A Dark Stormy Night at Sunset Beach – Tarpon Springs, Florida
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Update: We explored a lot in this area in our 3 years living here. This is one of just many gorgeous beaches we had the opportunity to visit. I recommend checking out my Gulf beach tourist guide for more info on the best white sand beaches.
Tarpon Springs, located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is home to several beautiful beaches including Fred Howard and Sunset Beach which are both prime places to watch a Gulf sunset. Today, Mike and I decided to take a quick trip over to Sunset to see what all the fuss was about. The weather looked clear before we left.
However, we have learned that in Tampa Bay it doesn’t matter what the forecast shows – it rains almost daily during the summer months. We have been caught in our fair share of storms since moving here, many times on the beach! On the bright side, if it looks like it is going to storm, the place clears out! We try to stay around for a while as 1. I love gloomy weather and 2. you can enjoy the beach to yourself and 3. you can take some really nice pictures with no one around.
Unfortunately, due to an oncoming storm we were unable to take any quality sunset photos, but we did capture a few moody pictures of the beach and palms. However, we did enjoy the stormy views and deserted atmosphere. What a nice change of pace to finally enjoy a beach without hoards of crowds around!
If you have ever been to St. Pete or Clearwater beach, then you know exactly what I mean. While I was hoping to capture the sunset, the gloomy skies was a nice trade off. The mix of palms & cloudy skies really set the scene.
I’ll take cooler temperatures and storm clouds over noisy tourist crowds any day. This beach had more landscaping that many other area beaches I have visited. Honestly, I am a bit surprised that there are not more palms and tropical landscaping near the beaches. I am in Florida; I want to see palm trees! It just adds to that relaxing island atmosphere. It makes me feel like I am on vacation.
A group of photographers lined up by the water – I guess they were not going to let a storm spoil their plans! I am guessing you will find many more on a clear day. Besides these photographers, there was literally no one around.
Beach amenities
This is one of the few beaches in Pinellas County where I noticed volleyball courts on the sand (besides Treasure Island). Having lived in California, I enjoy a game of beach volleyball every now and then. I will definitely have to plan an afternoon visit to take in a game.
The sand was not very well strained, although it looked like there were plenty of seashells for collectors. Typically, after a storm is the best time for any beachcombing. I love collecting shells, unfortunately we had little time before the storm hit.
I will have to visit again on a clear night. We live in Palm Harbor which is just a quick drive, so this should be easy to do. I’ll be sure to post some beautiful sunset pictures in the near future!
Sunset is located at 1700 Sunset Dr. in Tarpon Springs. Parking is free.
Update: We never made it back to this beach. Honestly, there is too much to do in the area that it is a bit overwhelming and we want to see it all! That being said, we regularly visit Tarpon Springs. There are tons of great things to do in this area before or after your beach visit including: dolphin cruises, strolling around Main Street, shopping for natural sea sponges, hiking at local preserves, gator watching, and feasting on authentic Greek entrees.
At the least, definitely check out one of the authentic Greek restaurants in town. Hellas is popular with tourists, while Mr. Souvlaki is more of a hidden gem. Both serve great Greek salads and Hellas offers a humongous bakery with all sorts of treats like Baklava cheesecake.
