The Sponge Factory
The Sponge Factory
4.3
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Our long standing family business is your one stop shop at the Historic Sponge Docks, brimming with unique, high quality natural products , and dedicated to providing happy and helpful customer service. Our collection of hand harvested, natural sea sponges is unrivaled. Home also to the world renowned natural olive oil based Aphrodite Skin Care. Our premium soaps are handmade with care using the finest ingredients. Browse our selection of imported Greek Olive oil and spices, all the tourist essentials and more. Visit our theater to learn all about sponge diving while watching our free sponge diving movie. Take a walk in our historic photo museum to read all about the rich history of Tarpon Springs, the Greek heritage and culture, and of course, Sponge Diving.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
55 reviews
Excellent
27
Very good
21
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Txtransplant
Florida230 contributions
Feb 2025 • Solo
I don’t go shopping at the Sponge Docks nearly often enough. Our quirky little town is truly a tourist destination… and hence is often crowded. Today I needed to pick up some special goat milk soaps that the Sponge Factory carries. I cannot say enough good about this store. It is NOT a tourist trap. The quality of sponges and soaps, creams, ceramics and yes even clothing is good. Really good. Sure, they have trinkets and souvenirs, but look beyond that at the unique and original items they have.
It’s the first store on the left as you enter the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese from the east. Parking lot right beside it.
It was good to see the town bouncing back so well after the hurricanes!
It’s the first store on the left as you enter the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese from the east. Parking lot right beside it.
It was good to see the town bouncing back so well after the hurricanes!
Written February 25, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DeanMurphy2020
Orlando, FL7,777 contributions
Jun 2020
No, sponges are not manufactured—but they are sold here. As are a ton of other tchotchkes, many of what I purchased (depicted in the accompanying photos). The a/c was excellent on that hot June day, and I lingered a little too long—and purchased more stuff. I wonder if that was the shop owner’s intent☺ Most of the gewgaws are touristy, but I did purchase a few starfish to attach to the lanai wall, where an oversized metal “fish” appears to be floating to the surface.
Written June 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Theresa M
Mentor, OH317 contributions
Apr 2021
If you are looking for the best selection and price thus is the place to go. They have a wide selection and the prices are better then anywhere else in the area.
The little video provided great background knowledge and the opportunity to save money.
I would recommend to it a shop over anything in the area.
It was worth the trip.
The little video provided great background knowledge and the opportunity to save money.
I would recommend to it a shop over anything in the area.
It was worth the trip.
Written April 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
judy l
Charlotte, NC105 contributions
Feb 2020
This was our third trip to Tarpon Springs and enough is enough. The shops are pricey for the junky quality of merchandise they carry. We had Greek lunch ,nothing that I had not experienced before. The meal was good . I was going to purchase a few cookies from the bakery until I found out how expensive they were. I felt like I was really being overcharged. I purchased some small sponges ,wallked through the town and we left. Plenty of overpriced junk to look at.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill34950
Vero Beach, FL300 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
We went there to look around . It was very tourist oriented. This should be expected. We left there and walked around. That was great. We saw some very interesting places stopped at a lot of shops. The bakeries were fantastic having authentic Greek pasty’s. It was a nice walk around . I would recommend parking and just walk.
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wildadelgado
Florida5 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
We park at the lot of the Sponge Factory and pay the $5.00 for all day parking. The parking lot attendant never gave us instructions to put the ticket receipt on the glass and by the end of the night the car was towed. Horrible experience... Never park there pleaseeeeee. I think this people have a scam. Everybody make money, specially John's Towing that took $130 from us by towing our car.
Written May 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Don H
Frederick, MD199 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
The interesting video is the main attraction of this store. It is on the corner of N. Pinellas Ave and Dodecanese St as you enter the Sponge Docks area. We did indeed learn more about sponges than 99% of the world's population, and we put it to good use as we purchased over fifty dollars worth of merchandise, including sponges, hand lotion and soaps, and a shell Christmas ornament. We got 10% off for announcing we were sponge experts!
Seriously, this was a wonderful shopping experience, and it set us up for a wonderful, though short, visit to Tarpon Springs. We were too late for the half hour boat tour, but we walked the streets as far up as St. Nicholas Cathedral and back, and we purchased a honey cake from a local bakery to complement our giro lunch at Dimitri's on the Water. All in all, a short but very pleasant visit.
Seriously, this was a wonderful shopping experience, and it set us up for a wonderful, though short, visit to Tarpon Springs. We were too late for the half hour boat tour, but we walked the streets as far up as St. Nicholas Cathedral and back, and we purchased a honey cake from a local bakery to complement our giro lunch at Dimitri's on the Water. All in all, a short but very pleasant visit.
Written February 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rossf976
Fargo, ND138 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Take the Spruce Street turnoff from Highway 19 to Dodecanese Boulevard, and launch into one of the most picturesque old neighborhoods in the Tampa, Florida, area: the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. Traditionally populated by Greek immigrants, people here dive for natural sponges, a skill apparently highly refined in Greece from ancient times. You can visit a sponge museum or take a harbor tour. Or you can buy a lot of sponges: silk cut, grass cut, yellow cut, wool cut, finger, vase, or ear, elephant. Don't know your sponges? You will.
The first in a line of shops bursting with these crenellated tan blobs is the Sponge Factory. Question. Should you shop all the way down to the end of the street, or just buy here and move to a Greek beer joint?
The Sponge Factory, with its convenience at the top of the street, does have some features. In addition to a richness of Demospongiae (yes, I looked that up), the shop has probably the street’s widest variety of soap, and a nice choice of seashells. Also olive oils, cosmetics and quirky bottle holders. And a little extra: a wall of sponge diving photos, a free sponge diving movie, and an actual Greek sales person who seems to know all there is to know about sponge diving and is happy to chat about it.
What don’t they have? No t-shirts or other clothing. And prices are slightly higher than down the street. Still, it’s a good bet you’ll look here first, shop around, then come back. They also offer mail order.
The first in a line of shops bursting with these crenellated tan blobs is the Sponge Factory. Question. Should you shop all the way down to the end of the street, or just buy here and move to a Greek beer joint?
The Sponge Factory, with its convenience at the top of the street, does have some features. In addition to a richness of Demospongiae (yes, I looked that up), the shop has probably the street’s widest variety of soap, and a nice choice of seashells. Also olive oils, cosmetics and quirky bottle holders. And a little extra: a wall of sponge diving photos, a free sponge diving movie, and an actual Greek sales person who seems to know all there is to know about sponge diving and is happy to chat about it.
What don’t they have? No t-shirts or other clothing. And prices are slightly higher than down the street. Still, it’s a good bet you’ll look here first, shop around, then come back. They also offer mail order.
Written January 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler-rs-10
Springfield, MO81 contributions
May 2013 • Family
If you can't find the perfect natural sponge in this store..you won't find one! Large selection, many other unique items to the Tarpon Springs area. The store owner is pleasant and very helpful to the customers. A continuous running film about the Sponge industry educates the customers. If going to Tarpon Springs to get your sponges and care products, they have a wonderful website you can use, www.thespongefactory.com. I will go again when in the area!!!
Written May 31, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike C
Charleston, WV176 contributions
Jan 2021
Be sure to watch the free movie. It provides a lot of information about the sponge industry in Tarpon Springs. The store has quite a selection of sponges and other items.
Written January 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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