Apollo Beach is a canal community on Tampa Bay, built so that a large share of the homes have a boat behind them. It is the most water-oriented place we cover and it feels different from the rest of east county because of it.
The manatees
The TECO Manatee Viewing Center is the thing Apollo Beach is known for outside the area. When the bay gets cold, manatees gather in the warm water discharge from the power plant, and the viewing center opens to the public for the season. Admission is free and it is genuinely worth doing once a winter.
On the water
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve has the closest thing to a public beach in the area. The canals connect out to the bay, and the boating culture here drives a lot of the local business: marine services, waterfront restaurants, dockside everything.
What we cover here
Manatee season, boating and water conditions, waterfront restaurant news, SouthShore development, and the businesses along Apollo Beach Boulevard.
Coming up in Apollo Beach
All eventsManatee Viewing Center opens for the season
Free admission. Best on the cold mornings, which is the whole point.
Businesses in Apollo Beach
Full directoryFree, twice a week
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