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CLEARWATER VACATION RENTALS, FLORIDA |
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Outdoor Recreation in Clearwater |
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| Spend your days searching for shells on the beach or topping up your tan, while the ones hungry for adventure can surf the waves, sail a boat or dive under to discover underwater treasures. |
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Beach Activities
Water Sports
Boat Cruises
The Pinellas Trail
Sand Key Park
Paw Parks
Caladesi Island State Park
Fort De Soto State Park
Egmont Key
Fishing
Snorkeling and Diving |
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| Beach Activities |
| Clearwater boasts 28 miles of beautiful, white, sandy beaches with several entertainment activities. All beaches are public and can be accessed from almost anywhere. No alcohol is permitted on Clearwater public beaches. Clearwater Beach is open daily and is well guarded. North Clearwater Beach and Sand Key Beach are open daily until dark.
The farthest western point of land in Clearwater Beach, Pier 60 can be touched at the end of this 1050-feet pier. This fishing and sightseeing pier is features a bait shop, vendors and even a covered playground area directly adjacent. Pier 60 is open 24 hours a day. |
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| Water Sports |
| Fishing, diving, boating, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing, parasailing, jet skiing and swimming are some of the activities that get you out there in the water. Remember to swim within the “Safe Bathing Limit” at all times. This area extends 300 feet west of the high water line. It is clearly marked by buoys or pilings. Boaters and jet skiers are not allowed inside the “Safe Bathing Limit” area.
Temporary fishing licenses for 12 months, 7days and 3 days are available for nonresidents. Children under the age of 16 do not need a license to fish in Florida. |
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| Boat Cruises |
Clearwater Municipal Marina offers access to all boating activities, including fishing charters, sailing charters, sightseeing boats, dinner cruises, dolphin tours, parasailing and personal watercraft. The marina is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Take a day or sunset cruise on the emerald waters of the Gulf. Dinner boats, sunset cruises, pirate ship cruises, dolphin cruises and charter boats are available.
Over 700 dolphins live in the nearby Tampa Bay area. If the dolphins are feeling frisky, you may see them jump completely out of the water. You can also see manatees from spring through fall. Special sunset tours are also available, leaving dock about an hour before sunset. Reservations are required for most tours. A returnable security deposit may be required to book the reservation. Tours may also require minimum fares. Charges are on a per person or per trip basis. Trips may last from 2 hours up to a whole day. Water and sodas may be provided. |
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| The Pinellas Trail |
| The Pinellas Trail provides 34 miles of nature on a former railroad right-of-way, which has been converted to a multi-use recreational corridor for power walkers, strollers, joggers, cyclists or roller blades. Getting in and out is convenient to users, including wheelchairs. It is open during the daylight hours only. |
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| Sand Key Park |
| Open to public since 1984, Sand Key Park is 95 acres of two distinct areas. The park area features two picnic shelters, a playground, a dog park and a restroom. The beach area features cabana rentals, 2 beach wheelchairs, 9 outdoor shower towers and 2 bathhouses. A lifeguard is on duty year-round from 9.30 AM – 4.30 PM. |
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| Paw Parks |
| For dog lovers, Clearwater's Dog Park is conveniently located in Crest Lake Park. This is important to know, as dogs are not allowed on Clearwater Beach and within most parks. Exceptions include Fort DeSoto County Park and Honeymoon Island State Park. Dogs must be leashed in these parks and on all causeways also. |
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| Caladesi Island State Park |
| Situated on the northern most point of Clearwater Beach, Caladesi Island State Park is the 4th best natural beach in the world. The Island's State Park features three miles of nature trails and a 108-slip marina. The park is only accessible by ferry, private boat or at low tide by foot. |
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| Fort De Soto State Park |
| Fort De Soto State Park, a Spanish American War fort on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to the only four 12-inch seacoast rifled mortars in the continental United States. While the fort was never the site of any major battle, it played a significant part in the evolution of modern weaponry. Today the island on which the fort sits is a Pinellas county park offering beaches, fishing, nature trails, camping, boating, and much more. |
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| Egmont Key |
| This 440-acre island is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Home to one of the last government-operated working lighthouses in the nation, Egmont Key is now a wildlife refuge. Egmont Key was a camp for captured Seminoles during the Third Seminole War and was a Union Navy base during the Civil War. Several boats offer snorkeling excursions to this island, which is accessible only by boat. Egmont Key has a large population of gopher tortoises and its beach is a nesting area by loggerhead sea turtles. |
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| Fishing |
| Take a deep-sea fishing trip. Several charter boat businesses are located in the area. Most provide you with the supplies you need. Some even fillet, bag and ice your catch. Tarpon, redfish, trout, kingfish, snapper, hogfish, snook or grouper are some varieties of the fish you can catch here. Anglers above the age of 16 are required to purchase a Florida fishing license. Freshwater fishing licenses for non-Florida residents can be purchased for 7 days or annually, while saltwater fishing licenses are available for 3 days, 5 days or 1 year.
Reservations are required for most chartered boats. A returnable security deposit may be required to book the reservation. Tours may also require minimum fares. Charges are either on a per person or per trip basis. Trips may last from 2 hours up to a whole day. Rental equipment is available, but check when you reserve your boat. |
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| Snorkeling and Diving |
| One snorkeling area is located at Egmont Key State Park, an island accessible only by boat. There you can see the sunken ruins of Fort Dade, built during the Spanish American War, and tour one of America's few working lighthouses, built in 1848. Trips to Egmont Key usually take about 1 hour from St. Petersburg Beach.
Another snorkeling area is Shell Island, a barrier island that is home to one of the world's highest concentrations of bottle-nosed dolphins. The island's shells, sand dunes, fresh water swamp, acres of woods and sugar-white sand make it a great day trip destination. There are no facilities or concessions on the island itself. Charter boat trips to the island are available or you can rent a pontoon boat, a Boston whaler or a wave runner to explore the island at your leisure. Just remember to leave shells with living creatures on the island.
For divers, Pinellas County operates several artificial reef sites, from 3 to 21 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. These reefs are designed with different sized openings that are especially effective in attracting bottom species like grouper, snapper and grunt; the height of the structures attracts mackerel, amber jack, cobia, barracuda and baitfish.
Reservations are required for most snorkeling and diving tours. A returnable security deposit may be required to book the reservation. Tours may also require minimum fares. Charges are either on a per person or per trip basis. Trips may last from 2 hours up to a whole day. Cold drinks and masks with snorkels may be provided. Equipment rental is readily available. |
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