Disney Chronicles

We had a chance to visit the sponge docks today.  I wasn’t sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. This place feels like you were transported to Greece. Really it does!  The fishermen, sponges, boat rides, little shops, authentic music and the FOOD! ….did I mention the FOOD! More on that later!

How it all started….

Long before city planners built a seawall along the Anclote River in the 1920s, Greek sponge divers would steer their boats up to the sandy banks to unload their haul.

Over the years, the area at the Sponge Docks grew into a community gathering spot full of merchants selling everything from sponges to handmade soaps to traditional Greek cuisine.

Sponge Diving is Tarpon Spring’s Claim to fame. You can go on a dolphin sightseeing tour, sunset sail or even charter a boat for a fishing trip. When it’s time to eat there are many choices. A very popular place is Hellas restaurant.There are two entrances,one for the restaurant and another for the bakery. We stopped for Gyros at Yiannis and had tiramisu and espresso at Hellas! So good and so authentic! There are many restaurants and bakeries to choose from. I may have to choose different next time around just for the experience.

There is a history of sponge diving museum and an aquarium too. Parking is tight but there are several pay lots $2 – $5 for the day.

If you’re looking for a historic town with an “old” Florida feel this is it!

Check out more pics here……

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150363650903853.359405.142061353852&type=3

Wanna go?…..761 Dodecanese Boulevard, Tarpon Springs Florida

This entry was posted on November 4, 2011 at 1:01 AM and is filed under FLORIDA ADVENTURES with tags Greek, sponges, Tarpon Springs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.