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Oct 18, 2023

Tarpon Springs: A day filled with sponges, Greek cuisine

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel Fred Howard Park near Tarpon Springs is a

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Fred Howard Park near Tarpon Springs is a great place for catching a Gulf Coast sunset.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Even the bike racks have Greek flare in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

A mural depicts a sponge diver being followed by a shark in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Dodecanese Boulevard in Tarpon Springs is filled with shops, restaurants and Greek culture on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

The Original Mama Maria's Greek Cuisine serves up traditional fare of the city's original inhabitants, Greek immigrants, in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Tarpon Springs, which still harvests 90 to 95 percent of all natural sea sponges, is touted as the "Sponge Capital of the World," in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

A sponge boat is docked to sift through the day's harvest in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Taste of Greece provides Greek and European pastries including baklava and flogeres in Tarpon Springs.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Fred Howard Park near Tarpon Springs is a great place for catching a Gulf Coast sunset, seen on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Fred Howard Park near Tarpon Springs is a great place for catching a Gulf Coast sunset, seen on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

The historic sponge docks of Tarpon Springs still have boats coming in daily with their harvest of natural sea sponges.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Natural sea sponges are sold in many Tarpon Springs shops.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

A statue near the historic sponge docks of Tarpon Springs pays homage to all of the sponge divers who've made their living in the town's industry.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

A mural depicts a sponge diving boat and is named Panagia, one of the Greek titles for Mary, mother of Jesus, in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

The Original Mama Maria's Greek Cuisine serves a gyro platter with lamb and beef, tomatoes, red onions, pita bread and tzatziki sauce with a potato side in Tarpon Springs.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Greek heritage is on full display in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

A boat tour with Odyssey Cruises takes tourists on a scenic river ride with history, nature facts and (hopefully) dolphin sightings in Tarpon Springs.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Murals depict the main industry of Tarpon Springs, harvesting natural sea sponges, on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Greek heritage is on full display in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Even street names and signs have Greek influence in Tarpon Springs, with some signs also printed in Greek, on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Natural sea sponges are set out on the dock to dry in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Seashells are on display in a Tarpon Springs gift shop on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Dodecanese Boulevard in Tarpon Springs is filled with gift shops, restaurants and Greek culture.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Local artist Mark DiClemente touches up a mural he first painted about 10 years ago in Tarpon Springs.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

The Original Mama Maria's Greek Cuisine serves up saganaki, fried cheese flamed with brandy, in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel

Gulls fly overhead near historic sponge docks in Tarpon Springs on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Where do sponges come from?

It's a question I hadn't considered until my visit to Tarpon Springs, a charming town north of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast.

They seem to come from supermarket shelves and presumably a factory before that. But before sponges were ever manufactured with synthetic materials, ancient Greeks and Romans harvested them from the sea. The natural sea sponges were used first for hygiene, cleaning, padding helmets and painting.

Many centuries later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Greek immigrants, many of whom had experience with sponge diving, made their way to Tarpon Springs to find work in Florida's burgeoning sponge industry. Bustling boats could be seen docked daily with workers rinsing and drying out sponges, which are living aquatic organisms cut in such a way that they can regrow over time. They come in thousands of species.

While the natural sponge industry of Tarpon Springs has experienced its ups and downs, modern-day visitors can still wander the historic docks, smell the salty air and see sponge boats coming in with their product. It's estimated that 90-95 percent of all sea sponges are still harvested in Tarpon Springs, earning it the title, "sponge capital of the world."

More than one in 10 residents of the town are of Greek descent, and some still speak Greek in the home. That influence can be felt while eating in restaurants serving gyros, souvlaki and spanakopita, not to mention baklava and loukoumades for dessert.

Where to eat (and drink)

It’d be difficult to sample even half of Tarpon Springs’ edible offerings during one day of visiting, there's simply too much to try. The good news is that there are no wrong answers when choosing from the extensive menus filled with tasty cuisine at any number of restaurants (of which there are about two dozen, many specializing in Greek food).

A stop at The Original Mama Maria's Greek Cuisine, established in 1978, yielded a taste of saganaki, an appetizer of fried cheese topped with brandy and flamed with a hearty "Opa!" from the server. An order of the gyro platter came in the form of a deconstructed wrap with lamb, beef, tomatoes, red onions topping slices of pita bread with tzatziki sauce on the side.

Traditional offerings on the menu also include keftedes (Greek meatballs), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), moussaka (eggplant and potato-based dish) and souvlaki (meat skewers).

Other staples for Greek eats are Hellas Restaurant, Mykonos, Dimitri's on the Water, Mr. Souvlaki and Mama's Greek Cuisine.

For pastries and treats, a convenient stop awaits across from the historic sponge docks at Taste of Greece, a bakery specializing in treats like baklava, cheesecake, cannolis, flogeres and kataifi.

When searching for adult beverages, visit Johnny's Taphouse and Grill, Cat’n Jack's Waterfront Grille for a tiki bar hangout or Anclote Brew. Craft beer enthusiasts can explore what's on tap at Two Frogs Brewing, Silverking Brewing, Unrefined Brewing, Brighter Days Brewing, Saint Somewhere Brewing and 5 Branches Brewing. Handcrafted spirits from moonshine to gin can be found at Tarpon Springs Distillery.

Where to shop

Dodecanese Boulevard, the thoroughfare that runs by Tarpon Springs’ famous docks, is lined with myriad gift shops selling sponges, souvenirs and Floridian mementos. More stops can be found on Athens Street.

At one end of the waterfront district, The Sponge Factory provides a short film detailing the city's spongy history and, of course, many natural sea sponges to take home. Some are advertised as being great for car washing, while others can work well for skincare or become household decorations.

There are many other gift shops lined with sponges, soaps, apparel, seashells and souvenirs of all shapes and sizes.

Further down the street, The Fudge Factory serves up varieties of treats that don't require refrigeration, and a shop a few doors over carries all varieties of jerky. Another neighboring business provides spices and tea, while one specializes in olive oil. Miss Merrie's Sweets and Treats dishes out licorice and candy from around the world.

Other shops carry rocks, health and beauty products, jewelry, cigars and even rare coins. About a mile from the sponge docks, Tarpon Avenue serves as the city's downtown with a toy store, multiple antique stores, a butcher shop, plus more cafes and restaurants.

What to see and do

When wandering the Greek-infused streets and soaking in the sights of Tarpon Springs, it's easy to explore without a specific plan in mind and go where the wind blows.

There are a number of regularly scheduled boat tours that depart from the town's sponge docks, many of which advertise dolphin sightings (at least hopefully). On the weekends, Odyssey Cruises touts a $10, one-hour sightseeing tour with narrated history and nature facts.

In the historic downtown of Tarpon Springs, Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, built in 1943, stands proudly over the town. Inside, the domed basilica is lavishly decorated with religious icons and is usually open for tours, but those are currently on hold due to COVID-19.

About two blocks west of the church, the Safford House Museum is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Friday with tours that showcase 19th-century Florida vernacular architecture and a home once owned by one of the city's original developers.

Nearby, the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday with exhibits on the history and culture of the town's Greek community. On Tarpon Avenue, the Tarpon Springs Historical Train Depot Museum houses more historical exhibits and is open noon-3 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.

For the art lover, take time to visit the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, which showcases modern and contemporary art with a focus on artists working in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Alternatively, wander the streets near the sponge docks to see an eclectic collection of murals by local artists.

Downtown, the Replay Museum provides more than 120 pinball machines and arcade games in a more interactive kind of museum. Games are free to play after purchasing a day pass, which is $14 for adults and $8 for children ages 7-12.

To access the town's hidden secrets and local knowledge, a guide named Michael John provides Tarpon Springs native tours by reservation, giving insight into the town's historic places and colorful culture.

The Tarpon Springs Aquarium and Animal Sanctuary is scheduled to open at a new location in early 2021 with alligator viewings, a stingray touch tank and a shark feeding tank.

To cap off a great day in town, catch a magnificent Gulf Coast sunset at one of the area's parks. Sunset Beach and Fred Howard Park are two popular options for relaxing while watching the sun sink below the horizon.

Do you have suggestions for my next destination or just want to get in touch? Find me on Twitter @PConnPie, Instagram @PConnPie or send me an email: [email protected].

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