A Perfect Day in a Greek Village (in Florida)
Tampa Bay and the state of Florida entirely is chock full of these nice little towns with their own personalities, eccentricates, and unique features that allows them to stand out even among the larger and more popular cities in the region. Tarpon Springs is a peaceful delightful town north of Clearwater and home to one of the largest Greek communities in the entire country. Known for a large Greek presence and for their sea sponge industry, it’s a place with nice Florida charm and an appreciation of the ocean next to them.
There are plenty of things to do, especially in terms of shopping and dining within their downtown district, but I have two locations that have my strongest recommendation, and these two spots alone will guarantee you a fun full day at Tarpon.
Fred Howard Park
One of the most underrated beaches in all of Florida, Fred Howard Beach is at the tail end of a large park with camping, trails, and beautiful scenery. To be honest, I didn’t spend time at the park section, but that’s because the beach itself feels like another world miles away from Floridian civilization. This space isn’t large; there are no shops or restaurants like in your typical popular beach. It’s essentially the beach, the calm oceans of the Gulf of Mexico (with potential waves being blocked by landmasses further west), a few benches, and a great sensation of tranquility.
The pictures here don’t do it justice, you just have to sit and engage with the nature for yourself. Because of the calmness of the waters, you’ll also be able to swim with schools of fishes, with small crabs, and further down you might even be able to spot some dolphins swimming around. The ocean isn’t all walkable, so friendly warning there, as there are jagged rocks at the corners, but with the right underwater shoes you’ll be able to traverse and see even more of what this contained beach can offer.
The amenities are minimal, so bring your towels, bring your favorite people, and relax for hours on end, all the way up until the sun starts setting over the beautiful waters.
Hella’s Restaurant and Bakery
For the record, I took no pictures of the scenery when I thought I did, so I guess their amazing food is all the scenery I have to show you.
Hella’s Restaurant is arguably the most popular Greek restaurant in the entire town, as its split between the main dining area and their attached bakery, both of which are awesome in every category. The place is beautiful (which I had pictures to show you), the service is great, but most importantly the food is phenomenal.
The portions are plentiful, there’s a lot of variety, and honestly with my three visits here I have struggled to find something to complain about. The only complaint is that I can never quite know what to order because everything is so darn good. The pita bread is among the best I’ve ever had, their dipping sauces are top-notch, the seafood is where the place truly shines. The fried shrimp is some of the best in all of Florida, and as a shrimpaholic, if this is all they were good at I’d still recommend the place.
You can spend a good hour to two hours in this venue, from the appetizers to the entrees to the bakery to even some after-dinner coffee. And every minute will be well-spent.
During these hostile times, its always important to explore your region, your state, your providence, etc., and seek out some of the understated places within our great big beautiful world that we’re all sharing. Florida’s economy in particular outside of the typical tourist corners have been on a steep decline, as the Canadians and Europeans we’re used to seeing have not been visiting.