baby in a stroller in front of a sign that says i love st pete beach
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A Local’s Guide to Visiting St Pete Beach in 2025

ByChelsea

St Pete Beach has definitely gained popularity in the past several years. And for good reason.

It has the beautiful beaches you would expect from Florida’s Gulf Coast with turquoise water, powdery white sand, and great sunsets. Plus, there is good food, amazing resorts, and plenty of sunshine.

Here is everything to know about St Pete Beach from a local!

yellow umbrellas with beach chairs on st pete beach on a foggy day


Disclaimer: Some of the links in this St Pete Beach travel guide are affiliate links (including links to Amazon) providing us with a small commission if you make a qualifying purchase – at no extra cost to you. We greatly appreciate your support! As always, we share our honest opinion and everything is written by us.

Things to Do and Activities in St. Pete Beach

Before we cover the logistics of where to stay, we’re going to cover all of the best things to do in St Pete Beach.

Spend Time at the Beach

Of course, one of the absolute best things to do in St Pete Beach is spending the day at the beach.

It has soft, white sand and (usually) calm, turquoise waters. It’s perfect for whatever you want – soaking up the sun, swimming, or building sandcastles.

You can also rent paddleboards on some of the public beaches. The paddleboard rentals are available at Pass-A-Grille Beach, Upham Beach, County Park Beach, and McKenney Park.

turquoise beach water on a sunny day in st pete beach

Enjoy Your Resort

Many of the resorts in St Pete Beach are set up in a way that you wouldn’t really have to leave if you didn’t want to. If you happen to be spending time in cool accommodations, take time to enjoy the property!

aerial view of the don cesar, a pink building that looks like a castle overlooking the beach with some beachgoers walking the beach

Photo of the Don CeSar from Hotels.com

Take a Winery Tour

Technically, the Orange Groves Winery is just across the bridge in South Pasadena. It was founded in 1991 and the winery opened in Florida in 1997.

They make berry, citrus, and tropical wines and most of the wine is made from tropical fruits. Today, they produce 43 unique varieties of 100% pure tropical, citrus, and berry wines. Each wine captures the flavor of the fruit used to produce it. Many bottles require up to 9 pounds of fruit to make one bottle of wine.

It’s also the only Florida wine allowed at Disney’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!

They have a cute gift shop and you can stop in Monday through Saturday from 10-4 and Sunday from 12-3:30 for a tasting and/or a tour. The wine bar and retail area is also open Monday through Saturday 9 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday from 12 pm – 5 pm.

award winning wines on display at the orange groves winery
large blue building with winery in large orange letters and tropical foliage
several wine bottles on display for purchase on two tiers at a winery in st pete beach florida

Visit the Secret Garden

This is one of my favorite little hidden gems in St Pete Beach. Even though it’s called the Secret Garden, it’s not really a secret. However, it does take a little bit of work to get to because there is no street access to it. It’s on the north end of St Pete Beach and you can get there by walking from Upham Beach (when you are facing the beach, turn right and start walking).

The garden has been over 30 years in the making. It’s absolutely beautiful and it’s a really special place. When you visit, please remember to leave it as you found it. It is right outside of a condo building where people live so please keep that in mind while you’re enjoying the space as well.

girl posing on a gravel path along a secret garden with tons of tropical foliage on a foggy day near the beach in florida

View the Sunset from the Water with a Sunset Cruise

It’s always fun to experience a sunset from the water for a bit of a different perspective. Taking a sunset cruise is a fairly affordable way of changing it up and it’s a fun experience!

Book Your St Pete Beach Sunset Cruise Here

Grab a Drink

If you love a good beach bar, St Pete Beach is one of the best spots for you. There are a ton of beach bars!

I have a whole blog post on the best beach bars in St Pete Beach, but here is a quick overview of your options:

  • Coconut Charlies 
  • Ikki Woo Woo’s at theThunderbird 
  • Undertow 
  • Chris’ Beachside Bar 
  • Sandbar Bill’s 
  • Salty’s at TradeWinds 
  • 360 Degree rooftop at Hotel Zamora 
  • Harry’s Beach Bar  
  • Rum Runners Beach Bar 

The following are also great beach bars, but they are closed because of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. I’m still including them because I love them. I promise to do my best to keep an eye on the reopening and update when I hear more, but there’s a chance they’ll reopen before I come back to edit this article.

  • Toasted Monkey 
  • Bongos Beach Bar 
  • Jimmy B’s 
  • Rick T’s 
  • Postcard Inn (they have reopened their beach area but not the hotel or the beach bar)
tropical cocktail in front of some beachy pictures at a beach bar
chocolate frozen cocktail drink on the table with palm trees and the beach in the background at a beach bar

Pictured: Coconut Charlie’s and Bongos Beach Bar

Corey Avenue

Corey Avenue is a charming street lined with dive bars, shopping, and dining. They have a market every Sunday morning which is one of my favorite things to do in St Pete Beach!

Wander and Shop the Sunday Market

If you are in St Pete Beach on a Sunday, you can’t miss the Sunday market. There are tons of vendors with a little bit of everything. You will find pet treats, homemade jams, coffee, clothing, art, and so much more. Plus it’s held on Corey Avenue, so you can visit some of the permanent shops in St Pete Beach as well.

bikes parked in a bike rack with a large theatre and a vintage theatre sign in blue along the street. on the street there is a farmers market with tons of vendors and visitors in florida

Check Out Some of the Other Beaches

One of the most unique things about Tampa Bay beaches is that each beach community has its own little flair. It’s fun to check out some of the other beaches and you can easily take the Suncoast Beach Trolley if you don’t have your own transportation while you’re visiting.

The trolley is reasonably priced, too, at $2.25. Children five years old or younger ride free with an adult. The trolley goes as far north as Clearwater Beach and as far south as Pass a Grille.

clearwater beach florida best things to do

Pictured: Clearwater Beach

Take the SunRunner to Downtown St Petersburg

The SunRunner is similar to the beach trolley except that instead of going between the beaches, it goes between downtown St Pete and St Pete Beach. For a reasonable price ($2.25 per ride), you can go from St Pete Beach to downtown without worrying about your own transportation or parking.

Where to Stay in St. Pete Beach

I have an entire blog post breaking down some of the best places to stay in St Pete Beach because there are so many places to choose from. But if I had to choose, these would probably be my top picks:

For a luxury stay:

  • The Don CeSar is the most famous hotel in St Pete Beach. It looks like a pink beachfront castle! They have fine dining and a world-class spa on site.
  • TradeWinds is a huge family-friendly resort with two different places to stay on the property, Island Grand and Rum Fish. The resort has multiple pools, beach volleyball, live music, and it’s beachfront.

Mid-range hotels:

Budget-friendly hotels:

aerial photo of beachfront hotel with a boardwalk leading to the beach and a pool in the middle of surrounding hotel rooms

Pictured: The Beachcomber Beach Resort and Hotel from Hotels.com

Where to Eat in St. Pete Beach

One of the best things about St Pete Beach is that there are so many great places to eat ranging from casual to fine dining. There are so many places to eat that you almost never have to eat at the same place twice (but you will probably want to!)

Seafood & Fine Dining

  • Spinners Rooftop Grille – A revolving rooftop restaurant with stunning Gulf views and fresh seafood (currently closed due to back to back hurricanes, but will be reopening)
  • Snapper’s Sea Grill – Indoor and outdoor seating, they serve delicious seafood and steaks.
  • 1200 Chophouse – Intimate steakhouse featuring delicious steaks, New American dishes, and seafood.

Casual Eats & Beachfront Dining

  • The Toasted Monkey – A fun bar and grill with live music and beachfront seating.
  • Buoys Waterfront Bar and Grill – A laid back spot with gorgeous views of the water. They serve brunch, burgers, and seafood options.
  • Crabby Bill’s – A laid back spot right on the beach with the most incredible views of the Gulf from their rooftop area.
  • Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar and Grill – Right on the beach serving American food with a coastal flare. Fun for the whole family – the kids can play at the beach and adults can grab an ice cold beer or delicious cocktail from the beach bar.
two turquoise colored tropical cocktails on the deck with the water in the background and some condo buildings

Pictured: Buoys

Breakfast & Coffee Spots

  • Grove Surf + Coffee – A bohemian-inspired spot for good coffee and breakfast. They also share a space with a surf shop so you can shop while you wait for your food! The St Pete Beach location is currently closed due to back-to-back hurricanes, but their location in Indian Rocks Beach is open.
  • La Croisette is in a great location right on Corey Ave. We love to eat here on Sunday morning. We eat outside and people watch before we go to the Sunday morning market.
pregnant mom to be posing in front of a mural that says i love st pete beach

Getting to St. Pete Beach

  • By Air: The closest airport is St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), about 30 minutes away. Most airlines are smaller, budget airlines so your options to fly into PIE might be smaller. Tampa International Airport (TPA) is another great option that most major airlines fly into, it’s about 40 minutes away.
  • By Car: If driving, St. Pete Beach is easily accessible via I-275 from Tampa or other parts of Florida.

Final Thoughts

St Pete Beach is a great destination for a good mix of fun activities and relaxing on the beautiful beaches (oh, and good food!)

Hopefully this guide helped you plan your perfect vacation to St Pete Beach!