Sun-soaked Vacation In Madeira Beach, Florida

If you're looking for days of fun and sun, look no further than relaxing Madeira Beach, Florida. Lying on a slender barrier island on the west coast of Florida's Pinellas Peninsula, Madeira Beach fronts the Gulf of Mexico and is interlaced with waterways. Discover this sunny, relaxing destination for yourself when you plan a vacation in one of the Madeira Beach vacation rentals.

Due west of St. Petersburg, Florida's fourth largest city, Madeira beach enjoys easy access to many of Florida's top attractions while retaining the delightfully laid-back air of a beach town. Less than 30 miles from Tampa, hotels in Madeira Beach provide a wonderful base for daytrips to Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, or Disney World. At the end of a full day of amusement, you can return to the comfort of your Madeira Beach vacation rental each evening.

Perhaps you'll spend a day away from your Madeira Beach lodging in nearby St. Petersburg. You might visit some of the city's museums, like the Florida International Museum or Great Explorations, the Children's Museum. While here you might head to Tropicana Field to catch a Devil Rays baseball game. You can stroll to the end of St. Petersburg Pier, which, extending into Tampa Bay for over a quarter of a mile, is one of the longest in Florida. At the end of the pier you'll find an observation platform, shops and restaurants and an aquarium.

Of course, you may not want to venture even that short distance from your hotel. Madeira Beach lies within the Pinellas Suncoast, a stretch of silken sand beaches abutting warm, crystal-clear Gulf of Mexico waters. Some of the finest beaches in the country can be found here. The gentle surf here creates ideal conditions for numerous watersports, and day after day of warm sunshine give you plenty of chances to try them. You might try sailing or windsurfing, diving or water-skiing. If you're staying in one of the cozy beach rentals with children, you'll be happy to note the gently sloping beaches, which invite safe swimming.

Along the barrier islands here, you'll find plenty of ways to fill your days. Of course, you may simply saunter down each day from your Madeira Beach condo rental to the shore and enjoy soaking up the sunshine. If you care to rouse yourself, you might spend time in the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, filled with hundreds of birds, including cormorants, pelicans, and herons. Nearby John's Pass, a turn-of-the-century fishing village, still offers tremendous fishing. You might head out into the Gulf on a chartered cruise, either for deep-sea fishing or dolphin - and manatee-watching. A narrated sightseeing cruise can introduce you to the region's natural beauty as well as its history.