Tarpon Springs

Away from all the hustle and bustle of Tampa and away from the busy, touristy gulf beaches is the quaint little city of Tarpon Springs, Florida. Stepping into this town is like going back in time and into an old Greek harbor town busy with shops and smells of kabobs floating in the air.

It all started in the late 1800’s when the sponge beds were discovered. Immigrants (especially Greek since they were familiar with harvesting sponges from the Mediterranean) flocked to the area and began harvesting, processing, and selling the sponges. It was such a booming industry, it became on of the most important maritime industries in the state and the key to success in Tarpon Springs.

Today, as you walk Dodecanese Boulevard along the harbor in Tarpon Springs, you can still watch fishermen as they work the sponge docks. Though there aren’t nearly as many as there were a century ago, it is still a vital business in the community. In addition to admiring the harsh and grungy beauty of well worn boats, you can also take take a boat tour or look at (and buy) sponges from one of the many local shops. Many of the stores, with their little old Greek women owners, also sell locally made soaps with scents of flowers such as jasmine and lavender.

Before you leave town, it is a must to stop at one of the authentic Greek bakeries, and I highly recommend Hellas Bakery, right beside their restaurant. You can’t miss it. Look for the giant neon soldier on the roof top and the tempting pastries staring at you from the window. Expect it to be busy, but there is rarely a line as people are busy wandering all over drooling at all the pastries. When you know what you want, just walk up to the counter and one of the friendly employees will promptly take your order. I highly doubt you can go wrong as everything I have tried has been scrumptious, but my favorites include the baklava cheesecake (light and creamy with a sweet,crunchy, baklava topping) and the Kataifi with its nutty center and shredded pastry soaked in a sweet syrup. Add the frothy iced frappe and you will have the perfect way to wash down the sweet pastries and keep cool on a hot and sweaty summer day.

Parking Tip: There are several cheap ($5/day) parking lots right on Dondecanese Blvd, but if you don’t mind a little stroll, parking on most of the residential streets nearby is safe and free.

Checkout our other post of Tarpon Springs before we moved to Florida here