Florida’s Sun Coast Overview & History

The Sun Coast is a colloquial name often referring to the west-central and southwest peninsular Florida coastal area between Tarpon Springs to Naples.  While commonly referring to the entire area as the Sun Coast, this area is actually comprised of 3 individual areas (Sun Coast, Cultural Coast & Lee Island Coast).  In these pages, we will focus on the areas from Tarpon Springs south including the Tampa Bay area.  It includes the well- known coastal cities of Saint Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa and Bradenton.

Originally known as the Pirate Coast, the region contains miles of prime beaches, clear blue water  and very few totally cloudy days.  Much of this area is developed and not the focus of this website, but there are a number of beautiful coastal beaches and ecosystems offering those wanting to experience the less traveled Florida.  Those areas will be featured in these pages.

This stretch of 20 barrier islands and 35 miles of white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico is commonly referred to as Florida’s Beach. The semi-tropical setting makes it a year-round playground for a variety of outdoor activities.