Apollo Beach is an unincorporated waterfront community on the east shore of Tampa Bay in southern Hillsborough County, about 17 miles south of downtown Tampa. U.S. 41 runs through its center and I-75 crosses its eastern side at the Big Bend Road exit, so the drive to downtown is about 25 to 30 minutes. What defines it is water: roughly 55 miles of canals thread through the community, and many of them lead directly to Tampa Bay.
Living in Apollo Beach on the water
The land was first developed in the 1920s by the Dickmans. Francis Corr bought it in 1957, renamed it Apollo Beach in 1958, and turned it into the canal community it is today. On many canal-front lots a private dock opens onto a short run to open bay water, so boating, fishing and sunset cruises are part of daily life rather than a weekend trip. MiraBay, a Newland community, adds saltwater canals with bay access, a freshwater lagoon and the MiraBay Club on Manns Harbor Drive. Waterset, to the east near I-75, is built around lakes and trails instead of canals.
Parks, beaches and manatees in Apollo Beach
Apollo Beach Nature Preserve on Surfside Boulevard covers 63 acres along the bay. Seven of those acres are set aside for recreation: a 2-acre sandy beach for picnicking and sunbathing (swimming is not allowed), shoreline fishing, and a 37-foot wheelchair-accessible observation tower with views across Tampa Bay.
From November 1 to April 15, Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center on Dickman Road draws manatees to the warm discharge canal of the Big Bend Power Station. It has a 900-foot tidal walk, a cownose ray touch tank, a coastal habitat trail of about eight-tenths of a mile, and a 50-foot observation tower, all with free parking and admission.
At the community's southern edge (the address says Ruskin), E.G. Simmons Conservation Park has a public boat ramp, kayak rentals, a fishing pier, about 700 feet of beach along the bay, and a 110-site campground.
Dining and getting around
Circles Waterfront at Lands End Marina, on Apollo Beach Boulevard, serves seafood and steaks, with seating on a patio, a sand beach and the docks. Its marina keeps first-come boat slips for diners who arrive by water. By car, U.S. 41 runs north toward Gibsonton and Tampa and south to Ruskin, and I-75 at Big Bend Road (Exit 246) connects to Tampa, Brandon and Sarasota.
Homes in Apollo Beach
The housing mix runs from canal-front homes with docks and lifts in the original waterfront subdivisions to inland single-family neighborhoods. Newer master-planned communities include MiraBay, which is served by the Harbor Bay Community Development District, and Waterset, which is served by the Waterset North and Waterset Central CDDs. Community development districts (CDDs) and HOAs are property-specific in Apollo Beach, so check each listing.
