On the boardwalk to the Anclote Key lighthouse.
What: Climb the lighthouse! Anclote Key State Park is having an Open House and the lighthouse is open to visitors. This only happens twice each year!
When: Saturday September 10, 2011. 9 a.m. ferry departure. Lighthouse open 9 a.m. til 2 p.m.
Where: Sun Line Cruises out of Tarpon Springs provides ferry service to Anclote Key. Reservations required.
Cost: $22 adult, $12 child.
Contact: Sun Line Cruises 727-944-4469, 776 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs, FL.
What to bring: Mosquito repellent! Sun screen, hat, binoculars, camera gear, water to drink, hand sanitizer, preferred snacks.
Notes: Mosquitoes can be fierce on the island. The lighthouse can only accommodate 5 or 6 climbing the stairs at one time, so you’ll have to stand around at the base to wait your turn. Don’t be an easy mark for the mosquitoes, bring repellent! Friends of Anclote Key will be selling merchandise and memberships at the base of the lighthouse, so please consider making a donation or a purchase to support the upkeep of the lighthouse.
The boat has water and snacks, but it’s still a good idea to bring your own. There is a bathroom on the island (composting toilet) but bring hand sanitizer (maybe some paper too if you’re particular).
The boat leaves from the Tarpon Springs sponge docks and goes down the Anclote River and across the wide shallow bay to Anclote Key. It takes 40 minutes or so to get there, then you spend about an hour and a half on the island before returning. Call Sun Line Cruises for more specific details. 727-944-4469.
Lunch in Tarpon Springs: We always like to have a late lunch at the sponge docks when we return from Anclote Key. We recommend Hellas Restaurant for Greek food. They are located right across the street from Sun Line Cruises (be sure to check out their bakery!) For right-off-the-boat seafood Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grille is our favorite. Watch the ospreys dive for food while you eat. It’s at the end of Dodecanese Blvd. We usually walk. Its not far.
Visitors waiting their turn to climb the Anclote Key lighthouse.
The view from the Anclote lighthouse is spectacular. Really.
The stairs up the lighthouse are steep and narrow--not for claustrophobics--but not bad really. There are several landings with windows on the way up.
Riding the Sun Line Cruises ferry from the Tarpon Springs sponge docks to Anclote Key.
Sun Line Cruises ferry at Anclote Key. This photo was taken on a day when the lighthouse was not open, so the ferry let us off on the bay beach. When we took the lighthouse tour, the ferry pulled up to the dock so we didn't have to get our feet wet.
The Sun Line Cruises ticket office on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs sponge docks. There are a few free parking spaces. We usually go up the street where we can pay a couple of bucks to park all day. We like having a late lunch when we return from the cruise.
