If you’re planning a trip to St. Pete Beach or Pass-a-Grille, you’re already winning — but here are the insider secrets that turn a good vacation into the one you’ll talk about for years.
- Free Parking at Southern Pag Beach House Bungalows
Everyone fights for the $3.50/hr meters on Gulf Way. Staying with us will save you up to 50 dollars a day on parking fees. - The best beach in the entire Tampa Bay area is actually the quiet mid to north end of Pass-a-Grille
Head north after Paradise grill, walk 5-10 minutes . You’ll have sugar-white sand and turquoise water with almost nobody there — even on holiday weekends. - Sunset at the Merry Pier is better than Clearwater or the Don CeSar
Grab a $5 beer from the bait shop, sit on the very end of the historic Merry Pier, and watch the sun drop straight into the Gulf. Dolphins show up 7 times out of 10. - You can rent kayaks or paddleboards for half the price
Skip the big beach rental shacks. Pass-a-Grille Paddle (right behind Paradise Grille) has brand-new boards for $30/2 hrs vs $60+ everywhere else. - The absolute best breakfast is a 4-minute walk away
Paradise Grill near 8th ave has great breakfasts. Same with Seahorse Restaurant once it reopens from hurricane damage. - Gulfport Tuesday Morning Market is worth the 12-minute drive
Every Tuesday 9 am–2 pm (Oct–May). Fresh pastries, live music, and the famous “hippie pancakes.” Locals go every week. - The best rooftop bar in St. Pete Beach
360° Rooftop at the Hotel Zamora (10-min drive). Half the crowd of the big resorts and insane sunset views. - Shell Key Preserve shuttle leaves from Merry Pier
$25 adult / $15 kid for a 15-minute boat ride to a completely uninhabited island full of shells and zero people. Best morning activity with kids. - The secret “dog beach”
Pass-a-Grille Dog Beach (south end near 22nd Ave) — one of the only leash-optional beaches in Pinellas County. - Where to actually see manatees (not just “maybe”)
The blind pass marina (5-minute drive north) — walk the dock at low tide in the morning and you’ll see 5–15 manatees drinking fresh water from the hoses. - The one grocery store that doesn’t gouge tourists
Publix on 68th St N & Gulf Blvd — same prices as the mainland. Avoid the beach convenience stores unless you like $9 milk. - Free outdoor yoga every Saturday & Sunday
8 am on the beach behind the Don CeSar. Just show up with a towel. - The best last-minute dinner when everything is booked
Grace Restaurant on 8th Ave — usually not full, incredible grouper sandwiches, and you can walk there from any of our rentals. - Stay like a local, not a tourist
Skip the giant condo towers. Our colorful 1920s–30s bungalows one or two blocks off the beach in Pass-a-Grille are quieter, have a private backyard, and put you 60 seconds from the sand. Our place — Southern Palm Beach House Bungalows — is right in the heart of it (2-minute walk to the beach, free beach chairs, free parking and everything you need). Check availability here at www.southernpagbeachhousebungalows.com
Ready for the real Pass-a-Grille experience?
Book direct with us and get the most discounted rates that bigger sites will not give you.
www.southernpagbeachhousebungalows.com