Heading up towards Clearwater/Tampa area in a few weeks. Which beach is better...Clearwater or St. Pete?
Thanks
Thanks
Better beach
- Thread starter swflnole
- Start date
St Pete for me, but it can go either way. In the busy season Clearwater can get really crowded. On the other hand the newer hotels in Clearwater are nicer. Crowds shouldn't be that much of an issue right now.
Clearwater Beach is more compact and there is a lot close together, but it's not near much else. If you have kids the aquarium and Dolphin Tale museum are cool. St. Pete Beach is near Johns Pass, Pass a Grill, Ft Desoto, Gulfport, and not too far from downtown St Petersburg which is a really cool downtown and highly underrated. You can probably get a better deal on some of the smaller mom and pops or older hotels near St Pete Beach or Treasure Island.
Both are about the same amount of time from the airport or driving in from Tampa. Even though Clearwater is close, the freeway doesn't get near it. The South beaches are much closer to the freeway making them easier to access.
Hope that helps.
Clearwater Beach is more compact and there is a lot close together, but it's not near much else. If you have kids the aquarium and Dolphin Tale museum are cool. St. Pete Beach is near Johns Pass, Pass a Grill, Ft Desoto, Gulfport, and not too far from downtown St Petersburg which is a really cool downtown and highly underrated. You can probably get a better deal on some of the smaller mom and pops or older hotels near St Pete Beach or Treasure Island.
Both are about the same amount of time from the airport or driving in from Tampa. Even though Clearwater is close, the freeway doesn't get near it. The South beaches are much closer to the freeway making them easier to access.
Hope that helps.
Just saw you were heading up. I wouldn't bother going to Clearwater beach, it will add at least an hour to your drive each way.
Where are you coming up from?
If it's from the south and you're driving, I wouldn't add an extra 45 minutes to an hour to go to Clearwater. They are both nice beaches and you can't go wrong with either one.
If it's from the south and you're driving, I wouldn't add an extra 45 minutes to an hour to go to Clearwater. They are both nice beaches and you can't go wrong with either one.
I prefer St. Pete, but I stayed at the Sandpearl last weekend for a wedding in Clearwater and it was very nice. I'd recommend it. It was a bit pricy, but nice.
The correct answer if you are just looking for a nice beach to chill without all the touristy stuff and crowds is Indian Rocks Beach, right between the two. 
If you want to be touristy with more crowds and activity, I like Clearwater over St. Pete, unless you are hitting the Don Cesar or Postcard Inn.
If you want to be touristy with more crowds and activity, I like Clearwater over St. Pete, unless you are hitting the Don Cesar or Postcard Inn.
For the most part. I do love Cumberland Islands though and there's some nice white sand beaches near Delray. I will say that the South Florida beaches especially Miami are the most overrated beaches on the planet.
I'm just messing around. There are better images from Jupiter though.
South Beach, the actual beach, isn't remotely overrated. The water in that area is spectacular. Prettier than anything in the Emerald Isle.
Indian Rocks beach is nothing but dirt now after all the dredging. It's a shame that many beaches no longer have white sand.
That's sad.
I hardly ever get to the beach these days here other than when I take people to Egmont, Lido or Jewfish keys and there I usually stay on the boat. I probably spend more time on 30a beaches than I do Pinellas beaches.
Yeah, the sand is not what it used to be. Clearwater Beach still has nice white sand, but if OP is looking for great white sand, head a little south of St. Pete and hit Siesta Key.
Last edited:
That's awful. Was getting bad when I lived there 11 years ago. Used to love it. No tourists around and usually had the beach all to us.
I love that there aren't many tourists and the beach is rarely crowded. If IRB had sand like Siesta Key or Clearwater Beach, it would be perfect. Then, however, I probably couldn't afford to live here, LOL.
