Occupying a superb spot on Florida’s Tampa Bay, Clearwater is a fantastic destination all year round – benefiting from both the warm Florida sun and the cooling Gulf Coast breezes, its bountiful beaches, lively nightlife and family-friendly attractions make it a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike.
Whether you’re dolphin-spotting at the 2.5-mile stretch of Clearwater Beach, enjoying a relaxing stroll in Mocassin Lake Nature Park or working on your handicap at the many 18-hole golf courses, you’ll find Clearwater easy to explore and hard to leave.
Take the kids on a pirate-themed cruise around the bay, discover the secret life of sea creatures at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, enjoy dinner and a show at the theatre and indulge in a bit of retail therapy at Westfield Countryside Mall – whatever you’re visiting to Florida for, Clearwater knows how to show you a great time.
After dark, there’s a great nightlife to get involved with, from bar-hopping on the beachfront to salsa dancing. And if you’re interested in exploring further afield, you’ve got St. Petersburg, Tampa and Palm Harbor all within easy reach – so come and see what the Tampa Bay area has to offer!
Holidays to Clearwater are all about the beach – this stretch of Florida’s west coast delivers some of the USA’s highest-rated sands.
Top dog
Clearwater’s perched on a peninsula which dangles off Florida’s west coast, so it really lives up to its name. Here, it’s all about see-through seas that wash up on velvety sands. Even the drive to the seafront’s scenic – you’ll spy jet-skis and fishing boats tracing lines across the bay as you follow the above-water highway. And when you park up close to the shore, it’s easy to see why TripAdvisor rank it as the USA’s best beach.
Surf and sand
When it comes to sunbathing stretches, Clearwater Beach is a real headline-grabber. The cushion-soft sands are three blocks wide, and they gently slope down into turquoise waters. Turn your back on the seafront, and you’re just a couple of paces from a marina that offers scenic boat trips across Clearwater Bay. Mandalay Avenue splits the two with a string of beach cafés, surf shops and design-your-own t-shirt places.
Lively evenings
After dark, the beach buzzes with life as people gather by Pier 60 to witness the striking sunsets while musicians, jugglers and magicians get the party started. Across the Garden Memorial Causeway, in downtown Clearwater, the vibe’s just as energetic. Oak and palm-lined streets are crammed with restaurants and bars, while a big shopping mall provides the setting for blow-the-budget spending sprees.
Daytrip options
There’s no shortage of days out around Clearwater. Take the bridge down to Sand Key Park, where the stretch of coast comes with smaller crowds, wild marshlands and walking trails. And if you keep following Gulf Boulevard, you’ll pass through sun-drenched stop-offs like Indian Shores, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach. At the other end of the scale, you’ve got the Greek restaurants of Tarpon Springs within 30 minutes’ drive. And Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort™ are around an hour and a half’s drive away.
