Why Tripadvisor’s No. 1 American beach is on Florida’s Gulf side, not the Atlantic

There’s a reason it’s No. 1

St. Pete Beach sits on a barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, about 30 miles west of Tampa. Tripadvisor ranked it the No. 1 beach in America in 2021 and No. 5 in the world.

The sand runs white and soft for miles, and the Gulf water stays warm and calm enough to wade out without thinking twice. Some stretches buzz with resorts and beach bars.

Others feel like you have the whole shoreline to yourself.

The barrier island is part of a chain running down the Pinellas County coast, and every section has its own personality.

Three small towns became one beach city

St. Pete Beach formed in the mid-20th century when three smaller towns, Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista and St. Petersburg Beach, merged into one.

Pass-a-Grille sits at the southern tip and has drawn people for centuries. Spanish explorers first landed there in 1528.

The name likely comes from the French phrase “Passe aux Grilleurs,” meaning “passageway of the grillers,” after fishermen who camped and cooked on the shore.

It earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1989.

A pink hotel built for $100,000 in beachfront land

Thomas Rowe bought 80 acres of beachfront in 1924 for $100,000 and hired architect Henry Dupont to design the Don CeSar.

The hotel opened in January 1928, blending Mediterranean and Moorish styles, and became a Jazz Age hangout almost overnight. During World War II, the government turned it into a military hospital for airmen.

Decades of neglect followed, but a local “Save the Don” campaign pulled it back from demolition in the early 1970s. It reopened in 1973 and hit the National Register in 1975.

Pass-a-Grille is one block wide with Gulf on both sides

No high-rises line the streets in Pass-a-Grille. You’ll find bungalows instead of mansions, and the core of the neighborhood runs just one block wide, with the Gulf on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other.

Walk down Historic 8th Avenue and you’ll pass galleries, shops and restaurants, all within a few minutes of the sand. The Merry Pier on the bay side draws anglers and people who just want to watch the boats roll in.

Sunsets and shelling keep the beach crowd coming back.

Upham Beach has volleyball courts and a Sunday market nearby

Upham Beach Park sits on the northern end of St. Pete Beach, and it’s one of the few public stretches that isn’t tucked behind a hotel.

Four blocks of open sand give you room to spread out, and a rock jetty at Blind Pass pulls in surfers and anglers. A few blocks inland, the Corey Avenue shopping district has held its ground since 1937.

Independent boutiques, galleries and beach bars line the street. From October through June, a Sunday Market fills the avenue with up to 75 vendors and live music.

LED-lit kayaks let you see fish glowing underneath

Dolphins show up right from shore, and boat tours head out daily if you want a closer look. You can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards at spots all along the beach, but the real draw comes after dark.

Glass-bottom kayak tours use LED lights to turn the water beneath you into an aquarium. Fish and sea life light up under your hull as you paddle.

Parasailing, jet ski tours and fishing charters are all easy to book, and the calm Gulf makes it approachable even if you’ve never been on a board.

A fort that never fired a shot guards five islands

Fort De Soto Park covers 1,136 acres across five connected islands, about 15 minutes south of St. Pete Beach. Tripadvisor named it America’s Top Beach in 2009, and roughly 2.7 million people visit each year.

The fort itself went up after the Spanish-American War but finished too late to see action. It never fired a shot in battle.

North Beach has a pirate-ship playground, tidal pools and sand covered in shells and sand dollars. Seven miles of waterfront, two fishing piers, kayak rentals, bike trails and a rare off-leash dog beach round it out.

Two islands with no buildings and no crowds

Shell Key Preserve is an uninhabited barrier island you can only reach by ferry or private boat. The 1,800-acre preserve has no facilities, no development and white sand surrounded by shallow, clear water.

Nesting shorebirds and sea turtles use it as home.

About 20 minutes by ferry from Fort De Soto, Egmont Key has a small lighthouse, the ruins of Fort Dade and good snorkeling along its shores.

Both islands give you something rare in Florida: a beach experience with no commercial anything and barely another person in sight.

A 75-foot glass dome holds 2,400 works by Dali

A short drive east into downtown St. Petersburg puts you at the Salvador Dali Museum.

The collection holds more than 2,400 works, including 96 oil paintings, making it the most complete Dali collection outside of Spain.

Architect Yann Weymouth designed the building around a 75-foot glass dome called the Enigma, made from 1,062 triangular glass panels.

The museum opened at its current waterfront location in 2011 and carries a three-star Michelin Guide rating. Augmented reality, virtual reality and AI-powered exhibits all come with admission.

Walk from glass art to murals to the pier

Downtown St. Petersburg has turned into one of Florida’s strongest arts districts.

The Chihuly Collection sits about a 10-minute walk from the Dali and fills its space with Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures.

Hundreds of murals cover buildings across downtown, so you’re walking through an outdoor gallery whether you plan to or not. The St. Pete Pier stretches into Tampa Bay with parks, public art and waterfront views.

The Central Avenue Trolley connects downtown to St. Pete Beach, so you can skip the car and still make it to both.

Grouper, stone crab and a 1940s movie theater

Gulf Coast sunsets happen every night, and Pass-a-Grille and Upham Beach put you front row. Fresh grouper, stone crab, shrimp and Key West pink shrimp fill the local menus.

The Corey Avenue Sunday Market runs October through June with local produce, handmade crafts and live music. In February, the St. Pete Beach Seafood Festival takes over.

On the same avenue, the Beach Theatre, a 1940s-era movie house, reopened in 2025 after surviving two hurricanes. You can catch a film and walk to the sand in five minutes.

Metered parking fills fast on weekends

Tampa International Airport sits 25 to 30 miles away, about a 35- to 45-minute drive depending on traffic. Beach parking is metered and fills up quickly on weekends, so early mornings work best.

Fort De Soto Park charges a $5 vehicle entrance fee, payable through the ParkMobile app or at onsite kiosks.

The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-a-Grille is closed for repairs after Hurricane Helene damage in 2024.

Plan around the weather: May through October brings the warmest days, with brief afternoon rain showers common in summer.

Explore St. Pete Beach in Florida

You can reach St. Pete Beach from Tampa International Airport or St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, both within easy driving distance.

Once you’re there, Pass-a-Grille, Corey Avenue, Fort De Soto Park and the Dali Museum are all close enough to fit into a single trip. The beach itself runs along the Gulf Coast about 30 miles west of Tampa.

Check the official website for visitor information, seasonal events and updates on hours and access before you head out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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