Known as the “Sponge Capital of the World,” Tarpon Springs, 30 minutes north of Clearwater on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is a destination like no other.

TARPON SPRINGS – Tucked in a quieter corner of the bustling Tampa Bay metro region, this city of about 25,000 spreads a subtle magic that transports visitors to other times, other places. It blends the moods of Victorian-era Florida, small-town America and – most of all – the vibrant character of its Greek heritage.

Now it’s official. The National Park Service recently listed Tarpon Springs’ Greektown Historic District on its National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property, which is a first for Florida.

The Florida Keys remain the most popular tarpon-fishing destination on the planet, and Islamorada is the fishery’s epicenter. Anglers target giant tarpon around the bridges with live bait and conventional tackle.

Acropolis Tarpon Springs is a one-of-a-kind Greek and Seafood Restaurant in Tarpon Springs, Florida, where spirited flavors, vibrant gatherings, and a welcoming...

A stroll along Dodecanese Boulevard in Tarpon Springs tells the tale of this Greek village on the Gulf of Mexico. And it’s not all about history, though the town of nearly 25,000 is steeped in it.

Stop by the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, housed inside the old City Hall on Pinellas Avenue to find out about walking and bus tours plus see a film on Tarpon Springs history. A city trolley goes back and forth between downtown and the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs.

Sponge diving defines Tarpon Springs. Begun in the 1880s, the industry peaked in the first half of the 20th Century. But as this tour shows, the Greek culture it birthed lives on in the food, architecture, music and, of course, the people.

2020年3月25日 · Follow the “Feed the Tarpon $1” into a dilapidated building that lacks air conditioning. Give the man at the counter your dollar bill, stroll out onto the dock to the free-swimming tarpon at the end.

With preparation and patience, a day of tarpon fishing can be enjoyable for you and safe for the fish. Withers captains 260 trips a year, and still loves angling tarpon. “For Florida, it’s arguably the number 1 game fish across the board—anywhere in Florida,” he says. “I still love to fish, and tarpon is still my No. 1.”