Things to do in St. Petersburg
I’m no local to St. Pete, but we’ve visited a couple of times and absolutely LOVE IT! Based on what we’ve done alone, here are things to do in St. Petersburg that are well worth the trip!
Being raised in south Florida was something I never really appreciated like I do now. See, I ended up marrying into the military which took us away from Florida for some years. It’s funny, when I left and experienced the vastness of the Pacific Ocean or the natural beauty of the north east, I almost forgot how much I loved Florida.
But now that we are back in Florida, I never want to live anywhere else! And I want to explore this great state more than ever before. Since St. Petersburg is a hop, skip & a jump away, we’ve been heading over there to tour the area.
Fort De Soto Park
On our first visit to St. Pete, we went to Fort De Soto Park. It’s a great way to spend the day and there are plenty of options on things to do. You can check out our visit here.
Madeira Beach/John’s Pass
Madeira Beach is so beautiful!! The sand is soft and white, the water is clear and as blue as the sky. There are beach rentals (chairs & umbrellas) and restrooms. We packed some drinks and snacks and enjoyed some water activity for a few hours until we were ready for lunch. At which point we headed a mile down the road to John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk.
“Created by a hurricane on September 27, 1848 a pirate, John Levique, made the first passage through the newly created pass. Hence the name, Johns Pass. Located on the waterfront at Johns Pass, this quaint turn-of-the-century fishing village is Pinellas County’s #1 tourist attraction. Over one hundred merchants inhabit the Village with unique retail shopping, a variety of restaurants, the local fishing fleet, dolphin watching and shelling tours, boat rentals, parasailing and jet skiing.”
Where we ate: Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company and I highly recommend it!
What we did: Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center was a super cute, small wildlife center that we thoroughly enjoyed and spent no more than 45 minutes there.
We also rented jet skis at Johns Pass Waverunners. They were 1 hour rentals out in the ocean; there were a lot of waves out there. I’ve only jet skied in a cove or in calmer waters, so the ocean felt a little too adventurous for me personally. But the boys had a grand time!
Downtown St. Petersburg
So we actually didn’t exactly realize that the resort we booked was in the historic district of downtown St. Pete but boy were we surprised! The resort was gorgeous. We stayed at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club on a military rate which was more affordable than the normal going rate. Got to love those military bene’s! Truly a blessing 🙏🏼
If you’re a history buff, check out this page here which will take you back in time to 1926 when this resort first opened!
Here is what we learned about this area. It is super CLEAN! It gave us an “Old Florida” vibe. This resort was in walking distance to incredible restaurants and the St. Pete Pier which is not only the cleanest pier I’ve ever been to but also the nicest. I was pleasantly surprised to see they offered a free shuttle service around the pier.
Where we ate: 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House
What we did: We basically enjoyed the resort amenities and had a lovely lunch by the pool. We walked a very short distance to the restaurant I mentioned above and spent the day exploring the St. Pete Pier.
There is so much to do at the Pier! You can spend a full day there no problem. Not only is it well manicured and clean but it offers activity for young and old, chill and adventurous. Be sure to click in the link above to plan your day!
Check out some more of My hills and valleys Florida Travel Archives.