Clearwater Beach, Florida
Clearwater Beach, 2 hours from Orlando, has miles of beaches, nature outings, plus urban delights nearby.
Reasons to Visit
|
 |
Clearwater Beach / St. Pete:
The Lay of the Land
26 communities with 35 miles of shoreline make up the peninsula southwest of Tampa, with the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and Tampa Bay to the east. You'll find the beach-y, the snooty, even the Scottish (Dunedin) and Greek (Tarpon Springs). Some little fingers of land are only a block or two wide. See an overview of Clearwater Beach and the entire area.
Clearwater Beach: Getting There and Around
Most visitors to Clearwater Beach fly into the Tampa airport, about 45 minutes drive from St. Pete. Best option is to rent a car, though the Suncoast Beach Trolley is a nice option for those without their own wheels.
"Orlando's Beach"
Every year, flocks of Europeans buy vacations that combine Orlando theme parks with Clearwater Beach / St. Pete. On first visits, these tourists stay mainly in Orlando. But on return visits, they stay at the coast and day-trip to the theme parks 90 minutes away.
Check the Florida's Beach site for a rundown of the beach choices in the area. On Clearwater Beach, Pier 60 has a beautiful sweep of sand, a large playground, a looong pier to walk out on, and a free daily Sunset Festival with artisans, face painting, and street performers like the tricky dog on the barrel (left).
Clearwater Beach: fun nature outings in the area
Turtle nests on the beach, a Seabird Sanctuary, boat trips, dolphin-viewing, shelling on a quiet island... there are some of the fun Attractions & Fun Activities in the Clearwater Beach area.
Day Trip from Clearwater Beach: Busch Gardens
Even closer than Orlando is Busch Gardens Africa theme park in Tampa Bay, with exciting rides (great coasters) and superb African theming. The grounds are beautiful and shady (-note the word "Gardens"), many rides are "wet" which keeps kids cool, and the park is a fine size to tour in a day.
Head to more Clearwater Beach and St. Pete attractions and activities:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
