Clearwater/St. Pete

Clearwater/St. Petersburg Area

The stretch of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico from St. Petersburg to Clearwater offers white sandy beaches, small beach towns, Florida's intercoastal waterways and calm ocean waters. There is a variety of things to do from the busy city of Clearwater, south to smaller beach towns like Belleair, Indian Rocks, Indian Shores, Redington, Madeira, Treasure Island, and St. Petersburg.

Things To Do:

Beaches:

Clearwater Beach is the widest and busiest beach in my opinion. It has public parking and public restrooms, sand vollyball areas, and is walking distance to city shops and restaurants. We like Indian Rocks Beach for a quieter experience where the beach is lined with private homes instead of condos. Madeira beach is not as crowded as Clearwater but is within walking distance of John's Pass which has an outdoor shopping mall, restaurants, and watersports outfitters.

Island Marine Rentals:

Island Marine Rentals is located in Indian Shores, Florida just south of Clearwater. Here you can rent deck boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, paddle boats, stand-up paddle boards, scooters, and bicycles. Rental times range from a few hours to all day. From their marina in Indian Shores you can take the intercoastal waterway north toward Clearwater or south toward Madeira Beach. We rented a deck boat and spent 4 hours out on the water enjoying the intercoastal waters near Clearwater.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium:

This aquarium is home to Winter, the rescued dolphin who is also the star of the movie Dolphin Tale. The primary focus of the Aquarium is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured marine animals. This non-profit aquarium is open to the public and admission fees go toward the ongoing rescue and rehabilitation efforts of the facility.

Downtown St. Petersburg:

Downtown St. Petersburg is located on Tampa Bay. This dog friendly area has outdoor dining, shopping, a marina, park, and major tourist attractions like the Salvador Dali Museum, The Museum of Fine Arts, and the Mahaffey Theater.

Edison and Ford Winter Estates:

The winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are located a few hours south of St. Petersburg in Fort Meyers, FL. The homes were built beside the Caloosahatchee River beginning in 1886. Today visitors can do guided or self-guided tours of both homes, the botanical gardens, a museum, and Edison's restored laborotory.