Keep on drivin’ past Walter Fuller, down the brick-paved streets of St. Pete’s waterfront, through the ultra funky Jungle Prada neighborhood, and turn into the Jungle Prada Tavern. Nestled next to the laid-back pizza joint and right before the pier lies some of Tampa Bay’s oldest history: Jungle Prada de Navaez Park.
Dig into the history
Named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, the tree-surrounded site is made up of midden mounds. The Tocobaga tribe (part of the Safety Harbor Culture) built the structures using shells somewhere between 1000 AD and the mid‐16th century, according to St. Pete Parks and Recreation.
The plot of land beside Boca Ciega Bay was home to the tribe for some 600 years, according to Discover Florida Tours.
And, Jungle Prada is rumored to be the landing point for the Spanish explorer Pánfilo de Narváez’s Sunshine State expedition — there’s even a sign proclaiming it at the park. However, there is no archaeological data to confirm this, according to St. Pete Parks and Recreation. Researchers have found artifacts at the site that could be linked with another expedition, the 1567 trip by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.
Where does the name “Jungle Prada” come from?
Let’s jump forward a few years. In the early 1920s, a developer named Walter Fuller (sound familiar?) built a shopping center near the Tocobaga mounds which he named “Jungle Prada.” The first part of the name matches that of his nearby hotel, called the “Jungle Country Club Hotel” — which is now part of Admiral Farragut Academy.
Could the mounds be protecting TBAY from hurricanes?
Some residents believe the shell-filled mounds are part of why a major hurricane hasn’t made direct landfall in the Tampa Bay area since 1921. While we have luckily dodged the worst of the hurricanes for more than a hundred years, the legend is likely false. The mounds were built thousands of years ago, and we have definitely seen some rough hurricanes since — like the Great Gale of 1948.
Time to explore
The best part? You can take a tour whenever you want — as long as the park is open that is. Use your smartphone to scan the QR code at the park’s entrance and follow the arrows and guided tour.
The USF Center for Digital Heritage and Geospatial Information’s guided tour shows you 3D renderings of the artifacts found at the historical spot — like an ornamental bone carving that dates back to 1200-1400 AD (otherwise known as the Safety Harbor Period).
Pregame your trip to the park with this Jungle Prada botanical tour — so you can impress your fellow hikers by knowing all the plant species.
Or, if you’d prefer to take the tour with a seasoned guide, there’s truly so many options. Discover Florida Tours, Preserve the Burg, and Get Your Guide all offer their own paid options, with some offering trips to a small museum.
