Visit our beaches!
Looking for a wide range of fun activities to do on your Spring Break? Look no further than the gulf coast beaches! Gulf coast beaches offer beautiful soft, white sand and gentle waves. Spring Break is a perfect time to bring a skim board, a speaker, and some beers and count yourself in for a day full of sun, water, and fun with friends on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
Check out a brewery before your fun activities!
St. Petersburg alone is home to 17 brewers, and Tampa Bay as a whole hosts 49. (Talk about a good start to the fun activities!) If you like IPA’s, lager, stouts, and even ciders, check out breweries like the brand new Grand Central Brewhouse, Green Bench, Angry Chair Brewing, and Cigar City Brewing. These unique spots have a host of different beers and drinks to try. You can even get flights and try 8 beers at a time before settling on your perfect match. Grand Central Brewhouse also features three beers that give 10% back to local nonprofits.
Visit a state park
St. Pete is home to the famous Fort DeSoto state park. This beautiful area features 4 different beaches to choose from, mangroves to kayak through, a dog beach, and a number of different hiking trails. Sitting on top of the historic fort is a great place to catch the beautiful sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.
Other local parks for you to visit on Spring Break include the Hillsborough River state park, Egmont Key, Little Manatee River park, and Lettuce Lake park. These gems have countless trails and boardwalks, which offer beautiful hikes to visitors, and allow you to get up close and personal with the unique wildlife of Florida. You might even be able to see an alligator in person!
Many of our local parks offer campsites if you’d like to experience a full, outdoor, and socially-distanced spring break.
Support a local organization
Tampa Bay is lucky to be such a center for an array of environmental, historical, and science education centers. The new St. Pete Pier is home to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center where you can learn about the conservation and restoration work being done by this local environmental nonprofit.
Tampa features the Florida Aquarium where you can see penguins, sharks, and a variety of local animals such as seahorses, turtles, and jellyfish to name a few. You can even journey to Madagascar here as you walk the boardwalk and visit animals like lemurs and chameleons.
MOTE Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is located just south in Sarasota. Here, you can learn about coral micro-fragmentation and how effective it can be in restoring depleted coral reefs.
If marine creatures aren’t your cup of tea, take a journey all over the globe and visit a variety of terrestrial creatures at ZooTampa. Here you can see rhinos, giraffes, orangutangs, Florida panthers and more.
Tap into your inner child
Take a trip to Dinosaur World and get lost amongst the life-sized replicas of these reptiles that once roamed Earth. Or visit MOSI and learn about your brain, the NASA Moonbase colony, and stop into their planetarium for a trip around the solar system.
Eat local food on Spring Break!
St. Pete is home to a diverse variety of delicious food. Bodega on Central is a local favorite. They offer an excellent array of Cuban food and juices, and even cater to vegetarians and vegans. Red Mesa Cantina is a great spot for delicious Mexican food and Ceviche has a fantastic menu of authentic Spanish food (there’s even an underground bar with live music and dancing on the weekends!)
Armature Works in Tampa is located along the River Walk and is a cooperative building that was converted from a warehouse. This spot offers a variety of restaurants, and even lawn games like giant chess. Outdoor seating is available for those who want to eat in a safe environment!
Get active with fun activities
If you’re looking for a full body work out on Spring Break, check out Vertical Ventures in St. Pete for a thrilling time. This local climbing gym has open climbs and discounted Friday events. Fellow climbers will support you as you puzzle your way up the walls and they play a variety of fun, motivational music.
If rock climbing isn’t your cup of tea, come on a relaxing kayak tour with us through Shell Key Preserve! Here you can see a variety of wildlife like manatees, dolphins, and a wide array of birds. We even make a stop at a small, locals-only beach where you can snap some pictures and collect shells.
