WATER & COAST
St. Pete Beach
Pinellas County · Gulf Coast
A barrier island city on Long Key south of Clearwater, formed in 1957 from several beach towns and known for the pink Don CeSar hotel.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
The city was incorporated in 1957 when Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and some unincorporated land voted to combine, and the referendum carried by five votes. The name was shortened to St. Pete Beach on March 9, 1994, to stop the confusion with St. Petersburg across the bay. It sits on Long Key, a barrier island facing the Gulf, and most of its area is water. The Don CeSar opened in 1928, a pink Mediterranean pile at the south end of the beach that is now a member of Historic Hotels of America and the landmark everyone navigates by. Pass-a-Grille at the southern tip is a historic district of small streets and old cottages, and it is the part that still feels like the Florida that was here before the hotels. TripAdvisor placed the beach first in the country in 2021. The 2020 census counted 8,879 residents, with a median age of 60.4
Not identified in this guide as an officially clothing-optional beach. This is a visit category, not a safety rating—check surf, lifeguards, water quality and posted rules.
BEACH CONDITIONS
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