The St. Pete Pier is a 26-acre waterfront district on the far side of Tampa Bay, and reaching it by private charter is a proper voyage rather than a stop. It is the one trip we run that crosses open water, so it needs a 6-hour charter at minimum and a captain willing to call the conditions on the day.
What Is the St. Pete Pier?
St. Petersburg has built piers on this spot since the 1800s, most famously the upside-down pyramid that stood until 2013. The pier there now opened in July 2020, and it is less a pier than a small district: restaurants out over the water, a beach, a marina, a museum and public art, with downtown St. Pete’s parks and bars right behind it.
What Is Actually Out There
Enough that groups usually wish they had allowed more time:
- Food and drink. Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille and Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro are the two most groups head for. Pier Teak is the rooftop bar at the end, with Teak below it and the Driftwood Cafe lower still, and Spa Beach Bistro sits by the sand.
- Spa Beach. A real swimming beach at the base of the pier, which is unusual for a downtown waterfront and the reason this trip works for families.
- The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center. A marine science center with a wet classroom, and the St. Petersburg Museum of History next door.
- Public art. Nathan Mabry’s giant red pelican, Myth, is the one everyone photographs, along with Xenobia Bailey’s Morning Stars mosaic and Nick Ervinck’s Olnetopia.
- For kids. The Glazer Family Playground and a splash pad, plus a fishing deck and a lot of open lawn.
Can We Dock at the Pier?
Usually. The Pier has courtesy docks alongside the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina, which is what makes stepping off for lunch possible rather than theoretical. Space is first come and not guaranteed, especially on a warm weekend, so the captain calls it when we arrive. If the docks are full we anchor off Spa Beach instead.
How Long a Charter Do You Need?
Six hours gets you across, gives you real time on the St. Pete waterfront, and brings you back with the Tampa skyline ahead of you. An 8-hour charter is the better version: cross, dock and eat, and still fit Beer Can Island or a sandbar on the way home.
The reason for the minimum is distance. Most of our cruising stays within a mile or two of the shoreline around Downtown Tampa, and this is the one route that leaves that behind, so it wants open-bay conditions and a full block of time.
Quick FAQs About St. Pete by Boat
Can we do St. Pete on a 4-hour charter?
No. The crossing needs six hours at minimum. On shorter trips we stay around Downtown Tampa, Beer Can Island and the sandbars, which is not exactly a consolation prize.
What if the weather turns?
The captain decides whether the crossing is on. If conditions do not allow it, your charter carries on closer to Downtown Tampa with an island or dockside plan instead, and you still get your full time on the water.
Is this a good trip with kids?
It is one of the better ones. Spa Beach, the playground, the splash pad and the Discovery Center are all within a few minutes of the docks. Our family-friendly charter covers how we pace a day like that.
How long does the crossing take?
Plan on the better part of an hour each way, depending on conditions and where we leave from. That is why six hours is the floor: two hours of it is travel.