Clearwater Beach - Where To Enter?

[william41]

We will have one day to do the 'beach thing', and I would like to take my family to Clearwater Beach during our 8 day stay @ WDW... I know it sounds so obvious, but once we get there, where do we go to actually BE at the beach? We'll be leaving from our hotel early one morning and driving there ... I understand that it's about a 2 hr. drive from Orlando/Kissimmee, and we'll be returning to our hotel later that evening, so we won't need to book a hotel in Clearwater.

Are there signs posting "Public Beach Area" or "Public Parking" or something like that?

Thanks!

 

[Jcricket Fan]

Hi william41, I haven't been yet but am planning my Jan 02 day trip to the beach.

Take a look at these two sites they may be of some help to you.

http://www.stpete-clearwater.com/
and www.flausa.com

Colleen

 

[DisneyMim]

There's signs everywhere, don't worry you won't miss it!! There is a nice playground also, so if you have kids they might enjoy this.

ENJOY!!!

 

[dsaienni]

We were in the Tampa area over Easter and spent a lot of time in Clearwater Beach. When you cross the bridge into Clearwater Beach there will be signs for North and South traffic. You will come to a big fountain in the middle of a traffic circle. Straight ahead of you is the beach. We wound up going to the left (South) through the circle and then onto Gulfview Blvd.. We then went over another little bridge to Sand Key Beach. There is a public beach immediately on your right with metered parking. There are public restrooms with changing rooms. The only showers are outside showers. It is a beautiful beach! Our kids loved it there.

 

[jtopicz1]

I agree with dsaienni. As a Clearwater local, your best bet would be to visit Sand Key beach (just over the Sand Key bridge and just south of Clearwater beach). It will be quite a bit less crowded and just as nice. I've got to watch the quality of Clearwater decline over the past 10 years, and it's declined quite dramatically (unfortunatly). We have a family owned charter fishing business at the Clearwater Municipal Marina (right across from the beach) and hear input daily from tourists that they would never come back to the area!! It's simply become too crowded. Parking and roads are a nightmare during summer and school breaks. Traffic backs up for hours at times over the Memorial Causway (main entrance to the beach- which is actually a barrier island, seperated by the intercoastal waterway). Clearwater officials have tried to turn Clearwater Beach into the next Orlando or Miami Beach. They want more and more tourists to come, keep building bigger roads to access the beach, and keep allowing new businesses to open up....all while ignoring how small the beach really is. Once the people get across the causway and to the beach there is gridlock, no place to park!!

Sorry to rant! The beach itself is great and there are several good restaurants (Frenchys and Beachcomer come to mind), however the crowds can be unbearable. If you really want to make the trip to C.B. from Orlando, I would recommend avoiding access to the beach via SR60 (Mem. Causeway). The new traffic roundabout CAN be way worse than the old, slow traffic light. The roundabout works fine some of the time, but a fender bender or large truck getting in and stuck, backs things up for hours (...and yes one or the other happens at least once, usually several times per day). At one point during last summer, Clearwater Police actually stopped responding all together to minor accidents in the roundabout because, basically, traffic was too bad to get there!! Instead, try getting to the beach via the Bellair Bridge.

Jim

 

[william41]

Thanks everyone! I'd like to hear even MORE comments regarding this - so bring 'em on!

dsaienni-

When you say "the only showers are outside showers", please explain ... my wife went nuts when she read that!

jtopicz1-

if we do decide to do Sand Key (and it sounds like that may be the 'thing'), how easy is it to find the Clearwater Marine Aquarium from there? Is it in Clearwater proper, or at Clearwater Beach?

Thanks,

William

 

[dsaienni]

When we stopped at several public beach areas along Gulfview Blvd. between Clearwater and St Pete's Beach(including Sand Key), we found the only showers were outside the restroom/changing area. You could use them to rinse off and they would be fine for the little kids, but you could not take a "real" shower. They are not enclosed.

 

[Crystalwv]

jtopicz1- Question for you...

My DH and I spent our honeymoon in Clearwater in 87. When we were there we ate at a tiny seafood place on the beach near a pier and parking area. I can't remember what it was called and I don't remember street names, but I'm hoping maybe you could give me a few names of places like this and I can narrow it down. Do you know of any little places like this or are there many? I remember driving across the bridge and staring at the ocean we went to the left and this place was near a parking area on the right. It seems to me that there was a marina across the street to the left. We went out on a boat from there twice while in Clearwater. Is there any local maps posted online? Maybe I can figure it out that way. I'll go through my pictures and maybe I can come up with a street name at least. Thanks!

 

[jtopicz1]

William41 - The clearwater Marine Science Center is actually right between the Clearwater Mainland and Beach. It's off the Memorial Causeway in a residential area called Island Estates. You really can't miss it. If you were staying on Sand Key simply get on Gulf Blvd (main beach road) and follow it over the sand key bridge. When you get to the round-about head towards the mainland, go about 1/2 mile and you are at Island Estates. Make a left at the light and you are there!! About a 5-10 minute total drive.

Crystalwv- The place you are talking about, I believe in '87 was called Clearwater Beach Seafood. It is two stories with a fish market downstairs and a restaraunt upstairs. It is actually located in the marina parking lot of Mandalay/Gulf Blvd right by the now round-about (used to be a stop light). Across the street is Big Pier 60 (now just Pier 60). A good friend of ours owned that reatraunt/market for several years and just recently sold. In the early/mid 90's the name was changed to Crazy Bills Seafood. Last year when it changed ownership the name was changed to Crabby Bills. The company owns several other Crabby Bills restaurants in the area.

Jim

 

[Crystalwv]

Thanks Jim! We are planning a beach day during our WDW trip in June and we wanted to take the boys to Clearwater. I thought it would be nice to eat lunch/dinner at this place. Thanks again!

 

[william41]

Jim-
Thanks again very much. I and my family really appreciate it!

crystal wv-
You've given me a GREAT IDEA!
Thanks!

 

[DarPa]

Last year on vacation in May we stayed at the Ramada Inn on S. Gulfview Blvd. We ate at a restaurant about a block or so away recommended by the hotel I think it was called Reno's ?? (or something close ) we really enjoyed the food there and was hoping to return in June. Do you know if its still there and do I have the right name? I've been doing searches of Clearwater Restaurants and can't find it any where! Also this year we are going to try the Econo Lodge Beachfront Resort close by the Ramada. do you know anything about this place??(good or bad) It's supposed to have its own private beach but I know from having to walk to the beach from the Ramada sometimes the brochures are a tad misleading! Thanks for any help!

 

[jtopicz1]

Yup, Reno's is the correct name.(they are still there!) I've had several friends eat there and they all seemed to enjoy it. Another popular restaraunt that is very good and worth a visit is Post Corner Pizza. It is on Gulf Blvd in the same general area as Reno's. They have some of the best pizza and other Italian food in the area. They've been expanding quite a bit over the past few years to keep up with the growing business.


I haven't talked to anyone who has stayed at the Econo Lodge Beachfront Resort. It does appear nice from the outside, and they do have a small beach area that is somewhat private (I believe several smaller hotels share the same "private beach"). I believe the beach that is theirs is just to the south of actual "Clearwater Beach" (within walking distance). I believe it is right on the pass near the Sand Key bridge. If you can get a water view room you'll be able to see the commercial and recreation boats coming in and out each day.

Have fun and let me know if theirs anything else I could help you answer!

Jim

 

[DarPa]

I am so glad to hear Reno's is still there! I had the best lobster there last year! Thanks Jim for the tip on the pizza place. My kids love pizza! As far as the water view we are supposed to have a gulf-view corner room so I'm hoping we have a great view! We loved Clearwater Beach and found it very relaxing after our non-stop days at WDW! I have never seen a sunset as beautiful as I did over the water there at night! I can't wait to go back in a few weeks!

 

[Yay2001]

Jim,

We're ALSO taking a trip to the west coast beaches -- can you tell me anything about Indian Rocks Beach?? We want to get away from the crowds at Clearwater; we also obtained a good rate on a cottage there.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[DisneyMim]

I hope you don't mind my adding my 2 cents in here. I'm sure other people know more, but we loved Indian Rocks, in fact it is my kids favorite beach in that area. We stayed in BelAir(spelling?) Beach and spent a lot of our afternoons at Indian Rocks. Last time I was there they had added parking meters so you had to pay (nominal fee) and there were clean rest rooms. I didn't see any lifeguards. We loved walking the beach, seemed like you could go on and on forever!! You are right about it being less crowded, hardly any people at all when we were there. We ate at a restaurant in Indian Rocks on the recommendation of a friend, called P.J.'S. and enjoyed it. It is nothing special looking, but the food was good. I even bought my DD a t-shirt from the restaurant because she loved the parrot on it!! Just last week I saw someone here in Massachusetts with the same t-shirt on and almost asked him about it!! I think you will love the area.

Have a wonderful vacation!!!

 

[Yay2001]

Wow, DisneyMim -- so glad to get a first hand perspective on Indian Rocks -- everyone seems to bypass this place in favor of Clearwater and St Pete, but after researching those places, they just didn't sound right for us!

Thanks - I feel much better!

Can't wait!!!

 

[william41]

Awrighhhhhhhhht!

There's a lot of great suggestions so far ... thanks for all of 'em ... All comments are great!

Anyone else?

 

[socalgirl]

darpa,
hi, we'll be at the econo lodge in clearwater at the end of june, gulf view corner room. i would sure like anybody else's opinions if they've stayed or visited there!
thanks

 

[babslittleones]

We are looking at staying at Treasure Island for a couple of days at the end of August. I found a resort called the Bilmar Beach Resort that looks nice to us. Has anyone been to the Treasure Island beach area in St. Petersburg? I just wanted to make sure it was an okay area. Thanks