48 hours in St. Pete’s – the perfect finish to a Florida holiday

Time to Relax and Unwind

It was wonderful, leaving the queues and crowds behind, just a couple of hours drive, and we arrived at our destination. We found soft golden sands, warm Gulf waters, and laid-back beachside dining where the only decision you need to make is whether to order another margarita (or two).

I loved it!

Along with the theme parks of Orlando, Florida is blessed with miles of incredible coastline and countless resort options, each offering its own slice of paradise. From the Atlantic waves on the east coast to the calm, turquoise waters of the Gulf, there’s no shortage of places to kick back and unwind.

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For me, if you’re looking for somewhere that combines award-winning beaches, stylish yet welcoming resorts, and a lively food scene, St. Petersburg is hard to beat. Such stunning sunsets, and a relaxed vibe that contrasts beautifully with Orlando’s high-octane energy, it’s the ideal spot to balance out your busy theme-park adventure with some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

We had planned a two night stay to enjoy the beaches after our time in Orlando, and honestly, I wish we’d had longer.  It was just enough time to slow down, soak up the sunshine, and get a taste of what makes this stretch of Florida so special, but it definitely left me wanting more.

In this guide, I’ll share our itinerary, the places we loved, the highlights plus a few insider tips. I’ve added the links in as I go, but there’s a list at the bottom too, just make everything easy to find!

Treasure Island Beach Resort

This 4-star, boutique-style resort offers a blend of comfort, contemporary design, and premium amenities.  The Treasure Island Beach Resort is set right on the beach front and all the rooms are suites, meaning that you get that ‘luxury resort’ feel and space, but without the luxury price tag.  We were in a two-bedroom suite for the five of us and we had plenty of room. Two bedrooms (3 double beds), plus a lounge area and a kitchenette meant that we had everything that we needed.

The master bedroom and lounge had balconies with seating looking over the pool, the dunes and out to sea. The beach front pool and sundeck is beautiful, perfect for relaxing and the refurbished tiki-bar is now open. The hotel even has a state-of-the-art fitness centre, if relaxing really isn’t your thing!

Read my review of the Treasure Island Beach Resort in H&N Magazine

Middle Grounds Grill

There is on-site dining at the resort, at BRGR, serving high-quality burgers, beachside vibes along with craft beers, premium wines, and cocktails, but for this first evening, we were booked in locally at Middle Grounds Grill. It’s a short, two minutes’ walk, across the road from the hotel which is perfect if you’ve been travelling all day, no fuss, just head on over.

Middle Grounds is a single-level restaurant with parking if you’re coming from further afield.  From the outside it looked like it was quite quiet, but once we opened the door and stepped inside, it was absolutely buzzing. It’s clearly a favourite with locals and visitors alike, the vibe is relaxed yet classy, and the food more than matches.

Our visit was a Wednesday, imagine my delight when it turned out to be ‘Wine Wednesday’. It’s super popular, and with good reason. Bottles of wine (up to $200) are half-price, a great deal!  My family loved their seafood, finding it fresh, beautifully cooked, and my vegan pasta dish was the exactly right amount of al dente. Middle Grounds is a good family friendly choice for dinner, and the menu has something for everyone, with a great range of specials.

After dinner, you’re really well placed to head to Ricky T’s bar, loved by the locals and popular throughout the week as well as at weekends, there’s often live music on here.

For a quieter way to enjoy the evening, Treasure Island Beach might be the place to head. If there is plenty of moonlight, take a wander along the water line and you might see some sea turtles (May to October). It’s super important not to use regular torches or mobile phone torches as these are distracting for the turtles. Red light torches are available for turtle watching, (but even these can disrupt the nesting so use with caution).

We had a really good, clear night and lots of moonlight, so we were able to walk after sunset with no need to use our torches. We weren’t lucky enough to see any turtles nesting though, but we still had a lovely walk along the beach!

John’s Pass Village

Time to get to know the area a little better, starting with Johns Pass Village, a super cute, quaint fishing village a couple of miles north of the Treasure Island Beach Resort.

It’s the number one tourist attraction for the county and really gives you a feel for the area. Lots of independent clothes shops, gift shops and eateries. It’s a lovely place to wander around and great for souvenirs to take home. We meandered through the shops, stopping for a little refresh at Sip & Scoop an ice cream and café bar with a little outdoor seated area.

We were lucky enough to meet Dylan Hubbard, the owner of Hubbard’s Marina.  The business has been in his family for nearly 100 years, sitting at one end of the boardwalk, you can call in here (another really cute gift shop) check out the options for an afternoon boat trip!

Dylan chatted with us about the history of the area around John’s Pass, and Hubbards Marina, it’s a tale of pirates, hurricanes and an entrepreneur with a prescient sense of how to thrive and build a community around the ever-changing coastline.  Building on all that history, Hubbard’s is proud to be offering boat tours, ferry rides, or snorkelling trips, so this is where you need to get booked in for the afternoon, before heading out to grab a spot of lunch.

Uncle Funz

Lunch at Uncle Funz sandwich shop and provisions in Long Key turned out to be one of my favourite eateries during our stay.

This is no ordinary sandwich shop. Run by husband-and-wife team Zack and Jennifer and five minutes into our stay I felt like a regular. They give a really warm welcome, and it’s such a chill vibe.   The food is tasty, fresh, and made with predominantly local ingredients and oh, the bread is like doorsteps!  You can get take away, but if you’ve got time, eat-in and have a chat with the owners, they’re lovely. You could also pick up supplies for your afternoon boat trip while you’re here.

Egmont Key

If you’re booked out on a Hubbard’s Tour, you’ll be headed for Egmont Key or Shell Key, dolphin-watching or snorkelling. Both Shell Key and Egmont Key are ‘pristine’ islands and uninhabited by humans, which means no facilities. Make sure you pack up well with water, sun block and any other supplies that you might need. Note, there are toilet facilities on the boats, but none on the islands.

We plumped for Egmont Key and a spot of snorkelling. If I’m honest, the water was a little bit too shallow where we set down to snorkel & the water was quite cloudy, so it was hard to see much in the sea grass.

All was not lost though, Egmont Key has other charms, as a former military camp and fort visitors can walk the brick pathways to visit the ruined lighthouse and other abandoned buildings. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tortoise in its natural environment, but Gopher tortoises are abundant on Egmont Key, you’re bound to spot one munching its way through the undergrowth.

As the island is a bird and wildlife sanctuary, expect to see lots of our feathered friends, including possibly hummingbirds! You might want to download the ‘Merlin’ app before you go, so you can identify each bird by its call.

During our visit stormy weather rolled in in the late afternoon, so we had a slightly rough time mooring back at the boat ramp. I think if we had been half an hour later we would have needed our rain ponchos (they were back in the car!!) I’d pack them in my beach bag next time.

Caddy’s

Caddy’s Madeira Beach is perfectly placed right on the beach, so when conditions allow this is a prime spot for catching the sunset from their outdoor terrace. The vibe is casual, relaxed, and family-friendly, ideal if you just want to kick back with good food and drinks.

For our visit it was raining, so we were grateful for the covered valet parking area, and we were seated, nice and dry, inside. It was a shame to miss out on the outdoor terrace and that sunset view which is a large part of the charm of Caddy’s.

The staff were welcoming, it was great for a busy atmosphere and a lively crowd, and the prices are reasonable for a prime beach front location.

The Hangar

Our final morning was a treat and easily my favourite day of the trip – and that’s saying something. Breakfast/brunch at The Hangar.  In southeast St Petersburg at Albert Whitted Airport, just off the waterfront, The Hangar is a brilliant spot for all-day dining.

I mean, where else can you enjoy a breakfast menu all day while you watch flights take off and land from the upstairs sun terrace? With cocktails? Oh, take me back!

We all loved The Hangar, Mack declared the pancakes ‘in his top 5’ which is praise indeed!  It makes me hungry just thinking about it. Younger kids will love the small plane suspended inside the restaurant, and watching all the activity on the runway will blow their minds if they’re into planes – The Hangar is a big recommendation from me, it’s relaxed, fun, and the perfect place to eat, drink, and soak up the atmosphere.

The Dali Museum

Just across the parking lot from The Hangar is The Dali Museum.

If you love weird and wonderful art, The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is a must-visit. The building itself is stunning with glass, concrete, spirals, and surreal touches everywhere. It opened in 1982 (after locals rallied to bring Dalí’s massive collection here) and then moved into the current structure in 2011.

I love Dali’s work, it’s absolutely mind boggling, wild, and surreal.  We visited the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres last year, so it was lovely to visit and make the comparison. Even if you’re not a huge fan there’s bound to be something to catch your eye. Dali’s strangeness laid out in this beautiful waterside setting is absolutely stunning.

As part of this huge collection of Dali’s work visitors can see Dalí’s famous Lobster Telephone, and “Ask Dalí”, using a replica phone to ask a question and hear the artist’s voice in response (via AI).

I adored the immersive Dalí Alive 360° experience, (tip – sit in the row of seats around the outside edge, rather than those in the middle, for the best view). It’s about 40 minutes long, and air conditioned (!) in the dome outside the main museum. The show walks visitors through Dali’s life and inspirations, it’s wonderfully well put together, and just the right amount of strange. Parent advisory, there is some nudity in Dali’s work and in this show.

For more information about the area head to the Visit St Pete – Clearwater website

The museum also hosts travelling exhibitions and up-and-coming artists, which are wonderful to see. We couldn’t eat another morsel after brunching over at The Hangar, but the café in the museum was very popular, the pastries looked amazing.  It’s worth mentioning the gift shop here, it’s excellent and has gorgeous jewellery and trinkets that you won’t find anywhere else.

All in all, if you’re in the area, the museum is 100% worth a visit. Even if Dalí’s not your usual cup of tea, this place might just convert you.

With that, our 48 hours in St. Petersburg was over and it was time to head off to the airport. Spending a couple of days relaxing, swimming, shopping and of course, eating out, was the perfect antidote to the frantic ‘organised fun’ of the theme parks.

Fancy planning your own adventure? Check out the links below for everything you need.

By Sally Bendall

Image credits – Sally Bendall & Dreamstime