Recreations & Leisure
The city is host to almost a thousand annual recreational events, including world-class regattas, triathlon series, fishing tournaments, cycling and running events. There are also over 10 marine institutes and dozens of city run parks, for the whole family to enjoy.
St. Petersburg also has a long and rich maritime history. In 1924, the Coast Guard built a base at Bayboro Harbour to help combat the rampant bootlegging problem in the region. In 1940, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the Miami Yacht Club were amalgamated into one club, the Southern Ocean Racing Conference. To this day, the Conference has devised a series of yachting races that cover over 600 miles, and include routes to Miami, Key West, Nassau, in the Bahamas, and Havana.
Baseball fans can watch the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during their spring training, at Tropicana Park or take in a game at the Progress Energy Park, a 7,227 seat baseball park, founded in honor of Al Lang. Racing fans can enjoy the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The circuit is made up of the downtown streets of the city, passing Progress Energy Park and includes one of the runways of the city’s airport, which is closed for the annual event.
Hunters can take advantage of the nearby Seminole Reservation, which hosts boar hunts for a reasonable price, and avid fishermen can participate in one of the state’s many tournaments.
A port with a large harbor, it is one of the state's most popular winter resorts and year-round residential communities. It is also one of Florida's largest retirement centers. Because of its annual average of 360 sunny days, St. Petersburg is called the Sunshine City.