North Redington Beach is located in Tampa Bay between Indian Shores and Redington Beach. The mile-long, pristine beach invites visitors to unwind at small motels, bed and breakfasts, rental rental units, or a large full-service resort hotel. North Redington Beach is located in the heart of the Suncoast’s beach communities, halfway between the barrier islands’ northern and southern tips. North Redington Beach, founded in 1953, has grown to become one of the area’s most desirable residential communities. It is primarily a town of single-family waterfront homes on four fingers jutting out into Boca Ciega Bay.
The old Tides Hotel and Bath Club, located just north of the border with Redington Beach on 167th Avenue, was the town’s most famous landmark. It was once known as a playground for wealthy vacationers and sports celebrities, with Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe paying visits. It was demolished to make way for the Tides Beach Club condos, which opened in 2000.
Around 1,500 people now live here year-round, with many seasonal residents filling out the remaining addresses along these 10 blocks of Gulf Boulevard. They coexist in a small town with a few favorite restaurants and drinking establishments, as well as a pleasant beachfront.
Things to do
Because North Redington Beach is literally on an island, it can be difficult to find things to do here. It is conveniently located within easy driving distance of all of Tampa Bay’s communities.
Boca Ciega Millennium Park
A 35-foot wooden observation tower in this park provides a panoramic view of Boca Ciega Bay. A wide variety of birds visit this “Great Florida Birding Trail” park, which features nature-canopied boardwalks and a particularly unique bird viewing area. Visitors can fish from piers, launch a canoe or kayak, or have a picnic under cover. There is also a covered barrier-free playground for children and a dog park for small and large dogs at the park.
Florida Botanical Gardens
The Florida Botanical Gardens, located in Largo, Florida, is an 182-acre botanical garden. The park displays flora, fauna, and natural resources in inspiring settings that promote environmentally friendly practices.
North Redington Beach
Also like Redington Beach and Redington Shores, the beach here is a quality experience, but it is quite commercial. There are several crosswalks across Gulf Boulevard and walkways for beach access, but clearly, the goal is to get people to stay in the hotels, motels, and condos lining the waterfront.
And there are some fair-sized resorts and hotels taking up a lot of acreage, too. Finding a place to lay out your beach towel can be tough near some of the properties, but once you’re there, the vibe is relaxed and appears to skew toward older families and retirees.
Property lines should be observed, although some of the bigger places are just fine taking your money even if you aren’t a guest. The rules are fairly standard: There is no alcohol allowed on the beach, no glass containers, no pets, no fires, no littering and no solicitation, but you can bring a bike!
The bottom line is, this community is best for finding relatively smaller, less-crowded waterfront lodging, with just enough businesses and amenities to keep you happy for a few days.
Watersports
Beach Service West, behind the Doubletree, will rent you a cabana, boat, beach chair, jet ski, kayak, paddleboard — you name it. (There’s also rentals available at the Ram Sea hotel just to the north.)
Food & Drink
These are our Top Ten Restaurants in North Redington Beach:
- Frog Pond
- Conch Republic Grill
- Crabby Bill’s
- Sweet Sage Cafe
- Seabreeze Island Grill and Raw Bar
- Broke N Bored Grill
- Buoy’s Waterfront Bar & Grill
- Mangos Restaurant & Tiki Bar
- Gypsy Souls Coffeehouse
Frog Pond
A family staple in the town’s landmark strip mall, you can order eggs more ways than you can count. Crepes and a kid’s menu offer a wide, breakfast-forward selection (there are sandwiches and salads, too).
Conch Republic Grill
A Key West-style bar and grill that manages to be full most of the day. There’s a patio and indoor/outdoor bar, plus ample parking that still manages to fill up at the busiest times. Steaks, pasta and daily specials are available.
Seabreeze Island Grill
A laid-back spot with a waterfront deck that serves seafood and cocktails with happy hour specials. Without live music, it’s more of a restaurant than a bar in our opinion. But throw in some live music, some happy people drinking cold tropical drinks, and you’ve got the makings of a beach bar.
Red’s Bar on the Boulevard
A blueprint dive, in a good way, with TVs, domestic bottles on ice and locals behind the bar. Being dark and cool can be a big bonus on a hot day. Also: Corned beef sliders, you guys. I mean, come on.
Sporty’s on the Beach
It’s not really on the beach, but close enough. If you’re closer to the northern end of North Redington Beach (so far from the southern end!), this is the place for cheap beer. There’s karaoke on the weekends, which is easier to enjoy with said cheap beer.
North Redington Beach Shopping
Owen Sweet Jewelry
You can shop here for unique jewelry designed in shop, but also other jeweler needs, like watch repair, ring resizing and jewelry repair.
Sweet Sage Boutique
This quaint spot could have gone in the suggested restaurants section, because the entire boutique is spread out across the three-room cafe. Hats, dresses, knick-knacks and decorations are available here, where you can also nosh on healthful fare in a dog-friendly setting. Keep in mind that this is a breakfast and lunch place, so both parts of the business close at 2 p.m.
Little Pelican
If you have to have a North Redington Beach souvenir (or pick up a spare pair of flip-flops because you forgot yours), stop by this joint next to Frog Pond. Fun fact: The shop also doubles as the town’s post office.
Getting to North Redington
The two main airports in the area are Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Hillsborough County and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) in Pinellas County. Multiple carriers service TPA, while most flights to and from PIE are run by Allegiant. There are many ground transportation options at both airports.
North Redington Beach is on State Road 699, known locally as Gulf Boulevard. The closest way to access the island from the mainland is to take the Tom Stuart Causeway (150th Avenue) from Seminole in Pinellas County, via Alternate U.S. Hwy 19, a.k.a. Seminole Boulevard. If you’re driving in from St. Petersburg, Alt 19 is Tyrone Boulevard.
You’ll likely need a rental car to get around if you plan on exploring. If you’re sticking close to the area you have some options. The Redington beaches are all within relatively easy walking distance of each other, but busy Gulf Boulevard can be hectic — the sidewalks are right next to the road.
Uber and Lyft are available. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority operates its Suncoast Beach Trolley service along the length of Gulf Boulevard, with stops clearly marked.
You can access the islands by taking Interstate 275 or U.S. Hwy 19 into Pinellas County, then heading west on a main artery.
Parking is still tricky here, although not quite as bad as Redington Beach, but nowhere near as convenient as Redington Shores.
There is some street parking along Gulf Boulevard, but there are no public lots beachside. There’s no parking on side streets, and chances are that any open lot you see is actually owned by a hotel for its guests’ use.
Be on the lookout for signs warning of tow-away zones, and think long and hard before trying to park in a business lot and then meandering over to the sand. You may come back to a missing vehicle.
Your best chance is a small loop of a couple dozen parking spaces along Bath Club Concourse, but naturally those will fill up mighty fast. Signs point out that these spaces aren’t available from 1 to 7 a.m. There’s a couple more at the park off Bath Club Boulevard South, but those are for park goers, so behave accordingly.