|
Pinellas County Beaches - Clearwater & Sand Key
If you're looking for a family-friendly beach with wide beaches lined by
hotels, with plenty of things to do nearby, you can't go wrong anywhere
along the Pinellas County coastline. Hotels and rental condos line up
for miles, from Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach. But arguably, the
best beach destination is on the north end of Gulf Boulevard (State
Route 699): Clearwater Beach.
There is a seemingly unlimited choice of hotels and beach resorts here.
Many of them are right on the beach. But even if you don't spend the
night in one of them, you can still easily access the wide stretch of
sand. Clearwater Beach has a large public access area, with hundreds of
parking spaces, at the western end of State Route 60 (which takes you
into Clearwater, then across the bay into Tampa).
Here you'll also find
Pier 60, offering a long fishing pier, playground, and pavilion, where
live music and dancing happen all the time.
North of Pier 60, you'll mostly find residential homes. This is the
"old" section of the beach, where residents are hoping to avoid
development and maintain their beachfront life. South of the pier,
you'll find mile-long stretch of souvenir, surf, and shell shops,
restaurants, and other attractions. Just east of the pier, you can visit
the Clearwater Marina Aquarium, a home for rescued sea
creatures.
Clearwater Beach will be crowded with tourists almost anytime you visit,
but there is an easy way to escape. Drive to the southern end of the
island and cross the bridge. Once you're off the bridge, make a right
turn at the first road. You'll be entering Sand Key Park, a little known
county park that's often nearly empty (even on days when Clearwater
Beach is packed).
Sand Key Park protects the northern end of the island from development.
Palm trees spring up everywhere, and the beach is wide and beautiful.
If you continue south from Sand Key Park, you'll find more hotels.
<< Back to Pinellas Beaches |
Next Page (Honeymoon Island) >>
Return to Florida Map
|
Return to USA Map |
