6 essential experiences along Florida's Sports Coast
Snorkelling for scallops, kayaking with dolphins and collecting stamps in your Ale Trail passport are all some of the ways that Florida’s Sports Coast keeps the spirit of adventure front and centre.
Florida may be best known for its theme parks, award-winning beaches and reptilian residents, but the Sunshine State has so much more to offer, especially in terms of outdoor fun in the sun. Once vying to become the Hollywood of the East, Pasco County area is now making its mark as Florida’s Sports Coast.
Stretching along the warm waters of Florida’s central Gulf coast just 30 minute's drive northwest of Tampa International Airport, Florida’s Sports Coast is a destination built and preserved for the active and adventurous. The outdoor activities here cover land, sea and sky, and the perpetually sunny weather – over 240 days per year – mean you’ll definitely want to load up on reef-safe sunscreen.
Kurt Fehlhauer/Alamy Stock Photo
This is the wild side of Florida’s west coast. This is where you’ll find underwater seagrass meadows, tangled mangroves forests, over 500 species of birds, dolphins, otters, turtles, manatees, butterflies, salt marshes, tidal inlets and deep sunsets that never need a filter.
Forget sandy beaches (though they’ve got those too) – Florida’s Sports Coast is all about getting in, on and above the water to experience the oft-overlooked natural side of the state. And, just like any good Floridian, Florida’s Sports Coast knows the importance of playing hard and relaxing easily too.
The vibe is laidback, the competition friendly and the nature is stunning. Here are six essential experiences that make Florida’s Sports Coast in a league of its own.
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1. Sip and cycle into the sunset on a pontoon paddle boat
The Pithlachascotee River (dubbed the Cotee River for short) makes its way from Crew’s Lake all the way out to the Gulf of Mexico. The blackwater river’s stretch through New Port Richey is an easy-going pedal aboard the pontoon boat on one of Lucky Booty Cycleboats sunset cruises.
The boat is set up like a bar and each stool has a pair of pedals so your group can literally ride out into the sunset. This BYOB pontoon boat experience lets cruisers do all – or none – of the work (if you’re not feeling up for pedalling, there’s a backup electric engine to keep the wheel turning).
Learn about the area’s history as you cruise through neighbourhood waterways and out toward the city’s famous stilt houses. It’s easy to find yourself getting blissed-out as you inch closer to the Gulf of Mexico. Keep your camera handy for some money shots of the American flag stilt house or, if you’re lucky, any dolphins out for a cheeky swim at dusk.
Stephen Vincent/Alamy Stock Photo
2. Go scallop hunting in the bay
Overfishing caused the area to put their scalloping season on hold for a quarter of a century – but now it’s back and is truly one of the more memorable and unique family-friendly water activities to do in the area. Make sure to find a good companion, like captain Mark Dillingham, who knows the best spots. Scallops can be notoriously hard to spot since they blend into the sandy ocean floor.
The challenge just makes things more exciting and friendly competition is common among the people in your group, or even among different boats. Think of it as an underwater treasure hunt as you strap on your mask, jump off your private chartered fishing boat and snorkel into the salty, warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The best spots to strike gold are usually around the edges of seagrass meadows or around rocks.
In order to keep scalloping sustainable, the Florida Sports Coast scalloping season is short, currently only about a week long, usually in July. Each boat has a limit to how many pounds or bags they can bring back per haul. If you’re really feeling up for an experience, ask your captain to show you how to shuck and clean the scallops you caught, right on board. And don’t ditch the shells – the orange ones are considered good luck.
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3. Kayak with wildlife on a guided ecotour
Florida’s Sports Coast is home to the Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park. This nearly 4,000-acre state park has a long history of importance to the area. Indigneous Floridian peoples fancied tools out of the local limestone quarry and remnants from the Civil War and Second World War can be found throughout the park, as well as reminders of when the park’s springs were drained in the 1950s and 1960s in an attempt to sell off the land to developers.
Nowadays, the Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park is in the continual process of being restored to house several ecosystems that can support Florida wildlife. Boardwalks and water launch ramps are being built so guests can visit, observe and take part in this slice of nature. Because of the park’s natural fresh and saltwater areas, marine life here is exceptional and rich.
Taking a guided ecotour with Salty Dog Kayak Rental is equal parts educational, active and relaxing. Not only will you learn about the very habitat you’re paddling through, you can also spot some of the wildlife, including dolphins, birds, otters, manatees, turtles and more. However, the Florida sun is no joke, so early morning slots are usually best, and don’t forget to wear a hat, long sleeves and sunscreen.
4. Experience catch and cook
Whether you’ve decided to try your hand at treasure-hunting scallops or tossing out a line to see if any of the local snapper, grouper, mullet or tarpon were biting, the next step is to enjoy the fruits of your labour – by eating it.
As a fishing and scalloping destination, several of Florida’s Sports Coast restaurants – like Grill Dawg in Port Richey or The Widow Fletcher’s in New Port Richey – offer a 'catch and cook' service. This means you catch the fish, they’ll cook it up, you eat it and they’ll do the dishes. It’s a win-win situation – and it’s delicious. Most places will let you choose how you want it cooked and then serve it to you on a platter (or at least a plate). Depending on your haul, try out a couple of different preparations for a multi-dish tasting menu.
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5. Gulp down local brews on the Sports Coast Ale Trail
The craft beer boom hit Florida hard and several counties created brewery trails complete with their own passports. You get a stamp for each of the beers you try across several breweries. In Pasco County, it’s called the Sports Coast Ale Trail and each brewery serves up a little taste – and history – of the county in a pint.
Over in New Port Richey, Cotee River Brewing Company, where beers are served with a side of riverfront views, pays homage to the Pithlachascotee River with its interior design and to the owner’s tea-shop-owning wife via its beers which use tea blends in the brews. IPA lovers will want to head over to Infusion Brewing Co. where you can sip traditional IPAs along with the brewery’s own Jalapeno IPA, all to the sweet sounds of live music.
Don’t miss out on tasting the one-and-only Sports Coast Pilsner, a brew made especially for the destination, by local Escape Brewing Company in Trinity. Also in the Trinity area, set in an old Florida home with a backyard facing the lake, In the Loop Brewing and its wide variety of award-winning craft brews feels a lot like hanging at your friend’s house on a Sunday.
6. Stay like a movie star in a historic pink hotel
In the early days of Hollywood, it was common for silver screen celebrities to vacation in New Port Richey. The Hacienda Hotel was built in the 1920s with starlets, star athletes and other famous personalities of the time in mind. It opened its doors in February 1927 – a gorgeous, luxurious, pink and white Spanish Colonial Revival-style resort, as another step toward billing New Port Richey as the Hollywood of the East. Famous guests such as Thomas Meighan, Gloria Swanson, Johnny Cash and Charlie Chaplain were all rumoured to have been seen there.
As it turned out, New Port Richey wasn’t right for the part and it lost its Hollywood glamour. Over the years, the hotel played many roles and served as the setting for several different community endeavours, though it was never again as a hotel. It was added in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and has finally been painstakingly renovated for a stunning comeback in the role it was built to play.
Soon guests will be able to book a room at The Hacienda and take a step back in time to conjure up the spirit of the 1920s and 1930s Hollywood East. Original architecture has been preserved as much as possible, and modern amenities can be found throughout – giving guests the best of both worlds. The hotel is also right on the corner from the action of Downtown New Port Richey's Main Street which is filled with bars, restaurants, shops and galleries.
Even if you don’t stay overnight in this gorgeous pink palace, it’s worth a drive-by and a peek around. Pink hotels can be found throughout Florida, usually all in the same Mediterranean Revival style, but a rarity outside of the state. If you time your visit just right, you can pop over to The Social NPR on Main Street for a rooftop meal or drink and catch the perfect snap of the orange sun setting behind the historic hotel.
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