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The Cove, United States

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

Also within 20 km of Bradenton Beach

Watch this spot We email you when The Cove is worth the trip.

Florida Pelican on dock on Bradenton Beach
Bradenton Beach, the nearest town, 3 km away. Photo: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but…, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About The Cove

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

The spot faces E (81°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (261°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea is about 18°C in January, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 31°C in July, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Bradenton Beach, 3.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf 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 55 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. 1 h 25 from the airport to The Cove.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Bradenton 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 Bradenton Beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Bradenton Beach · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

The Cove 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 experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct0under 1 ft7 s1kJ26°C
Mon 19Oct0under 1 ft3 s0kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct0under 1 ft2 s0kJ26°C
Wed 21Oct0under 1 ft3 s0kJ26°C
Thu 22Oct01 ft2 s0kJ26°C
Fri 23Oct0under 1 ft2 s0kJ26°C
Sat 24Oct0under 1 ft4 s0kJ26°C
Sun 25Oct0under 1 ft4 s0kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct0under 1 ft5 s0kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct0under 1 ft6 s1kJ26°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. 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 expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight MDW to TPA, then 1h 25 by road. About 5h 55 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 1h 25 by road. About 5h 55 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Bradenton Beach each day: Bradenton- twin piers, The Cove.

The trip from Bradenton Beach, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £950–£1,705 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
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
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£950–£1,705

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

Places to eat near Bradenton 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.