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St. Pete Beach consists of several communities on a barrier island named Long Key. The area has several public beaches, accommodations from large modern resorts to quaint cottages, and a complete assortment of water sports including waverunners, scuba diving, fishing, parasailing and more. Several piers offer dolphin-watch cruises, fishing charters and sailboat trips.
As far back as the 1830s Cuban fishermen camped on the beaches of Long Key. In fact Pass-A-Grille, the historic district that encompasses the southern end of the island, probably got its name from those fisherman who smoked and salted their catches on the beach before returning to Cuba. Pass-a-Grille was the first established town on Florida's West coast barrier islands and is a registered National Historic District. The area has no condominiums or "high-rise" buildings keeping it a unique slice of old Florida. The peninsula is only two blocks wide and features a historical museum and 22 historic structures including the first homestead dating back to 1886.
The building of the Don CeSar Resort & Spa (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) in 1927 positioned the island as one of the leading tourist areas in the Gulf Coast. In 1957 the four communities that comprise the island consolidated as St. Petersburg Beach. In 1994, the name was shortened to St. Pete Beach and the area now has a population of 9,392.
For more information about St. Pete Beach:
www.stpetebeach.org
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