Tarpon Springs, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, was settled by Greek immigrants in the 19th century. Their descendants still carry on the age-old practice of sponge-diving. From your budget hotel in Tarpon Springs, you can go to the docks along Dodecanese Boulevard, or to Tarpon Avenue, about a mile to the south. There you can visit shops and restaurants in quaint old buildings. You can enjoy delicious seafood, and buy real sponge in various shapes and sizes. Real sponge is one of the best skin cleaning items you can find. Whether you’re having a relaxing bath or removing cosmetics, genuine Tarpon Springs sponge is a luxury. You can’t get it any cheaper than right here. In January, during the annual Greek Orthodox Epiphany, you can watch teenage boys dive for a golden cross in Spring Bayou. This is followed by a street festival in the downtown district.

Visitors should see St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. It is a replica of St. Sophia’s church in Istanbul. The cathedral is an excellent example of New Byzantine architecture, and a point of pride for this community’s Greek culture. It has a “weeping icon” that received international attention in the 1970s. A must-see for people staying in discount hotels in Tarpon Springs is the Sponge Factory. This is a shop, museum and cultural center. Here you can learn all there is to know about Tarpon Springs and sponges. At the gift shop you can buy a good supply of sponges and loofahs.