World Country Guide

Central West Florida

The Central West region is dotted with scenic freshwater sources rich in minerals, and there is an especially high concentration of these in the area known as ‘The Nature Coast’. There is also an abundance of parkland and a whole series of sophisticated resorts. The region’s natural allure and endless beaches betray no hint, however, of its rich and divergent cultural history. Tarpon Springs, for example, is a Mediterranean-style sponging village, which was founded in 1895. Sponge docks, Greek foods, festivals and 19th-century architecture still typify the town. On a larger scale, Ybor City, in the heart of Tampa, demonstrates the city’s Hispanic roots with museums, bakeries and restaurants. A network of bridges, including the striking Sunshine Skyway Bridge, connects the scattered islands and peninsulas of the Gulf Coast.
Central West Florida has a temperate climate with an average temperature of 22°C (71ºF). With an average of 361 days of sunshine each year, the St Petersburg/Clearwater area enjoys an average temperature of 23°C (73ºF). The annual average water temperature along the beaches is 24°C (75ºF).
The St Petersburg/Clearwater area is located on Florida’s West Coast, bordered on the east by Tampa Bay and on the west by the Gulf of Mexico. The area is best known for its constant sunshine and 56km (35 miles) of beaches. The Pinellas peninsula and its famous beaches are within minutes of Florida’s popular attractions – just 30 minutes away is Busch Gardens in Tampa and 90 minutes away are Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom, EPCOT Center, Sea World, Universal Studios Escape and other Central Florida sites.
St Petersburg is home to world-class museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum, which contains the world’s most comprehensive collection by this famous Spanish surrealist; the St Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, noted for its display of French Impressionist paintings; the St Petersburg Museum of History, which offers historical exhibits; the Florida International Museum, which was recently named a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and is home to the largest private collection of John F Kennedy memorabilia, including a recreation of JFK’s Oval Office; and the relocated and expanded Florida Holocaust Museum. A US$12 million renovation of The Pier has turned this popular spot on the St Petersburg waterfront into a festival marketplace of shops, restaurants and entertainment, while Bay Walk boasts an open-air themed plaza, 20-screen theatre complex, restaurants and retail outlets. The Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo include Wedding, Tropical, Topiary and Jazz gardens, and are part of a new botanical learning centre where visitors can attend walking tours and workshops. Begun in 1998 and still being developed, the US$16 million, 250-acre project, when complete, will be Florida’s largest gardens. The Gardens are adjacent to the Gulf Coast Museum of Art and Heritage Village and are the centrepiece of Pinewood Cultural Park, where culture, history and botany are combined.
Ideal parks for nature study, fishing, swimming and picnics are Fort De Soto Park, south of St Petersburg, plus the Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area and Caladesi Island State Park near Dunedin. All three are undeveloped barrier islands. Fort DeSoto and the Honeymoon Islands are connected to the mainland by causeways. Caladesi Island is ideal for swimming, fishing, picnics, snorkelling and scuba-diving, kayaking and guided nature walks. A 5km (3 mile) nature trail winds through the island’s interior. It is accessible only by a ferry service, with departures from Honeymoon Island and Clearwater.
The Pinellas Trail is a 76km (47 mile) linear park, perfect for cyclists, walkers, joggers and rollerbladers. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, in Indian Shores, is the largest wild bird hospital in North America. There are over 500 birds on site, including a large nesting colony of injured brown pelicans. Samples of marine life can be found at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a research centre that conducts a ‘head start’ programme for baby sea turtles and includes tanks containing numerous varieties of fish, as well as Sam, the bottlenose dolphin. Celebration Station in Clearwater is a mini-theme park and includes go-karts, bumper boats and more. Clearwater Ferry Service offers exciting boat trips, including Dolphin Encounter and Caladesi Island Adventure. The Sea Screamer, which is moored in Clearwater, is the world’s largest speedboat. The 20 hectare (50 acre) Moccasin Lake Nature Park features a lake, upland forest, wetlands and most of the plant and animal species native to the area, as well as an environmental and energy education centre. At Tarpon Springs, attractions include the Inness Paintings exhibition at the Universalist Church, featuring a large collection of works by American landscape artist George Inness Sr; Konger Coral Sea Aquarium; and St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a replica of St Sofia’s in Constantinople.
St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is served by the carriers Air Transat, American Trans Air, Can Jet, Con Quest, Jets Go, Seacoast, Sun Wing and USA 3000, plus other charters from the USA and Canada with Express One, Ryan International and US Airways, especially during the winter season. St Petersburg is served by Greyhound bus services.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in St Petersburg and Clearwater in 2005:
Jan 29 Pinellas Folk Festival, Heritage Village. Feb 24-27 Greek Fest, Tarpon Springs. Mar 5-6 Harbor Sounds Music Festival, Safety Harbour. Mar 11-13 Cajun/Zydeco Crawfish Festival, St Petersburg. Mar 18-20 Tampa Bay Blues Festival, St Petersburg. Mar 19 DaliFest, Salvador Dali Museum, St Petersburg. Mar 19-21 2005 Festival of Baseball, Clearwater. Apr 2-13 Festival of States, St Petersburg and Clearwater. Jun 11-12 Tampa Bay Caribbean Carnival, St Petersburg. Oct 13-16 Clearwater Jazz Holiday (four days of free concerts), Coachman Park, Clearwater. Dec 24 Light up the Bayou, Tarpon Springs. Dec 31 First Night, St Petersburg.
The city of Sarasota is the cultural capital of Florida. The Ringling Museum Complex, the official State Museum of Florida, is a major attraction with superb old masterpieces and a fine contemporary collection. Sarasota’s Downtown Cultural District contains the Sarasota Opera House (also home of the Sarasota Ballet) and numerous theatres and nightclubs. Historic Palm Avenue, filled with fine art, antiques, jewellery and fashion, was a bustling street in the early-1900s, frequented by Sarasota’s founding families. Today, shopping emporia line Palm Avenue and the corner of Main Street. Sarasota Quay also offers a variety of speciality shops, as well as restaurants and nightclubs located on the water. Just minutes from the Quay and Palm Avenue, dinner cruises and charter boats depart from the stylish city marina.
North Lido Beach is a half-mile stretch of sand shaded by towering Australian pines. The public beach offers a swimming pool, a playground and shops. At the southern end of Lido Key are picnic tables, grills, a volleyball court and a playground. St Armands Key boasts a circle ringed by restaurants, nightclubs and exclusive shops. The Circus Ring of Fame, a sidewalk of circus stars, decorates the central park space.
Located between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay, Longboat Key offers an abundance of outdoor activities. Anglers cast lines from Longboat’s white sandy beaches, piers and jetties. Boaters can cruise to nearby islands such as City Island, which is the setting for the Mote Marine Aquarium. Next door to the aquarium, the Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary is a rescue and rehabilitation centre for pelicans and other wild birds. Siesta Key is best known for its sandy beaches, the widest and most popular in the county. A few miles south of the main beach, snorkellers flock to Crescent Beach where sea sponges and fish can be viewed under the Gulf’s surface. The southernmost spot on Siesta Key is Palmer Pointe South, a popular getaway for boaters and hikers. More than 8 hectares (20 acres) of unspoiled beach make this one of the most beautiful spots in the Key.
Other attractions in Sarasota County include the Gulf Coast World of Science, where visitors can dig for fossils, touch live snakes and experiment with static electricity. There are 50 restored antique cars to view at Bellm’s Cars and Music of Yesterday as well as 1200 music boxes and a penny arcade. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens specialises in air plants, orchids and colourful bromeliads. 10 lush tropical acres are filled with winding trails, beautiful gardens and exotic waterfowl at the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. There are also shows featuring snakes, turtles, alligators and other reptiles. Myakka State Park and Wilderness Preserve covers more than 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) of wetlands, prairies and dense woodlands along the twisting Myakka River and Upper Myakka Lake. The park is home to hundreds of species of plants, trees and flowers. For a close-up view, visitors can take the boat or tram leaving from the Boat Basin. There are also numerous trails, a small natural history museum and a bird walk. Oscar Scherer State Recreation Area boasts streams for canoeing, a swimming lake, campsites, nature trails, cycling paths, a recreation hall and picnic areas. Visitors can discover Sarasota’s past on Little Sarasota Bay, in Osprey. Spanish Point, which contains a late Victorian pioneer homestead, a Native American burial mound, a 19th-century chapel, cemetery and remnants of the formal gardens of a turn-of-the-century estate.
The Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) (website: www.srq-airport.com), located 9.6km (6 miles) south of Sarasota and 16km (10 miles) north of Bradenton, is served by six major air carriers and two commuter airlines, including Air France, Alitalia, American Trans Air, Delta, Northwest and US Airways. Sarasota and Manatee counties provide public transport services from the airport approximately 12 hours per day. The buses are located at the west end of the baggage claim wing in the Ground Transportation area. Airport shuttle and taxi services are also available. Airport facilities include ATMs, a conference centre, a post office and car hire. Greyhound buses stop in downtown Sarasota, while Amtrak’s Thruway bus service connects its Tampa railway station with Sarasota, stopping at the local bus terminal on Lemon Avenue. Public buses serving the beaches also stop here.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Sarasota in 2005:
Jan 28-Feb 6 Sarasota Film Festival. Feb 5 Scottish Highland Games and Heritage Festival, Sarasota. Mar 20-26 Sarasota Jazz Festival. Apr 8-10 Venice Sharks Tooth Festival, Venice Beach. Jun 25-Jul 3 The Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix Festival, Sarasota. Nov Sarasota Reading Festival; Sarasota Blues Festival.
Tampa is one of the nation’s fastest growing cities and largest ports, with thriving industries and artistic communities. The Tampa Museum of Art houses an impressive collection of ancient Greek and Roman items, as well as a series of changing exhibitions. The Florida Aquarium features interactive exhibits where visitors can learn about Florida’s tropical sea life. Visitors can defy the laws of gravity in the Challenger Space Experience or stroll through the free-flying Butterfly Encounter at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The Amazing You exhibition explores the human body, Our Florida focuses on environmental issues and Our Place in the Universe introduces guests to space travel. Ybor City State Museum traces the development of Ybor City, Tampa, the cigar industry and Cuban immigration. The Henry B Plant Museum includes Victorian furniture and Wedgwood pottery. Busch Gardens is a huge amusement park featuring African wildlife. Giraffes, zebras and antelope roam freely through the park’s 24 hectare (60 acre) plain, next to thrilling rides such as the Kumba. There is also a 5 hectare (13 acre) water park, Adventure Island, just northeast of Busch Gardens.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) (website: www.tampaairport.com), located west of the city Tampa (travel time – five minutes), and northeast of the St Petersburg/Clearwater area (travel time – 30 minutes), has been rated the nation’s best for the past 10 years by the International Passenger Traffic Association. TPA is served by many airlines: Air Canada, AirTran, American West, British Airways (to London Gatwick), Continental, Delta, Frontier, Jet Blue, Midwest Express, Northwest, Song, Southwest, Spirit, United, US Airways and US Airways Express. Public buses to the Tampa are operated by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART). For coaches and charter buses, the passenger pick-up and drop-off points are located in the bus spaces of the Commercial Ground Transportation Quadrants. Limousines, point-to-point shuttles, taxis and car hire are also available. Amtrak trains stop at the station on Nebraska Avenue. Trains run to Jacksonville, Miami, New York City, Orlando and Philadelphia. A Thruway bus service operates from this station. A Greyhound bus service also stops in Tampa. HART local bus services make getting around the city and nearby sights and attractions easy.
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Tampa in 2005:
Jan 29 Gasparilla Pirate Festival, Downtown Tampa. Feb 4-6 Gasparilla Distance Classic (running events), Tampa. Feb 10-21 Annual Florida State Fair, Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa. Mar 5-6 Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Tampa. Apr 9-10 AirFest 2005, MacDill Airforce Base. May 7-8 Tomatoe Festival, Ruskin. Oct 29 Guavaween (parade, costume contest and concerts), Ybor City. Nov 6-7 Ruskin Seafood and Arts Festival. Nov 19 Cigar Heritage Festival, Ybor City.