MARVELOUS MADEIRA BEACH

A beautiful beach town home to alligators, pirates, grouper and more

By Gabriele Walkow

Madeira Beach is a Gulf of Mexico gem located south of Clearwater and Tampa and just west of St. Petersburg. Sporting sun, sand, sea and fantastic fishing, Madeira Beach is packed with fun-in-the-sun for all travelers.

Historic John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk, located along the Intracoastal Waterway, is home to a colorful collection of buildings with over 100 unique shops, bars, restaurants, watersports outfitters and a 1,100-foot boardwalk. The village and boardwalk are perfect for strolling about, picking up a special souvenir, grabbing a cold brew or digging into the fresh catch of the day.

Hubbard’s Marina, Hawaiian-style Florida Tiki Tours and other tour operators offer dolphin sightseeing, snorkeling and shelling excursions, boat rentals, fishing charters, sunset cruises, parasailing and jet skiing. Or for swashbuckling adventures, the Royal Conquest Pirate Ship hosts an authentic pirate cruise filled with family fun.

John’s Pass Park, with Madeira Beach’s stunning two-mile-long stretch of soft, white sand, is located directly across Gulf Boulevard. Madeira Beach and its enchanting clear waters are perfect for swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding and sunbathing.

For an adventure of another kind, the Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center nearby is open

365 days a year, inviting guests to get up close and personal with alligators in their own habitat. Visitors can also see exotic birds, mammals and reptiles from around the world. And at Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf, guests can golf with live gators! The 18 holes of adventure-style golf navigates visitors through pirate ships, caves, waterfalls and around live alligators that can be fed using cane fishing poles.

Having access to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercoastal Waterway, fishing is the primary sport activity on Madeira Beach. In fact, so much grouper is brought into John’s Pass that Madeira Beach is the Grouper Capital of the World. Maybe that’s why the Annual John’s Pass Seafood Festival is celebrating its 42nd year from Jan. 19-21, 2024. This popular celebration of fresh seafood attracts as many as 130,000 visitors. visitflorida.com/places-to-go/central-west/ madeira-beach