With famously reliable sunshine, glorious waterfront views, and a nationally notable layout of bike and multiuse paths, St. Petersburg, Florida happens to be an awesome place to do some pedaling. And Sirata Beach Resort puts the regional bicycling network right at your fingertips.
The Sunshine City offers many miles of excellent biking routes courtesy of its CityTrails system, transportation corridors and facilities meant to facilitate easy, efficient, and safe non-motorized forays around the city. In addition to designated bike paths, these include “Sharrows”—Shared Lane Marking—which help cyclists steer their way along streets and alert motorists to their presence. Such efforts have landed St. Pete a well-deserved “Silver-level Bicycle Friendly City” rating by the League of American Bicyclists.
You can pick up the CityTrails Bike Route Map in hard-copy form at St. Pete’s City Hall, Visitor’s Center, Municipal Services Center, and a slew of bike shops, but the city also provides an interactive online version for maximum trip-planning convenience. (There’s also a downloadable/printable version available on this webpage.) As you can see from the online map, routes with designated bike lanes pass right through St. Pete Beach and link our island perch to the mainland.
One of the crown jewels of Florida’s recreational offerings, the Pinellas Trail makes a 47-mile-long multipurpose rail-to-trail corridor linking St. Petersburg and Tarpon Springs to the north. Some 70,000 people bicycle, jog, and walk the route, the first segment of which was established in 1990 and which is still being expanded. It’s an unbeatable option if you feel like taking a long bike ride on a daytrip from Sirata!
Another topnotch option for getting some cycling in within quick striking distance of Sirata Beach Resort is Fort De Soto Park to the near south of us. Although it may be most famous for its much-feted beaches and its historic military installations, Fort De Soto also offers a 7-mile-long multipurpose trail that’s an absolute joy to pedal.
So come hit the CityTrails and surrounding bike routes of St. Petersburg, and enjoy luxurious seaside headquarters at Sirata Beach Resort as you do so. And if you don’t have your own two-wheeled rig to bring along with you, worry not: Bike-rental shops abound in the area.