Tampa Travel Forum

Hello All,

My hubs and I are coming down to your wonderful part of the world from UK in early May for 2 weeks - will it be hot enough to swim in the ocean/pools at this time of the year?

Any tip on best beach for swimming in the ocean and vacation rental 'on the beach front' - just miss the sun and beaches here in Europe. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks and all the best for 2009!

Indian Rocks and Madeira Beaches are very nice and right on the Gulf, so the water gets quite warm. There are condos and houses for vacation rentals as well as hotels. It is a bit outside the city of Tampa so you may want to rent a car there. But there are a lot of restaurants and it's not so far that you can't head into the city to see the sights.

Totally agree with the Indian Rocks suggestion - been there several times in May - I think May is one of the best times to visit Florida.

Just under 2 hours from Orlando and 40 minutes from Tampa - wonderful place

Hi,

The water down here in Florida really doesnt heat up until mid June. However it if you can stand the water at about 75 degrees then you should be fine. Most Floridians still find this water temp to be to cold but if your from Europe then it should be ok for you. When you book your hotel just make sure they have a heated pool. The nights in May can still get chilly. If you want the best beaches then you will have to visit a few of my favorites. The Caladesi Island beach and the Fort De Soto beaches are some of the most beautiful beaches we have to offer here in Florida. Just do a google search for these and you will get all the info you need. Both of these beaches were voted in the top 10 beaches in the U.S If you want to see some really nice azul color water then head south to siesta key. Its a bit of drive from St Pete but well worth the trip. Its about an hour south. Hope this helps.

If you have not already got yourselves sorted with your accommodation try a little further south. Sarasota with its sofisticated shops and fine white sand beaches or Historic Venice with quaint Olde Worlde town centre shops and beautiful beaches renowned for searching for shark's teeth when you have had enough sun bathing!! I can give you some names of accommodation if you need any.
Regards
Janet