Tarpon Springs Local’s Guide: 1-Day Itinerary
YOUR ONE DAY ITINERARY TO TARPON SPRINGS AND TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT
Looking for a fun-filled day in Tarpon Springs, Florida? We’re two local Pinellas moms are we’re here to bring you our perfect day visiting Tarpon.
If you are visiting the Clearwater or Tampa Bay area and have a car, this is a great way to spend on of your vacation days with your family! And if you’re local, you will want to steal this fun filled day with your family!
Tarpon is full of history and nostalgia, famous for its sponging history. It also is home to the highest percentage of Greek Americans in the U.S, making it an amazing destination for Greek food.
Tarpon is located about 30 minutes from Clearwater, 45 minutes from Tampa and 45 minutes from St. Pete making it an easy addition for vacationers in our area.
Let’s explore Tarpon!
General Information
Tarpon Springs started as a sponge industry hub in the last 1800s. Sponging boomed in the area thanks for Greek immigrants (source: Tarpon Springs Historical Society), which is why you’ll find a unique blend Greek culture and sponging history at the Sponge Docks.
Tourism has now replaced sponging as Tarpon’s big money maker, thanks in part of people visiting the Sponge Docks. Today you’ll find lots of Greek restaurants, unique shops and sponge industry history around Tarpon.
Breakfast
Before kicking off your day, you’ll want to grab a local breakfast. Start with a delicious breakfast and coffee at one of these locations:
Tarpon Aquarium
After breakfast, head here for a great memorable, mom and pop, amazing aquarium experience! It is very different than the Florida Aquarium or the Clearwater Aquarium so even if those are part of your trip this is a good addition.
It opens at 10 am. Be sure you are there before 11 am for the Reptile Show. This show includes a lot of fun animal to see and touch. The highlight for my kids is getting to hold a snake and baby alligator at the end of the show.
Check out our full guide to the Tarpon Aquarium
Greek food for lunch
A trip to Tarpon Springs isn’t complete without some Greek food. After the aquarium, head over to the sponge docks area for a big selection of greek restaurants.
Honestly, there are many great Greek restaurants near the Sponge Docks that are delicious. It’s debated which one is the best, but we’re personally partial to Mr. Souvlaki. Here are some lesser known places:
“Hidden Gem” Greek Restaurants:
- Mykonos
- Mr. Souvlaki
- The Limani
- Costas Restaurant
“Famous” Greek Restaurants:
- Hellas: you’ll see Hellas on any article about Tarpon, but we recommend going to their dessert side only instead of doing your full lunch there
- Dimitris on the water: this is a good stop if you have kids because the waitresses throw leftover bread to the fish (though the restaurant is a little fancier than some of our hidden gems)
What food to try:
No matter where you end up, here are a couple foods you should try with your lunch:
- Greek salad with potato salad: potato salad in Greek salad is very distinct and famous to our area. It’s a must try.
- Saganaki: flaming cheese, enough said
Explore the Sponge Docks
After lunch, spend a couple hours exploring the sponge docks. You’ll find a lot of kitschy Florida tourist shops and history of the sponging history.
Don’t miss spongeorama which is a store that also houses a small free museum about sponging. There’s a short film on loop that you can watch about the industry too.
We have a whole article dedicated to things to do at the sponge docks that you can check out here:
Check out our 9 favorite things to do at the Sponge Docks
Sunset at Fred Howard Park Beach
Before you head out from the sponge docks, grab some take-away gyros to bring for a sunset picnic on the beach (Limani food stall would be a great pick for this).
Fred Howard Park is an 155-acre park on the Gulf of Mexico coast. It has beautiful white sandy beaches, without the crazy crowds of Clearwater Beach.
The beach is a very pretty island at the end of a causeway in a County Park. Since it’s a park, there are good amentities too, like bathrooms and easy parking at large paved parking lot.
There is also a nice playground before you go across the causeway if you’re traveling with kids and want to get a little more shade in before heading to the beach.
Looking for more beaches? Another amazing beach that is easy in Tarpon is Sunset Beach at 1800 Gulf Road
Night Caps
Tarpon has a handful of cool local alcohol creators worth a visit. We also like to highlight brewery-type establishments because many are surprisingly kid- and family-friendly.
- 5 Branches Brewing: a short walk from the sponge docks so easy to add to a visit to the area
- Tarpon Distillery – unique experience and delicious drinks made of only their products. Definitely geared for adults, but like most breweries, your kids can come.
- Castle Winery – really fun tastings with the passionate owners. Tip: check groupon before booking because they are normally running deals.
Read more:
Here are the Best Things to Do at Tarpon’s Sponge Docks
