Destination guide · Shell Key Preserve
A Shell Key boat tour to the sandbar, from downtown St. Pete.
Shell Key is the sandbar day. A barrier island south of Pass-a-Grille with a public beach on the Gulf side, water you can stand in, and no road to it. Here is how the day actually runs from Demens Landing.
At a glance
An 1,800-acre preserve with public beaches at both ends and a sandbar in front of it.
The place
What Shell Key is, and what it is not.
Shell Key Preserve is a Pinellas County preserve of about 1,800 acres: the barrier island itself, the mangrove islands behind it, and the seagrass beds around them. It sits south of St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille, between Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf. The county calls it one of the most important shorebird nesting and wintering areas in Florida, and manages it that way.
That matters for how a visit works. The central core of the island is closed to the public for conservation, mostly for nesting birds. The public can use the northern and southern ends of the island. There are no restrooms, no shade structures and no shops. Whatever you need for the afternoon comes out on the boat with you.
The sandbar is the reason people come. On the Gulf side the bottom runs shallow a long way out, so a boat anchors in waist-deep water and the water between the boat and the beach is clear and warm. Dolphins work the channels on the way in and out more often than not.
Anchored off the Shell Key sandbar, August 2026.
Getting there
The run from Demens Landing.
The boat is berthed at Demens Landing on the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront. It is about ten minutes from the slip to open water in Tampa Bay, then a run south and west toward the mouth of the bay. Shell Key is roughly eight nautical miles from the slip as the crow flies, a little more by the channels, and the Gran Turismo cruises at 25 knots. Call it half an hour on the water each way, with the Skyway off the bow for part of it.
The captain picks the approach on the day. The island can be reached from the bay side or from the Gulf side depending on the tide and the wind, and the GT40 draws three and a half feet, so it gets close to the sand without being a pontoon boat. Joystick docking and pod drives mean anchoring up in shallow water is unhurried.
A half-day charter is four hours. About an hour of that is the round trip, and the rest, close to three hours, is yours on the sandbar. If the group wants to stretch it, the full day adds Egmont Key and open Gulf water to the same route.
The rules
What the preserve asks of you.
These come from Pinellas County, not from us, and the captain will hold to them. Dogs and alcohol are not allowed anywhere in the preserve. All plants and animals are protected, which means no taking live sea turtles, sand dollars, conchs, starfish or fiddler crabs from the beach. Overnight camping needs a county permit and is limited to the southern public-use area. The central core of the island is closed.
In practice: drinks stay aboard and the boat stays within a short swim. Shelling is fine as long as nothing is alive. Give the birds room, especially in nesting season, and stay on the sand rather than in the dunes.
The charter
What a Shell Key half day includes.
Every charter is private. Up to six guests, a USCG-licensed captain, fuel and water toys are all included, and the boat is Relentless, a 2019 Beneteau Gran Turismo 40 with an opening glass hardtop, two cabins and a head with a separate shower. You bring the people, the food and whatever you want to drink aboard.
The half day is the natural fit for Shell Key. Morning departures get the calmest water and the emptiest sand. Afternoon departures run warmer and can roll straight into golden hour on the way home along the St. Pete waterfront.
A 4-hour charter is $1,692 and a 6-hour charter is $2,292. A full 8-hour day is $3,096 Monday to Thursday and $3,192 Friday to Sunday. Prices are for the whole boat, not per person, so six guests on a four-hour Shell Key day works out to $282 each.
What to bring
Packing for a day with no facilities.
The island has nothing on it, so plan as if the boat is the only shop for miles, because it is. Sunscreen and hats matter more than anything else on a sandbar in full sun, and a long-sleeve layer helps on the run home. Bring towels, a change of clothes, and water shoes if anyone in the group minds shell on the soles of their feet.
Food and drinks come aboard with you in a cooler. Remember the preserve rule: drinks with alcohol stay on the boat, not on the sand. Pack out everything you take in; the county asks visitors to leave the island exactly as they found it.
Questions
Before you book it.
Is a half day enough for Shell Key?
Yes. The run is about half an hour each way from Demens Landing, which leaves close to three hours anchored off the sandbar. Most guests find that is the right length in full sun.
Can we get off the boat?
Yes. The boat anchors in waist-deep water off the public beach and the swim platform comes down. You wade in, walk the sand and swim as long as you like.
Can we bring a dog?
Not to Shell Key. Pinellas County does not allow dogs anywhere in the preserve. A charter that stays on the water is a different conversation, so ask when you book.
Can we bring drinks?
Aboard, yes. On the sand, no: alcohol is not allowed anywhere in the preserve. Everything stays on the boat and the boat stays close.
Can we collect shells?
Empty shells, yes, and there are plenty. Live animals of any kind cannot be taken from the beach, including sand dollars, conchs and starfish that are still alive.
Is there shade or a restroom on the island?
No. The island has no restroom and no facilities. The boat has a head with a separate shower and a hardtop that opens, so it doubles as your shade and your bathroom.
Book
Book the Shell Key boat tour.
Pick a date, charter length and start time in the booking form and the charter agreement follows. Departures from Demens Landing, downtown St. Petersburg.