Back to results

Sunset Beach, United States

Stay in Saint Pete Beach: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Saint Pete Beach

Watch this spot We email you when Sunset Beach is worth the trip.

Don cesar from air
Saint Pete Beach, the nearest town, 4 km away. Photo: Opakapaka, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Sunset Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (246°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (66°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 6.7 km out (1 in 667). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 18°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually October, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Saint Pete Beach, 3.7 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 5 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to TPA, direct.

    See flights MDW → TPA · Skyscanner from about £155 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 55 min from the airport to Sunset Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Saint Pete BeachAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Saint Pete Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Saint Pete Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Sunset Beach on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct101 ft4 smushy5kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct81 ft4 smushy4kJ26°C
Tue 20Oct61 ft3 smushy2kJ26°C
Wed 21Oct61 ft3 smushy1kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct71 ft3 smushy2kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct61 ft3 smushy2kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct91 ft4 smushy4kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct81 ft4 smushy5kJ25°C
Mon 26Oct21 ft5 smushy2kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct31 ft5 smushy3kJ22°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to TPA, then 55 min by road. About 5h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight MDW to TPA, then 55 min by road. About 5h 25 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Saint Pete Beach each day: Sand spit, Sunset Beach, Upham Beach.

The trip from Saint Pete Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £895–£1,615 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn MDW to TPA, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£155–£325
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£60–£100
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£895–£1,615

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Saint Pete Beach

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.