Living in Tampa Bay. Loving it!

Welcome to the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, a little taste of Greece right here in Tampa Bay!

The Sponge Docks run the length of Dodecanese Blvd. in Tarpon Springs (Pinellas County, a little north of Clearwater). As you wander up and down the street, you will see fishing boats (some full of sponge as in the photo) docked along one side, and shops offering sponge of every kind on the other.

What to Do 

Wander through the Sponge Exchange, and take a walk through the Sponge Factory that houses a small, campy history of the docks. There is a small aquarium at the end of the street. You can also take various boat trips and tours. There will be people along the street who can help you with boat trips. You can also stop by the Tarpon Springs Visitor's Center, which is located at the beginning of Dodeconese Blvd.

Eating

The Boulevard is lined with Greek Restaurants and Bakeries offering authentic Greek food, so choosing where to eat can be a challenge if you enjoy Greek food. If you don't, you may want to eat elsewhere in Tarpon Springs. We ate at Mama's, which is a little off the main drag. The special, which included a sandwich (gyro, souvlaki, etc.), greek salad or soup, drink and baklava cost $9.95 -- it was delicious! The bakery windows are full of amazing confections, but we were too full to enjoy any. There are also a couple ice cream shops offering the usual fare, as well as special ice cream flavors like Kona Coffee and Coconut Pineapple.

A Little History of the Sponge Docks

The man who changed Tarpon Springs into a "sponge town" was John King Cheyney. In 1891 he formed the Anclote Sponge Company in Tarpon Springs. He later hired John Cocoris, a young Greek sponge buyer who convinced Cheyney to bring his brothers and other Greek sponge divers to Tarpon Springs. With their advanced rubberized diving suits, copper helmets and pumped-in air, the divers brought in nearly four times as many sponges per man per hour than harvesters using the hood method. Five hundred Greek men entered Tarpon Springs in 1905 and 1906. More immigrants followed, and the sponge docks were transformed into a replica or a Mediterranean port city with restaurants and markets.

If You Go

Parking is available in lots along the beginning of Dodecanese Blvd. and will cost $2-5 per car. Some offer to reimburse your parking if you dine with them.

Enjoy!

Blog penned by: Nicole Doyle

A.J.'s Assistant, Meet me at http://www.ajsellstampa.com/MeetMyAssistant