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Locals Guide: 30+ Awesome Things to Do in Clearwater Beach

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Clearwater is home to America’s #1 beach according to TripAdvisor, and it’s the place I luckily get to call home. With white sand beaches, clear blue waters, and some of the most stunning sunsets, it’s no surprise so many people want to come to this destination.

If you’re looking for a little more than just laying out and relaxing on the beach, you’re in luck because there are so many epic things to do in Clearwater Beach! I’m here to fill you in on the best Clearwater Beach activities. Rain or shine, near or far, I have a list of recommendations sure to help you fill up your vacation itinerary.

Clearwater Beach Pier 60 at sunset

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Things to do in Clearwater Beach when it’s raining

Clearwater Beach Escape Room

Escape rooms are the perfect Clearwater Beach activity on a rainy day. If you aren’t familiar with escape rooms, they are challenges where you are put in a room with clues and puzzles to solve in order to reach an end goal in a certain amount of time. 

Reservations are required, so if you’re expecting a rainy day during your visit, get ahead of the crowd and schedule a slot before all of the other vacationers have the same idea. There are a number of different themed adventures you can choose from, such as Area 51, a pirate ship, and the Davinci exhibit. Each adventure lasts anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

Clearwater Beach "Encrypted Escape Room Adventures" entrance

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

You may be familiar with the Dolphin Tale movies. It just so happens the movie was filmed in Clearwater, and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to Winter and Hope, the movie’s main stars! It’s smaller than your average touristy aquarium because its mission is to rescue, rehab, and release (unless circumstances prevent it) wildlife. It is a very informative experience that’s perfect for a rainy day.

If it isn’t raining, you can also opt to do the Sea Life Safari Boat Tour. Here you can get a hands-on experience with data collection and a 90-minute scenic tour of the inter-coastal.

🐬Clearwater Marine Aquarium🐬

Go beyond a typical aquarium experience and discover a place dedicated to the rescue, rehab, and release of marine life.

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Dali Museum

Aside from Europe, St. Petersburg, Florida, houses the largest collection of Salvador Dali’s work. Even if you aren’t normally into art or museums, the Dali Museum really is a sight to see.

The building itself is a work of art, but the artwork inside is quite interesting as well. Dali explored the Surrealism art style. His paintings are very unusual, almost dreamlike, and I personally really enjoyed attempting to interpret them.

The Dali Museum in downtown St. Pete

Go to a sporting event

Depending on what time of the year you visit, check out a hockey or baseball game! Tropicana Field where the Rays play is a domed stadium— so rain or shine, you can enjoy the game!

If it’s hockey season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are always entertaining to watch. Even if you don’t enjoy sporting events on TV (I don’t!), they are something to see in person. The Lightning games especially usually get pretty hyped.

This is easily one of the best things to do in Tampa!

Ultimate Guide Clearwater Beach Rays Game
Inside Tropicana

Catch a buzz at some of the fun bars

When all else fails and the weather just doesn’t want to cooperate, you can always count on the bars. Grab a few good cocktails, and get your competitive side going with some bar games.

Clearwater Beach has plenty of fun beach bars to be experienced, let me know which one ends up being your favorite!

Strawberry shortcake martini from seaguini on Clearwater Beach
Strawberry shortcake martini from Sea-Guini

Things to do in Clearwater Beach when it’s sunny

Clearwater Beach Scavenger Hunt

I created this scavenger hunt for my 30th birthday, and we had the FUNNEST time! This is an adults-only scavenger hunt, but the tasks and challenges are so much fun. It’s perfect for bachelorette parties, birthday parties, spring break, or just making your beach day a little more interesting.

Clearwater Beach Boat Tours

Clearwater has a lot of options when it comes to dolphin and sunset boat tours. Mega Bite and Little Toot are pretty similar— both go fast enough to create a nice wake for the dolphins to play in and give some information about the area during the tour.

The Sea Screamer, however, is actually a speedboat going up to 35 mph during your excursion! So depending on what kind of ride you’re looking for, we have you covered.

Encounters with Dolphins is similar to Mega Bite and Little Toot, but has a little bonus for you! This boat makes a stop at Compass Island for 20-30 minutes. They allow you to do some shelling, swimming, or snorkeling with gear they provide for no extra charge! 

Tropics Boat Tour is on a double-decker catamaran, and Kai Lani is a 50-foot, single-deck catamaran. These two boat tours in particular I personally enjoy more for their sunset cruises.

If you’re 21+, most boats have drink packages or drink options for purchase. During the busy season, be sure to book in advance. All six boats are located in the same area, so you can even check them all out if you’d like!

Check out the best restaurants in Clearwater Beach and the best breakfast spots in Clearwater Beach!

Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise: Initially, I thought this was just for kids, but it certainly is not. Regardless of age, this is a really fun way to spend a few hours sailing the seas. If you’re 21 and up, you can get a drink package and enjoy the views from the adult-only third deck.

If you’re on a family adventure, the crew has lots of fun planned with a treasure hunt, face painting, water-gun games, stories, and dancing. After I made sure to take full advantage of my drink package, I also discovered that adults can utilize the face painting… I may or may not have left the ship with a mustache and goatee.

A Boat Day: If you’re looking for an EPIC boat day in Clearwater Beach, you gotta check out A Boat Day. They’re especially great for bachelorette parties. They have a few different options for the type of boat you can rent. Select either one of their deck boats or a funship and rent them anywhere from 4-8 hours. I highly recommend choosing one of their funships which includes a waterslide!

Aside from the waterslide, you can island hop, go shelling, snorkeling, or just cruise for dolphins!

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If you are with a crew, this boat tour is a MUST! It’s my all time favorite Clearwater Beach activity!

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Cruisin Tikis Clearwater: More suited for 21+, this is your own personal floating bar. Cruise around Clearwater on a 1½- to 2-hour cruise. You bring your favorite booze and snacks, but the tiki provides you with cups, ice, a blender, and a fun way to explore the Gulf of Mexico. This was honestly one of my favorite boat tours, we had a total blast!

Clearwater Beach Fishing

Off of Pier 60

You don’t need to have a fishing license to go here. It’s city-owned, so they have their own commercial fishing license that you have to go through. For $20, you get everything you need to be the next Rick Clunn— a pole, some bait, and your license.

Deep Sea

Double Eagle Deep Sea Fishing, Queen Fleet, Above Average Fishing, Charter Boat Two C’S II, and Clearwater Fishing Charters with Captain Rick Reddick are some of your options for deep-sea fishing. Double Eagle and Queen Fleet are bigger boats where you pay per person $32-$87. This rate is dependent on age, half- or full-day fleet, and whether or not you need to rent a rod.

Above Average Fishing and Charter Boat Two C’s II are both smaller boats with rates starting at $500-$550 for half-day charters for 1-6 people. Most also offer split groups if you only have a couple of people and are willing to share the boat with another group.

Some charters (Above Average Fishing for sure— maybe some of the others) even offer to fillet and clean whatever you catch for you if you plan to keep it. A lot of local restaurants will even prepare the fish how you like for a fee.

Your Ultimate Guide to Clearwater Beach Activities
This was the best luck I had at deep-sea fishing

Clearwater Beach Dinner Cruises

Calypso Buffet Cruise has daytime and evening casual dining options. Daytime has captain narrations, and the evening has a DJ along with a tropical buffet. If you have cruise and buffet tickets, then beer, wine, rum punch, and soft drinks are all included.

The Yacht StarShip Dinner Cruise is a buffet-style cruise as well. The menu offers seafood and non-seafood options (the miso salmon and strawberry clementine chicken were AMAZING). The price includes your meal and an open bar that’s Free at Sea. The open bar includes Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA, Bud Light Seltzer, house wines, and house liquors.

They also have a DJ providing an even more enjoyable evening! Prices vary depending on if you choose to do your cruise in the early evening, happy hour, or at sunset. And you can purchase tickets to do just the cruise without dining as well!

Starlite Dinner Cruise includes dining service, a full restaurant-style menu, and a full bar. With this cruise, you pay an admission fee and then pay separately for food and drinks. Depending on what you order, it comes out to be about the same as the buffet cruises, so I would just compare menus or think about the dining experience you want to have to determine which cruise to go with.

All cruises have daytime and evening options available, most with the evening options being a little bit more expensive.

StarLite Majesty Dinner Cruise

Clearwater Beach Water Sports

Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) or Kayak

Downsouth Kite and Paddle is a good option if you want to do a tour or a full-day rental. They offer eco-tours that are about 2 ½ hours, including sunset tours. They have a few different tours, each with different launch spots. Depending on how many people you have going, they will transport you to the launch spot.

If you don’t want to do a tour, you can rent the paddle board/kayak for the day, and the price includes free delivery. They have single and tandem kayaks available. Kayaks are slightly cheaper than SUPs. Depending on what time of year it is, check out their special events, and you may be able to do a SUP yoga class.

Makin’ Waves is located behind Shephard’s, this company is great if you just want to rent a kayak or paddle board for one to three hours. You go right out on the Gulf and can explore around the Sand Key Bridge area. The last several times I have done their rentals, I have been lucky enough to have a few dolphins swim around me and make the experience extra special.

For the Paddle Out Adventures experience, you begin on a pontoon boat and are taken out to your paddleboard/kayak destination. These adventures range from 2-4 hours, and the rates are per person, per hour. A boat tour and kayak/paddleboard rental are included.

This is a good option if you want to explore waters you wouldn’t get to otherwise— with the pontoon boat, you can be taken to secluded beaches, islands, or lagoons.

Clearwater Beach stand up paddle boards

Jet around the waters in a 2-passenger catamaran

These things are pretty much go-karts on the water— I can only explain them so much with words, but you should check them out here to see what they can do.

Learn to sail or windsurf

If you want to pick up a hobby or learn a new skill while you’re on vacation, head on over to the Clearwater Sailing Community Center. Whether you want to do a group intro to sailing, private sailing lessons, or learn to windsurf, they have options for you.

Parasail

If you’ve been to Clearwater Beach, you’ve most likely seen the giant parachutes being pulled by boats. Soaring hundreds of feet above the Gulf, you get the most amazing views— and quite a thrill!

Clearwater Watersports, Chute ‘Em Up Parasail, and Pier 60 Parasail are a few of the main options. They all tend to be around the same price of $80. I would pick whichever one is closest to the other activities you plan to do that day. Clearwater Watersports is right by Shephard’s on South Beach. Chute Em Up Parasail and Pier 60 Parasail are near Pier 60. Parasail Clearwater is a little further down North Beach by Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill. Some may offer discounts in hotel coupon books!

Jet ski

There are several jet ski rental places all over the beach, so again, this kind of just depends on the area you’re going to be spending your time in. Shephard’s has rentals at Makin’ Waves, and if you rent before noon, they give you $10 off the price for a half-an-hour or an hour rental. This option also has the largest free-riding area on the beach.

If you prefer to do a jet ski tour, you can also do that by reservation. Clearwater Water Sports is in the same location and does half-an-hour or full-hour rentals as well, with no guided options.

H20 Jet Ski Rentals and Clearwater Beach Wave Runner Rentals are more on North Beach in the area where Pier 60 is located. H20 takes you on a 1½-hour tour all through the intercoastal and Gulf. You also have the option for up to 30 minutes to ride around the area freely. Clearwater Beach Wave Runner Rentals has a 1-hour ride rental, a 1½-hour Island Adventure, or a 2-hour Dolphin Safari option.

I have personally done the H20 Jet Ski Rental, and I really enjoyed it. I had a dolphin so close I could reach over and touch it (if I wasn’t terrified of tipping the thing)!

On top of the tour, it’s nice to have that free time in the middle of the tour to just drive around on the jet skis— and if you don’t care to spend too much time doing that, you just carry on with the tour!

For any jet ski rental, if you plan to be the driver, you must have a boating license or get a temporary boat license (typically available for a small fee at the rental location) if you were born on or after Jan 1, 1988.

Jetski rental from Clearwater Beach. View from the driver

Sand Key Park

This is a great place to have a beach day. You have a beach area with cabanas and bathhouses. Then once you’re done sunbathing, you can head to the park area that’s equipped with grills, picnic shelters, and a dog park for your furry friends. Kayak and bicycle rentals are also available in the park.

In Sand Key, you can experience nature a little more than you would on Clearwater Beach. Check out all the amenities the park has to offer here.

Pier 60

During the day or in the evening during their sunset celebration, Pier 60 is a necessity for your Clearwater Beach experience. During the day and into the evening, there are performers of all kinds, along with crafters, face painters, and musicians— not to mention the most beautiful, untainted views of the sunset.

Pier 60 Clearwater Beach

Explore Clearwater Beach with a fun ride

If you don’t want to walk and don’t have a rental car, no worries. There are plenty of unique ways you can explore the area, including golf carts, scooters, surreys, cruiser bikes, mini Segways, and more— just pick your ride and decide how long you want to rent it for.

Rentals start at one hour and go up to a full day. Check out Fun Ride Rentals rates here. They have locations on both North and South Beach.

Mini-Golf

Captain Bligh’s Landing Mini-Golf is an 18-hole mini-golf course with amusing obstacles such as caves and waterfalls, along with an arcade room for added fun.

Best day trips from Clearwater Beach

Weeki Wachee Springs

Weeki Wachee Springs is a 1½-hour drive from Clearwater Beach and one of my absolute favorite day trips! If you have a chance, I can not encourage you enough to spend a day here. You will most definitely need a reservation if you plan to kayak or paddleboard the river.

Personally, that is my favorite thing to do here. You can bring a cooler with snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to take down the river with you. The water is pretty shallow for most of the route, and the water is crystal clear. Nine out of 10 times I have gone, I have been able to be up close and personal with manatees.

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While you are not able to touch these gentle giants, they have no problem swimming right along or under your kayak. A few times, I was actually outside of my kayak taking a dip in the water when a momma and a baby swam right past me.

Book one of these awesome clear kayaks for your trip!

Aside from spending the day on the river, you can also spend some time enjoying Buccaneer Bay Waterpark— three of the four water slides drop you off into the natural spring. And you absolutely can’t leave without seeing the famous Mermaid Show.

Disney or Universal

I don’t think I need to explain what either of these places are. Staying in Orlando and doing the parks multiple days can get pretty expensive. You can save a bit of money by staying in Clearwater and making the 2-hour drive one of your vacay days.

Harry Potter World at Universal is a must, and the Avatar Flight of Passage Ride at Disney was like nothing I have ever experienced in my life.

Explore St. Petersburg

There is so much to see and do in St. Pete thanks to a ton of adorable boutiques, fun bars, an amazing variety of cuisine (including some of the best brunch spots around), some awesome breweries, and the cutest coffee shops— not to mention the art scene. (There are also some breweries in Clearwater if you don’t feel like leaving the area.)

I mentioned before that the Dali Museum is a great rainy-day activity, but if you make your way to St. Pete, it’s worth checking out even when the weather is nice. If you don’t have enough time for the museum itself, don’t worry— the streets of St. Pete are lined with murals and street art of all sorts!

They also have frequent markets and festivals downtown. See what events are going on during your visit. There is honestly an endless amount of things to do in St. Pete, for some more specific suggestions and details check here!

Check out Dunedin

A short, 20-minute drive from Clearwater Beach and having a quainter, chiller vibe, downtown Dunedin is home to cute shops and restaurants. If you’re into breweries, do their Brew Map and walk to all of their fun breweries.

Once you’re done exploring the downtown area, make sure you check out at least one of the beaches of Honeymoon or Caladesi Island. Honeymoon Island State Park has some of the most beautiful sunsets, and Caladesi Island is a must if you enjoy shelling.

Busch Gardens

Roller coasters, water rides, and animal attractions— I love Busch Gardens because it’s so much more than just an amusement park. It also doubles as a zoo with over 200 species of animals! And my favorite inclusion of the park is the Serengeti Safari Tour, which you absolutely must do. You get up close and personal with African wildlife and even get to hand-feed giraffes!

Cheetah Hunt ride at Busch Gardens

Adventure Island

If water parks are your thing, check out Adventure Island for its waterslides, pools, and lazy rivers. The water park is conveniently located right across the street from Busch Gardens.

Family-friendly things to do in Clearwater Beach

Looking for a quick list of things to do in Clearwater Beach with the whole gang? Here’s my roundup of all of the activities and destinations I’ve talked about in this guide that are perfect for families:

  • Clearwater Beach Escape Room
  • Clearwater Marine Aquarium
  • Dali Museum
  • Check out a sporting event
  • Boat tour
    • Especially A Boat Day, Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise, Mega Bite, Little Toot, Encounters with Dolphins, and Sea Screamer (age dependent)
  • Go fishing on a deep-sea fishing charter or off Pier 60
  • Kayak
  • Parasail
  • Sand Key Park
  • Pier 60
  • Cruise around the beach in a fun ride
  • Mini-golf
  • All of the rental-car day trips

Where to stay in Clearwater Beach

If you want to stay on Clearwater Beach, most of the time it’s not going to be super cheap. Check out Booking.com for the best deals for the time you plan on visiting! Most places have free cancellations when you book through booking, which is why I use them frequently.

If you’re craving that quintessential beachfront experience where everything’s at your fingertips, look no further than the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach. Trust me, once you’re here, you won’t want to budge! With fantastic onsite dining options and a luxurious spa ready to whisk you away to relaxation paradise, it’s the ultimate vacation (or staycation) dream.

And let’s talk about those Gulf view rooms—they’re a game-changer! Prepare to be awestruck by the sweeping views and treated to top-notch hospitality every step of the way.

If you’re looking to soak up the coastal charm from a slightly quieter spot, the Holiday Inn on Clearwater Beach is a solid choice located on the South end of the beach. Perched right on the oceanfront, it offers that classic beachfront vibe with a little less of the hustle and bustle. While the rooms might be a tad on the dated side, you’ll still enjoy convenient onsite dining and, of course, easy access to the sun and sand.

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They also have a lovely pool area, with a fun tiki bar! This hotel is super family-friendly and in a good location.

Holiday Inn Clearwater Beach Florida

Are you ready to experience the best things to do in Clearwater Beach?

I hope that you enjoyed this guide to the best Clearwater Beach activities! Be sure to check out my other Florida posts, and follow me on Instagram @guidedbydestiny for more Tampa Bay and travel content 🙂

22 Comments

  1. I see Universal!! So clearwater bay is very close to Orlando? I’ve been there years ago and didn’t explore that much to be honest, it looks like there are so many things to do! Definitely love Stand Up Paddleboard, even my bf can never manage to stand up!

    1. destinysnyder says:

      It’s a little less than 2 hours from Orlando, so not too bad! And haha yes I have a little trouble with balance on the SUPs too, but still so fun!

  2. Great detailed post. Weeki Wachee is my favorite place to kayak in the area! Its a bit of a drive but so beautiful.

    1. destinysnyder says:

      I agree, definitely worth the drive, and the water is so refreshing!

  3. globeloper says:

    Wow! so many options. Thanks for such a detailed post.

    1. destinysnyder says:

      I know, it was overwhelming to write haha, this is the first time I felt like a Table of Contents was actually necessary! 🙂

  4. Kanupriyaa says:

    I’ve been to Clearwater and you legit gave the perfect itinerary! The beach is so gorgeous in real

    1. destinysnyder says:

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! It is such a beautiful beach. I can’t wait to visit again once all these series of unfortunate events are over.

  5. Jackie S. says:

    I’m impressed with the number of activities that you can do in the Clearwater Beach area. I would love to learn how to windsurf or go parasailing. These activities sound exhilarating! I would also want to explore Dunedin to see more sunsets.

    1. destinysnyder says:

      I am definitely looking forward to exploring more of Dunedin myself! There are quite a lot of options, hard to be bored here! haha

  6. Lerato | Life from a Bag says:

    Never heard of Clearwater before! Definetly adding it to my Florida bucket list

    1. destinysnyder says:

      Oh my, yes definitely add it to the list! You won’t regret it 🙂

  7. Loved the dinner cruise idea! There’s nothing better than good food and drinks on the open water, especially at night. Definitely going to keep this in mind whenever I come through to Clearwater. Thank you for the recommendation!

    1. destinysnyder says:

      I agree! Thank you for reading 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed!

  8. I am from Tampa and spent so much time at Clearwater Beach, Sand Key, St. Pete, etc!! You really included such a great list of activities to do in the area and I would say that Busch Gardens is a must for anyone who is coming to visit!

    1. destinysnyder says:

      Ah awesome! Where are you located now? And right? Busch Gardens is AWESOME

  9. What a cool place to visit! So many fun activities:) I know for sure I would go fo rthe stand up paddleboard! Just put Clearwater on my bucketlist! Thank you for sharing!

    1. destinysnyder says:

      Yay! And I’m with ya, I love kayaking and paddleboarding 🙂 Hope you visit one day!

  10. I read a lot of travel blogs, and this is one of the most informative posts that I have read about a destination. My family is visiting Clearwater later this year, and now I’m prepared! Thank you for the well-written post!

    1. You have no idea how happy your words just made me! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time out of your day to leave me such a wonderful comment, it is so appreciated! And if you have any other questions about Clearwater Beach, please let me know! I’m happy to answer 🙂

  11. The links for the cruises and boats don’t work

    1. Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know! I can imagine how frustrating that must’ve been. I just fixed them all, so sorry for the inconvenience <3

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