Madeira Beach is a barrier island city in Pinellas County, about two miles long, between Redington Beach to the north and John's Pass to the south, with the Gulf of Mexico on the west and Boca Ciega Bay on the east. The Tom Stuart Causeway crosses the bay to the mainland near Bay Pines, and downtown St. Petersburg is about 12 miles away by car, downtown Tampa about 28 miles.
Living in Madeira Beach
Madeira Beach is named for the Portuguese island of Madeira. A causeway built in 1926 opened it to settlement, and it incorporated as a town in 1947 and as a city in 1951. John's Pass, at its south end, was cut through the barrier island by the Great Gale of 1848. The Gulf Beaches Public Library, shared by five beach towns, is in Madeira Beach. The PSTA Suncoast Beach Trolley stops at Madeira Beach and at John's Pass Village.
John's Pass Village and things to do in Madeira Beach
John's Pass Village and Boardwalk sits on the pass at the city's south end. It has more than 100 merchants: shops, restaurants, dolphin and pirate cruises, parasailing, jet ski and boat rentals, and the local fishing fleet. Visitors park at street meters or in a multilevel garage, and the beach is a short walk away. The John's Pass Seafood Festival fills the village each October, with live music, vendors and local chefs; the 2026 dates are October 23 to 25. Hubbard's Marina at John's Pass runs deep-sea fishing trips, party boats and charters.
The beach and marina in Madeira Beach
The city has about two and a half miles of beach, with two main beach parks and 13 more access points along 130th through 155th avenues.
- Archibald Memorial Beach Park, 15100 Gulf Boulevard: metered parking beside the sand, four wooden walkovers, restrooms, two outdoor showers, a covered picnic area, two sand volleyball courts and the Snack Shak.
- John's Pass Park, across from the village: a walkover, restrooms, a shower, a covered picnic area and fishing access. The rocky south point is a known spot for shore fishing.
- Madeira Beach Municipal Marina, 503 150th Avenue: a floating fuel dock with ethanol-free gas and diesel, and a ship store stocking live shrimp, frozen bait and tackle. It also has boat storage, charter boats, a free 24-hour pump-out and fillet tables, and it hosts the Festival of Lights Holiday Boat Parade.
Homes in Madeira Beach
Condominiums and single-family homes appear in about equal numbers. Most condominiums are in waterfront buildings from the 1970s and 1980s, with some newer, and a large share face the Gulf or the bay. Single-family homes date mostly from the 1950s, with rebuilds into the 2000s, and more than half have water frontage on the bay side. There are also townhouses built since 2000, and condo-hotel units, including some in buildings completed in the 2020s.
