2008 REED’s East Coast Edition - Pilot Notes
Florida’s West Coast
Another Side of the Sunshine State
REED’s RECOMMENDS: The character of Florida’s Gulf Coast is
markedly different from the Atlantic side. There’s no reef and no Gulf
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Stream, and some of the best beaches in the nation line the shores.
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Strolling the beach looking for seashells seems to be a universal
pastime, and there’s no better place than the islands of Captiva and
Sanibel, near Fort Myers. Sanibel, in particular, with its hooked
shape ideally suited to deposit shells, consistently produces a good
harvest of shells. The best months are May through September. Time
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your arrival to begin your beach stroll about an hour before low tide.
The harbor of Tampa/St Petersburg is a welcome stop, with the
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municipal marina in St. Petersburg an example of how a good mari-
na should be. Cruisers will find the area to be cruiser-friendly, with
anchorages in relatively plentiful supply. While in the area, make a
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side trip to historic Ybor City, the Latin Quarter of Tampa. Desig-
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nated a National Historic Landmark District, the buildings of Ybor
City reflect the heritage of generations of immigrants from Spain,
Italy, Cuba, Greek and France. The city was founded and prospered
as a center of cigar manufacture, and the annual Cigar Festival, in
November, has attractions beyond those of a good cigar. Music and
cuisine reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Ybor City make this
colorful city well worth a visit.
Farther up the coast is Tarpon Springs, where the Greek sponge
divers who immigrated to the area at the end of the 19th century
still practice their trade. Tarpon Springs bills itself as the “sponge
capital of the world,” and even if you’re not in need of a new sponge,
the Greek restaurants alone make it worth a visit. Be sure to stop
by the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas (the patron saint of
sponge divers) with its rotunda modeled after Istanbul’s St. Sophia.
The focal point of the cultural calendar is January 6, the Feast of
the Epiphany, with the blessing of the fleet followed by a city-wide
celebration featuring entertainment, dancing and, of course, lots of
Greek food. The celebration begins at the St. Nicholas church, fol-
lowed by activities at the nearby Spring Bayou, where the sponge
divers enter the water to retrieve a specially blessed cross that has
been thrown into the bayou.
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