Clearwater/St. Pete

Tampa Bay 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 has public parking, public restrooms, sand vollyball areas, and is walking distance to city shops and restaurants. Just south of Clearwater Beach is Sand Key Park which also has public parking, restrooms and beach chair rentals. For a quiter experience we like Indian Rocks Beach. The beach is not as wide but 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. If you continue south you can visit St. Pete Beach and Pass-A-Grille Beach. Pass-A-Grille has small shops and restaurants along the beach front. On the beach you can find a concession area, public restrooms and changing area.

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.

eBoats Tampa:

eBoats Tampa is located on the waterfront in downtown Tampa. The small private boats seat up to 10 people. The electric boats are easy to drive so your group can enjoy a quite cruise through downtown on the Hillsborough River. We booked the 8:00-10:00 pm time slot so we could see the waterfront during sunset and the buildings lite up after dark. You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks on board for your cruise or stop at one of the waterfront restaurants.

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.

St. Pete Pier:

The St. Pete Pier extends from downtown St. Petersburg into Tampa Bay. Visitors to the pier can enjoy the sand and swimming area at Spa Beach, waterfront restaurants, a fishing deck, the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, a children's playground and splash pad. A free tram ride runs throughout the day making stops along the pier from downtown to the fishing deck at the end of the Pier.

Sunken Gardens:

The historic Sunken Gardens is located in St. Petersburg and is one of Florida's oldest roadside attractions. There is a collection here of over 50,000 tropical plants and flowers. Some of the plants are over 100 years old! Visitors strolling through the gardens can also see a flock of flamingo's, a coy pond, and tropical birds.

Anna Maria Island & Coquina Beach:

One of my favorite beaches in this area is the clear waters and white sand of Coquina Beach. The beach is located on Anna Maria Island about an hour south of St. Petersburg. Amenities include free parking, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, showers, concession stand, chair rentals, playground, and shade trees.

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.