If you’re planning a Florida retirement in the Tampa region and you know you’ll want to spend a lot of time sinking your toes into warm, soft sand, these are the best communities to consider.
Southshore Falls – Apollo Beach, FL
Mid $200s – Low $400s
Residents are mere minutes from the beach at Southshore Falls, a 55+ community just south of Tampa. It’s just off Interstate 75 and a quick drive to Apollo Beach Preserve, where there’s swimming and sunbathing available in the Bay’s warm waters. Pets are permitted, and it’s also a popular spot to watch wading birds hunt for fish. Southshore Falls is also close to the Big Bend Power Station, which is home to the Manatee Viewing Center, a great place to watch for wintering manatees seeking warmer waters.
The community itself is full of other amenities that will please people who love the sun. There’s a lagoon pool that has a beach entry as well as a resistance pool when you want a little bit of a workout with your swim. The Wellspring Club is a 14,000-square-foot clubhouse that includes a fitness center and a ballroom as well as an internet cafe. Residents can play pickleball, tennis, and bocce. There’s a putting green and several trails perfect for walking or biking.
The homes are attractive as well. There are 866 single-family and attached properties ranging from 1,363 to 2,278 square feet. They have two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. Many of them have dens and upgraded features.
Edgewater Arms – Dunedin, FL
Mid $400s – Mid $600s
Buyers can’t get much closer to the beach at Edgewater Arms, a 55+ condo community on the Gulf Coast in Dunedin. Waterfront views, two piers, and a short walk to sandy beaches are just a few of the best reasons to consider this active adult community.
Edgewater Arms faces the Intracoastal Waterway, and just across it lays Caladesi Island, a remote beach that’s only accessible by boat. Visitors will find white sand beaches untouched by commercial enterprises and three miles of hiking where you can commune with oystercatchers and other seabirds. Dunedin is also home to Honeymoon Island State Park, which has family-friendly and even dog-friendly beaches.
In addition to easy beach access, residents at Edgewater Arms enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle with amenities such as a pool, clubhouse, fitness room, and shuffleboard. Condos are as small as 620 square feet and as large as 1,505 square feet. They have one or two bedrooms and one or two bathrooms with assigned parking in a covered lot. Four high-rise buildings house the 209 units which are available on a resale basis.
Town Shores of Gulfport – Gulfport, FL
Low $200s – Low $700s
Gulfport epitomizes the small, friendly Florida beach town, and it’s not too far from Tampa and St. Petersburg. Active adults seeking homes for sale in Tampa and the surrounding area will enjoy being so close to the beach at Town Shores of Gulfport.
This 55+ community has a boat launch and a kayak launch, delivering boaters into Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There are a number of excellent beaches just a few minutes away, including St. Pete Beach and its pink Don Cesar Hotel as well as Pass-A-Grille Beach, which is a popular place to hop on a jet ski or wave runner.
Town Shores of Gulfport is a condominium community, where buyers can find comfortable and low-maintenance homes right on the water. Resale condos are available in one, two, or three-bedroom models, with between one and three bathrooms. They range from 815 to 2,210 square feet.
The community has pickleball, shuffleboard, and four outdoor pools. Residents also enjoy the clubhouse and exercise room as well as the ballroom and game room. There’s a kayak group and a book club, and residents often get together for bingo and billiards.
Bay Island – South Pasadena, FL
Mid $200s – Low $700s
Another Tampa area 55+ condo community that provides waterfront living and easy beach access is Bay Island in South Pasadena. Amenities include a marina as well as boat slips and a boat launch. There’s also a fishing dock and a large outdoor patio providing scenic views of the water.
Residents enjoy having the Intracoastal Waterway right in front of them, and they’re just minutes away from Treasure Island Beach and the quiet, nearly private Sunset Beach. After enjoying the sun, seabathing, and other water activities, it’s a pleasant five-minute drive to John’s Pass, a boardwalk that’s full of shops, ice cream parlors, and restaurants.
The resale condos at Bay Island are open and spacious. They have many modern updates including new kitchens, hardwood and laminate flooring, and stainless appliances. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer great views. These homes are between 540 and 2,600 square feet. They have one to three bedrooms, one to three bathrooms, and covered parking spaces. Residents are known to get together for fishing, boating, and holiday parties.
Key Vista Villas – Holiday, FL
Low $300s – Mid $300s
North of Tampa and right on the coast is the 55+ community of Key Vista Villas, where active adult residents can enjoy swimming, sunbathing, and fishing at Key Vista Nature Park, a beach that’s just a few minutes from the community. Anclote River Park is also close by and provides serene swimming in the calm Gulf waters as well as fishing, shelling, and snorkeling.
The age-restricted neighborhood is comprised of 170 single-family homes within the master-planned Key Vista community. The homes are designed to resemble villas, and buyers have several models and floor plans to choose from when they’re looking for Tampa real estate that’s outside of the city and close to the water.
Properties are between 1,300 and 1,800 square feet and have two or three bedrooms and two bathrooms. All homes come with an attached two-car garage. Huge kitchens, screened patio space, and walk-in closets are included in nearly every resale home.
