The community is permanently enriched by the Mediterranean heritage brought at the turn of the century by Greek sponge divers and their families and is now home to some of the best Greek restaurants in the country. You’ll want to stop by Hellas Restaurant and Bakery located on Dodecanese Boulevard, they have arguably the finest baklava in Tarpon Springs. The restaurant has a child-friendly atmosphere and outdoor seating and sits within sight of the working sponge docks. Now you’re ready to explore!

If you continue down Dodecanese Boulevard, you will come across the Tarpon Springs Aquarium. This is definitely worth a stop. A spectacular living reef, once the domain of divers only, may now be experienced by you. Live coral, sponges, sharks, and fish come together to form this truly unique undersea oasis.

Don’t miss this most exciting marine attraction. The spectacular 120,000 gallon tank is home to more that thirty species of fish including nurse sharks, bonnet head sharks, snook, tarpon and protected Jewfish. Four times daily, a trained diver enters the tank and hand feeds all of its inhabitants. These thirty minute dive shows are narrated, very educational, and a must see. You won’t believe the two hundred pound Goliath grouper!

The aquarium is also home to alligators, eels, lobsters, octopus, live coral, anemones and stingrays. There is an entire room devoted to a “Touch Tank”, where you can safely pet and feed stingrays and small sharks. For specific information on feeding times and demonstrations call (727) 938-5378.