cocktail umbrella in hand.
So while we bide our time until warmer weather prevails, let’s start planning our next beach trip to five of the top beaches in the Tampa Bay area.
Note: While not included on this list, old faithfuls like Indian Rocks Beach, Clearwater Beach, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island are still favorites for us, too.
Egmont Key State Park is a wildlife refuge, but the island offers unparalleled shelling opportunities and a chance to wander along secluded stretches of beach.
Accessible only by boat, Egmont Key is home to the ruins of Fort Dade, a lighthouse that has stood since 1858, nature trails, picnic areas, and fishing. And if you’re lucky, you may encounter gopher tortoises, Florida box turtles, hummingbirds and other seabirds that live at the south end of the island.
Secluded without feeling too far from the mainland, this beach makes top-beaches lists for good reason. It boasts a four-mile expanse of white sand with several nature trails and bird observation areas where you can find nesting Ospreys and a variety of water birds.
It also offers plenty of amenities, including a concession stand and restaurant where, in addition to food, you can rent umbrellas, chairs and kayaks. Families can enjoy the picnic area complete with playground and covered pavilions.
This park is 1,136 acres across five interconnected islands with soft white sand, crystal-clear waters, and great shelling. More than 328 species of birds have been documented over 60 years at the park with new species being sighted every year. The beach also provides refuge to the loggerhead sea turtle, which nests between April and September.
The beaches are wonderful and there is a calm lagoon protected by sandbars that provide a safe place for little ones to play. There is also a seven-mile paved trail for biking and walking, two piers where visitors can fish without licenses, a dog park and beach area, and kayak and bike rentals, and campgrounds.
This 95-acre park rests on a Sand Key, a barrier island just south of Clearwater, and offers plenty of parking space, cabana rentals, two beach wheelchairs, nine outdoor shower towers, two bathhouses, picnic shelters, shower and restroom facilities and a playground for the kids.
And it’s an especially great park for nature lovers. Endangered sea turtles frequently lay eggs on the beach at Sand Key and you can observe birds nesting and feeding in a rare salt marsh at the park.
Somehow, the sand on this secluded beach seems whiter and the water more teal than anywhere else. Shell hunters will appreciate its bounty and nature lovers will find plenty of creatures to watch. Since it is a nature sanctuary, there are only a few amenities and is only reachable by boat, though ferries run from the mainland on a daily schedule.
Its inaccessibility, while somewhat inconvenient, is also what makes for the island’s pristine, unspoiled condition. Boats run from the mainland on a daily schedule, check their website for details and fees.
In addition to swimming, sunbathing, and shelling, visitors can enjoy a three-mile nature trail or a glide through mangroves along the three-mile kayak trail.
So as you bundle up for yet another odd cold front, we hope you enjoyed this beach wish list for the warmer months that lie ahead. We hope to see you there soon, umbrellaed drink in hand!
Because at DeLeon Sheffield Company, ‘We’re More Than Realty; We’re Family.’
