Hi, I’m Noah. I’m a St. Pete local and I run Teal Tide Sailing, our sailing charter out of Saint Petersburg, FL. Most days you’ll find me out on the water with guests. The question I get more than any other is some version of “what else should we do while we’re here?”
So I finally wrote it down. St. Petersburg has more going on than most visitors expect: the museums are serious, downtown stays busy well past dark, and the water is the reason a lot of us never left. This is the list I put together for visitors here for just an afternoon or a long weekend.
1. Get Out on the Water
You can walk downtown and have a fine trip. But the view from the water is different: the skyline, the mangroves, the dolphins, the sandbars that show up at low tide. It’s a different world from shore.
That’s my whole reason for doing this. A private sail on SV Cay Michele is a few hours on the ICW or out in the Gulf: anchor at a sandbar, swim, look for dolphins, catch a sunset that lives up to the photos you see online. I take up to six guests, which works well for small celebrations. If you’re planning a bachelorette weekend or a sandbar afternoon with your closest friends, that’s exactly what I love running.
2. Walk the St. Pete Pier
The St. Pete Pier was fully rebuilt a few years back and it’s worth the walk. Twenty-six acres on the water: marketplace, live music both planned on the stage and impromptu by the talented buskers, splash pad if you’ve got kids or think you’re one, public art, fishing, and a beach. Most of it is free.
You can grab a coffee and croissant from Perry’s Porch after watching the sunrise, or enjoy the buzz of the crowd in the evenings.
3. Go Mural Hunting in the Central Arts District
St. Pete has a lot of murals, over a hundred downtown, mostly thanks to the annual SHINE festival put on by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance. The Central Arts District is the main area to walk. It’s free, you set your own pace, and you’ll want your phone charged for photos. Remember to look up and don’t be afraid to check the alleys.
4. See the Flamingos at Sunken Gardens
Sunken Gardens is one of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, still going. A hundred-year-old botanical garden in the middle of the city. The flamingos are the reason most people come.
Shaded paths, palms, tropical plantings. Quiet compared to the beach. Works with kids, or if you just need an hour somewhere green.
5. Chase the Wind with Elite Watersports
Elite Watersports runs out of South St. Pete and has been teaching wind sports and renting gear since 2009: kiteboarding, wing foiling, eFoiling. The water near the Skyway Bridge is shallow and usually breezy, which makes it a decent place to learn. Not the same vibe as a relaxing sail, but if you want to try something new on the water, they’re the local shop.
6. Paddle the Mangrove Tunnels at Weedon Island
Weedon Island Preserve has a paddling trail that goes through mangrove tunnels and opens onto Tampa Bay. Rent a kayak or bring your own.
Herons, ospreys, manatees if you’re lucky. Most tourists stick to the beach and never see this side of town. The boardwalks and nature center are free if you’d rather stay on foot.
7. Enjoy a Beach Day
Fort De Soto and Pass-a-Grille are the two I’d send you to.
Fort De Soto shows up on best-beach lists for a reason: long quiet stretches, a fishing pier, kayak trails, an old fort to walk around. Pass-a-Grille, at the south end of St. Pete Beach, is smaller, a little village with mom-and-pop shops and a seawall where locals watch the sun go down. Be prepared to pay for parking at either one.
8. Gallery-Hop the Museum District
St. Pete has more museums than you’d expect for a city this size. On a rainy day, pick one or two and you’ll stay busy.
- Museum of Fine Arts: 5,000 years of art
- Chihuly Collection: Dale Chihuly’s glass in a purpose-built gallery
- James Museum: Western and wildlife art
- Imagine Museum: contemporary glass
They’re close enough to string together if you have the stamina.
9. Eat and Drink Your Way Down Central Avenue
Central Avenue runs through downtown and keeps going west through Grand Central and the EDGE District. Independent restaurants, cocktail bars, live music, and a dense craft beer scene. You might find me at Green Bench or 3 Daughters. On the first Friday of the month, the block party between 2nd and 3rd Streets turns Central into an open-air party with live music and vendors (firstfridaystpete.org). Good for an evening when you don’t want to drive anywhere.
10. Toast the Sunset
Make time for a west-facing sunset at least once. The Pass-a-Grille seawall is the easy pick from shore, and a downtown rooftop works if you know someone who can get you in. Or skip the shore and get back on the water. A sunset sail gives you the best seat in the city for it, and yes, I’m biased, but I’ve watched a lot of them from out there and they don’t get old.
For something different, try the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park, the old bridge approaches turned into a fishing pier. Gets you out over the bay with a rod and a view. Show up early for a good spot and if you’ve got a fishing pole, you may want to bring it along.
However you spend your time here, get out on the water at least once. That’s where St. Pete makes the most sense to me. If you want to do it under sail, you know where to find me.
See you out there, Captain Noah
On a Budget
Free Things to Do in St. Pete
Several of the best things on this list cost nothing:
- St. Pete Pier: free to walk, with waterfront views and weekend buskers
- Murals: self-guided, Central Arts District
- Weedon Island: free boardwalks and nature center; kayak rental optional
- Fort De Soto or Pass-a-Grille: parking is the only real cost
- Sunset: anywhere west-facing
Put a few of these together and you have a full day out without spending much at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I spend one day in St. Pete?
Start on the water in the morning when it’s calm (a sail, a paddle, or the beach), then head downtown for lunch on Central Avenue. Spend the heat of the afternoon inside the Museum of Fine Arts or one of the city’s other galleries, wander the murals as it cools off, and end with dinner and drinks downtown or a sunset on the bay.
What is St. Pete known for?
Street art and galleries, a lot of museums for a city this size, a busy restaurant and brewery scene along Central Avenue, and beaches that are a short drive away.
What are some unique things to do on the water?
Beyond a relaxed sailing charter, you can learn to kiteboard or wing foil with the steady breezes near the Skyway, kayak the mangrove tunnels at Weedon Island, or boat out to a sandbar to swim and look for dolphins. The bays are shallow and protected, which helps if you’re trying something for the first time.
Where are the “pink streets” in St. Petersburg?
Pinellas Point, in the south end of the city: a cluster of residential roads paved in a rosy-pink surface. Worth a photo stop if you’re already in that neighborhood.
What is there to do in St. Pete on a rainy day?
Museums. The Museum of Fine Arts, the Chihuly Collection, the James Museum, and the Imagine Museum are all indoors and can fill a wet afternoon. Central Avenue’s restaurants, breweries, and shops work too.
