Tarpon Springs is the largest Greek community in the US. Sponge docks, authentic Greek restaurants and bakeries, and Shops! Shops! Shops! Several boats tours - recommended are: 1) the one where you can see a sponge diver bring up sponges; and 2) Sunline eco-wildlife tour to see Florida wildlife and dolphins in the Anclote River. Good place to take kids. Fishing tours also available.

Festivals - Jan. 6 - Celebration of the Epiphany (Greek Orthodox church holiday). Highlight is 'diving for the Cross' where young Greek men of the community dive into the icy waters of Spring Bayou and the one who retrieves the cross is blessed with good luck for the next year. Lots of authentic food and entertainment. Also, lots of crowds!

Art Festival - late April at Spring Bayou. Adults - ; under 16 - Free.

Quick Tips:

Once in the town, watch were you park. Most lots charge - for the day. Don't pay more.

When shopping, compare prices as there is a large variance between stores. Many items are overpriced, but bargains can be found. Especially take a look in the shops up the side streets off Dodecanese (the main street).

Best Way To Get Around:

Hellas means 'Greece' in Greek. By the crowd waiting outside to get in, it should also mean good eating! Open since 1970, this is one popular place with reasonable prices & excellent authentic Greek cooking. Beautiful tile-topped tables are arranged inside and outside (great for watching the passing crowd & enjoying the Florida weather on a spring day).

They boast the largest & best Gyro in town made just the way I like it with seasoned, broiled beef and lamb strips stuffed into pita along with tomato, onion (I take mine without onions), and tzatziki (cucumber & sour cream) sauce. With a side of Greek potato salad - yum!!! The menu features a wide variety of Greek cuisine - kabobs, Souvlaki (chunks of marinated pork served just like the gyro. There is also a chicken Souvlaki which I love.), Keftedes - Greek-style meatballs, original Greek salad for one, two or four, pan-fried squid, Greek style shrimp, roast leg of lamb & lamb chops (another recommended pick!), whole fish dinners, and the list goes on.

Desserts come from the bakery attached to the restaurant (or you can just visit the bakery). There are so many choices it's hard to decide - well-known Baklava in several flavors, Folites (fillo dough round filled with ground walnuts, ground almonds, topped with a sweet sticky apricot and pistachio bits, and honey), Kataifi (shredded fillo dough filled with walnut and honey filling), Ergoslavos ( 2 biscuit cookies filled with apricot and studded with almonds), Kourambiethes (butter almond wedding cookies), Kok (2 thin vanilla cake layers filled with creamy custard), Pasta (3-layer cakes coated in chocolate), & rice pudding. Breads such as the sweet Tsoureki Easter bread are also available. Bring a cooler - take home treats to savor!

They offer among other things shark & string ray feedings and the chance to see real live alligators. OK for someone who doesn't live in Florida or to amuse younger kids (Ages: 5-10yrs). My personal recommendation is save your money and go over to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa to see a real aquarium.

What a pleasant way to rest your feet and see Florida wildlife up close in it's natural setting - native birds, dolphins, etc. Don't forget to bring you camera. These 75-minute "Sea-Fari" tours are conducted by a certified Naturalist so you get a lot of good information on the native wild life. Claim to be the only boats that enter bayous and shallow waters along the Anclote River. Boats are comfortable with some covered areas and equipped with restroom. Complimentary beverages and light snacks provided. Tours run from October - May and leave at 11:30am, 1pm, 2:30pm & 4pm. Look for the light yellow booth to purchase tickets.

The company also offers sunset tours for $7 per person (Departure times depend on when the sun sets), school tours, and private charters. Check out their web site at www.sunlinecruises.com

The sponge business has been part of the history here as early as the late 1880's when sponge fisherman brought their sponges from Key West to cure on the beaches in the area.

In 1889, John Cheney, a Philadelphia banker, started building warehouses to make it a leading market. A couple of divers from Greece discovered the local wealth of thousands of sponges in the local waters.

In 1905, with a group of Greek divers working for Cheney, the first boat with mechanized equipment set sail for deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico. News of the plentiful sponges brought immigrants from Greece to not only sponge but run shops in the town.

Even today, you can see the many boats (many named after Greek Orthodox saints) manned by hardworking spongers and shops filled with all variety of sponges.