Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida. It is known for its implication in the sponge diving industry and its strong Greek presence. In fact, it has the highest percentage of Greeks of any city in America.

By plane
Tampa International Airport is not too far from Tarpon Springs.

By car
Follow US-19 north, which connects Tarpon Springs from St. Pete, following Florida's Gulf Coast. Tarpon Ave has a junction with US-19, while to reach the Sponge Exchange you will want to follow Spruce St/Live Oak St from their junction with US-19 and merge right onto Hibiscus St, which crosses Pinellas Ave to become Dodecanese Blvd and leads to the shoreline of the river and docks.

Get around
There is limited public transportation in the city. Having a car is your best bet here. There are also taxis available.

See
Various bayous border the city and are perfect places for a stroll or, if possible, a leisurely boat ride. On Epiphany day, a Greek-Orthodox Holiday, the holiday is commemorated with the traditional diving for the cross, where young men dive in the Spring Bayou, on Spring Street, to recover a sunken cross.



Do
The Tampa Bay area is best known for its authentically rolled Cuban cigars in Ybor City, so why not light up un auténtico cigarro cubano from the cigar stands on Dodecanese Blvd? One local cigar stand called "Dreams of Cuba" offers panatelas puros as well as a nice hot cup of Cuban coffee as you stroll the streets, shopping.



Buy
At the Sponge Docks, there is a small shopping mall on Dodecanese Blvd. called the Sponge Exchange, with multiple stores to explore the sponges, knick-knacks and other souvenirs.

Eat
The cuisine of Tarpon Springs mostly revolves around the Greek culture, so it's not uncommon to see gyros, souvlaki, and other Greek foods.

Stay safe
Tarpon Springs is a relatively safe city. The area around the docks, Pinellas Avenue and Tarpon Avenue are all easily walkable.

Go next

 * Palm Harbor and Clearwater are to the south.