5 Days in Florida Gulf Coast

Gulf of Mexico, an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean is the largest gulf in the world! This oval shaped wonder is located in the southeastern coast of North America and is bounded by five US states. So when we had the opportunity to spend five full days exploring this region, we zeroed in on Florida, home to some of the best beaches in the USA. It was the perfect escape from extreme Boston winter (February) and we couldn’t wait to enjoy the weather in the Sunshine state!

While we considered road tripping and hopping from one city to another, we figured it was a better idea to call St. Petersburg our home base and venture out on day trips to 4 other cities including St. Pete’s Beach, Madeira Beach, Clearwater and Tampa (all within 20 miles from our Airbnb). In the past we had only traveled to east coast of Florida, hence it was an exciting opportunity exploring the western coast this time!

There are 2 major international airports at a driving distance from St. Petersburg city center – Tampa International Airport (20 miles) and Orlando International Airport (108 miles). We found a cheap flight from Boston to Orlando, and the difference in fare more than made up for the 1.5 hours of driving to and from the airport. Without further ado, here is how you can spend 5 splendid days exploring the Gulf of Mexico from western coast of Florida!

Day 1 – Downtown St. Petersburg

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After we landed and picked up our rental car, we drove to our Airbnb and picked up groceries on the way. It was so good soaking in the sun as soon as we stepped out of the Airport, the gorgeous Florida weather already cheering us up! We rented an apartment only 5 miles away from downtown St. Petersburg, only a short distance away from the fun city center yet far enough being in a peaceful neighborhood.

After freshening up and resting for a few hours, we headed to the Central Avenue (Downtown St. Petersburg) in the evening. This downtown was a perfect amalgamation of other downtowns we had visited so far, yet unique in it’s own right. It was open, nicely spread out over quite a few blocks, surrounded by palm trees and not crazy crowded like so many of the other tourist cities. We loved the architecture, the unique boutiques, the creative stores, the cafes & restaurants and the most amazing murals all around! The murals added so much character to the downtown, colorful and fun, with some of them spreading meaningful messages. Make enough time to walk the 600 Block, the Edge District and the Warehouse District, appreciating the neighborhoods as you move along. Grab dinner at one of the many cafes offering outdoor sitting, enjoying the breeze and toasting to your first evening in St. Pete!

Do grab some food and coffee at the Maple Street Biscuit Company, it was our favorite breakfast place! Loved the Iced Maple Mocha, The Squawking Goat, Sunshine in the Garden and our favorite Three Layer Cake (made with fried hashbrown and gravy).

Other notable places to visit in St. pete – We did not get a chance to explore the Salvador Dalí Museum as the online entrance tickets were sold out a week before. You may want to plan in advance as it has the largest collection of Dali’s work outside of Spain! Another one of the places we would have loved to visit is the Sunken Gardens, home to beautiful Flamingos and some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Fort De Soto park which is comprised of five islands and is known for its beaches, the fort, the museum, hiking trails and activities like kayaking & canoeing is another one of the gems within the city.

Fun Fact: The Bombax Ceiba tree lit in red above was planted more than 55 years ago and is located close to the Museum of Fine Arts. It booms once a year with vibrant red flowers and has become an icon in St. Petersburg.

Day 2 – St. Pete’s Beach and St. Pete’s Pier

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It was time to hit the beach the morning after, and the first one on our agenda was the St. Pete’s beach. Rated as the best beach in the country (Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice 2021), St. Pete’s beach offers beautiful white sand and calm waters. It occupies the entire space of Long Key, a barrier island at the east central edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Do keep in mind, being a popular beach on a resort strip makes it quite crowded during the high season. The highlight of this beach visit for me was the legendary Pink Palace aka the Don Cesar Hotel located right in the middle facing the ocean! While we didn’t stay at the property, the very sight of the pink palace right on the beach was a sight to behold!

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After picking some lunch and heading back home, we took a shower and got ready for an evening at the newly built St. Pete’s pier. With an investment of $92 million, the 26 acres St. Pete Pier District opened to public in 2020. It is not just a pier though! Encompassing restaurants, artwork, parks, lookouts, live music, seating areas, vendor stalls and so much more, this is the place to be! There are affordable restaurants and food stalls as well as fine dining options and a terrace bar. It is also home a playground, a fishing deck and St. Petersburg Museum of History. We enjoyed the sunset followed by skyline views at night, perfect way to end the day!

Day 3 – Madeira Beach and John’s Pass

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Madeira beach, a Gulf of Mexico beach city is home to a 2.5 mile white sand beach and the lovely John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk. The beach is not crazy crowded, offers warm gulf waters and stunning sunset views. After spending time at the beach, we walked over to the boardwalk in late afternoon and grabbed a meal watching the Tiki tours drift off. The experience looked beautiful, something we hadn’t heard of before and would love to try some day.

The fishing village has over a hundred shops, restaurants and cafes. It is home to a number of tours and activities including dolphin watching, sunset cruise, shelling trips, tiki tours, jet skiing, parasailing, alligator attraction and boat rentals. Next we walked over the drawbridge that connects Madeira Beach and Treasure Island. We walked both sides and came across splendid views of the boardwalk on one side (I even spotted a dolphin) and the sunset views of the beach from the other side. For the first time ever, I saw the bridge open up to let a boat pass by. It elevates and then closes up once the boat is on the other side. The experience was truly mesmerizing, made me appreciate the construction and infrastructure even more!

Day 4 – Clearwater Beach and Downtown

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Voted as the best beach by Trip Advisor in 2016, 2018 and 2019, Clearwater beach is located in the city of Clearwater – another gem for gulf coast beaches! This beach was also rated as one of the top 25 beaches in the country by Travel+Leisure in 2020. Having said that, this was by far the most touristy beach we had visited. It is like the Miami Beach of the west coast and for good reason. The plush soft white sand beach stretches for 3 miles, with the beautiful Pier 60 and resorts facing the ocean. The entrance to the pier is lined with palm trees, food & vendors stalls, and even playground for kids. I bought this beautiful little plant made of sea shells, so unique and memorable!

The street opposite the beach is itself lined with plethora of retail stores, bars, restaurants, ice cream and fudge shops. There is also a harbor from which various tours and boats depart. After spending time at the beach and roaming the main street, we came back to the pier to catch the sunset. The view was marvelous, one of the best sunsets I have seen in my life! There is also a Clearwater downtown which we did not get a chance to explore as the city had a lot of traffic considering it was the weekend. It was also the farthest so far from our AirBnB in St. Petersburg. Regardless, the day was fulfilling and every bit worth the drive from St. Pete!

Day 5 – Day Trip to Tampa

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Alright, it was already the last day of our trip as we were scheduled to fly back on the night of Day 5. So far, we had explored the beaches, coastal towns, a boardwalk and a drawbridge. It was time to spend some time in the most popular city in the region, Tampa. We started off by driving along the Bayshore Boulevard which was absolutely amazing followed by a walk along the Tampa Riverwalk. It was hot during the day even on a February afternoon. So we tried to limit stepping out of the car and appreciate the city from the comfort of our car.

We did however walk the Ybor City (also called the ‘Cigar City‘) neighborhood, known for it’s culture, history and diversity. I have heard that it comes to life during the evening but we couldn’t stay long as we had a flight to catch. I would say that this part of the city is not for everyone. However, it was a different experience with historic architecture and so many cigar bars lining the main street. There weren’t as many of them even in Little Havana, Miami which we really loved exploring. We did stop for coffee and pastries at the famous La Segunda Central Bakery, known for it’s famous Cuban bread and run by 4 generations of the family! Another notable stop we made was at the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company, currently being operated by the 4th generation of the Fuente family.

Time was running short and we drove to the last destination of the day, Davis Island. It was downright our favorite part of the city. Colorful pastel colored houses & buildings, lovely views of downtown across the bay, yachts & boats, open spaces and even an airport (Peter O. Knight Airport) offering a flight school and aerial tours of Tampa. Needless to say, it is one of the posh neighborhoods of the city.

It was time to drive back to Orlando and catch our late night flight to Boston. It was a lovely experience exploring western coast of Florida and a part of the Gulf of Mexico. Hope you get to enjoy it as much as we did and this itinerary helps you plan your perfect vacation!