The beach between the pier and Clearwater Inlet is the nicest in my opinion. The more remote part is to the north by Caladesi Island State Park. It is also less crowded immediately south of the inlet at Sand Key Park which is also with the city of Clearwater Beach.
Honeymoon Island State Park is in Dunedin (Doo-Nee-Den) Florida. Caladesi Island State Park is also technically in Dunedin FL and is the North Clearwater Beach boundary. The southern boundary of South Clearwater Beach is Belleair Beach about 5 1/2 miles of beach to the south of Caladesi Island State Park and its' nature trails. Most of this distance is quartz white sand beaches lined with beautiful people, natural beauty, hotels and stunning beach views. There are no bad parts of this resort town.
The Clearwater marine Aquarium is on the north side of the Clearwater Memorial Causeway which connects the barrier island to the mainland. If you are coming onto the island for the first time it may benefit you to know there is a Publix Supermarket just 1 block north of the aquarium. The aquarium is somewhat pricey but more reliable than most Dolphin Cruises. You can learn a lot about marine life like dolphins and sea turtles in just a few hours.
The Hilton, Wyndham Grand, Hyatt and even the Opal Sands are still all within a short walking distance of the beaches in Clearwater Beach. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy and so I am not sure if I would spend top dollar for a hotel. Especially if your stay will be short.
By the time you explore the beach, beach bars, go deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico or maybe even go scuba diving you will not even have scratched the surface of things to do. Rent a Jet Ski, take the kids to a pirate themed playground or on a pirate ship cruise or just sit back with that special someone and enjoy the spectacular sunsets. This is a prime location for living life to the fullest.
Sand Key Park and Sand Key Beach are on the south side of the inlet. If you have a car then you can just drive there as parking is usually readily available and so are picnic tables. During the off season this is a great location to hang out and it is very clean.
If you take a beach day then walk south from here along the white sands and you may find some beautiful shells washed up by the warm gulf waters. Usually there are plenty of them but finding a perfect one is always special. Sea Glass and Sand Dollars are my favorite find.
The hotels begin to thin out as you walk north. The white sand beach goes on until you reach Caladesi Island State Park. However, the beach here is lined with private homes. Imagine the stories their beach chairs could tell you. The absolute best place to live in a beach town, the best place to live in Tampa Bay. I'm finding myself a bit envious !
If you are not a clubber or bar hopper then check out the Cleveland Street Saturday Market & Food Hall. Downtown Clearwater FL has been through a lot of renovation and modernization. The west end of of course where you will want to start off at.
There is more than enough here to spend an afternoon and evening. When you add this area to the marina and nearby beaches you begin to see why this is one of the best Florida beach towns in America. Check it out, it is just 20 minutes west of the Tampa International Airport.
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