Looking for a day at the beach post-cruise (Tampa)?

[bstman]

you can also check out Anna Maria Island. It is beautiful there! It may be about 1 hr 30 min drive though. It is very laid back. It is an island so you have the bay on one side and the gulf on the other. The beaches are wonderful there. This is one of our favorite places.

[snc421]

I go to the TB/SP area every year and am strongly considering a move there. I have not been to Honeymoon Island/Caladesi yet, but have been all up and down that coast from Pier 60 to Venice Beach.

 

I cannot recommend Fort DeSoto Park strongly enough. There is truly something for everyone there. (And I got engaged there last year.) The North Beach at Fort DeSoto was rated the #1 beach in America by Dr. Beach in 2005 and by TripAdvisor this year.

 

However, time may be more of an issue. I love that whole strip of beaches, from Pier 60 to Pass-a-Grille... you can't go wrong with any of them IMO. Possibly your best bets as far as time goes would be either Treasure Island/Madiera Beach, Pier 60/Sand Key Park, or St. Pete Beach/Pass-a-Grille, which is a little farther, but its more time on I-275 and less on city streets or lesser highways.

 

View as many pictures as possible, of Pier 60, Sand Key Park (my #2 vote), Treasure Island, Madiera Beach (where John's Pass is), and of Fort DeSoto Park. My pictures from this year's trip including Fort DeSoto are linked in my signature. If you'd like to see my pics from the last 2 years' trips to that area and the beaches there, I can provide links to those.

 

I have stayed at the Dolphin Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach the last couple years. Immediately to the south is a public access to the beach with lots of parking. Here's a couple pics of the beach around there:

[tourlink99]

It took me a while to remember the cruises listed! The funny thing is there are about 25-30 more, but I figured enough already. But I will tell you I've never been on a cruise I didn't love. Even the ones with lousy food and a drunk waiter that was assigned to my table, bathrooms that were down the hall, instead not in the cabin and the assorted horror stories we hear about, I have loved every one.

Mark