Clearwater Florida Tourism At a GlanceBest Time to Visit Clearwater Florida
This depends on whether you want to get a bargain or keep cool. Summer is the best time for inexpensive beach vacations. The humidity is high in the summer, making it seem even hotter than it actually is. The heat should be no problem, though, if spending time in the water or staying close to air-conditioning.
The best weather is the February through May period and October through December. The least crowded time to visit is September through January.
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Average Clearwater Weather
Generally, the winters in Clearwater are dry and the summers are wet. There is plenty of sunshine all year long. During the summer, the rains don't usually last long.
The average low in January through March is 50 degrees, while the high average is 71. It starts warming up April through June when the low averages 62 degrees and the high averages in the low 80s. July through September is the hottest period, when the averages are 74 for the low and 90 for the high.
Temperatures come down in October through December when the average low drops to 65 and the high is a comfortable 83. The Gulf water temperature is in the 80s most of the year, dropping to 60s-70s January through March.
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Average Clearwater Weather
Generally, the winters in Clearwater are dry and the summers are wet. There is plenty of sunshine all year long. During the summer, the rains don't usually last long. Every once in awhile it will rain all day, but not very often.
The average low in January through March is 50 degrees, while the high averages 76. It starts warming up April through June when the low averages 62 degrees and the high averages 90. July through September is the hottest period, when the averages are 73 for the low and 90 for the high. This is the time when many Floridians leave to beat the heat.
Temperatures come down in October through December when the average low drops to 51 degrees and the high is a comfortable 84. The gulf water temperature is in the 80s most of the year, dropping to 60s-70s in January through March.
Transportation - Arriving by Car
Clearwater is easily accessible by major interstates along the Midwest (I-75) and Northeast corridors (I-95), as well as from central and east central Florida (I-4). To reach Clearwater, State Road 60, which becomes the Courtney Campbell Causeway over Tampa Bay, is the primary artery into Clearwater and Clearwater Beach.
Transportation - In and Around Clearwater
There are plenty of places to rent a car, including the St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport (www.fly2pie.com) and Tampa International Airport. It's easy to rent a taxi or limo. Your hotel can help you get a car or taxi. Clearwater has a Greyhound station for those who prefer to arrive by bus.
Motorists can dial 511, a free call 24 hours a day, to get detailed information on traffic conditions on the interstates and major roads throughout Clearwater and the Tampa Bay area. Traveler information may also be accessed via the Internet at www.511tampabay.com.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) provides bus service throughout the county and to Tampa. The Clearwater terminal is at Park Street and Gordon Avenue. Regular fares are $1.50 and $1.00 for adult students and youth (ages 18 or younger). A reduced fare of $.75 is available to seniors (65 or older) and the disabled. A variety of "unlimited" ride cards are also available at varying prices. The Suncoast Beach Trolley, a service of the PSTA, runs along the beach communities including Clearwater Beach. For more information, visit www.psta.net or call (727) 540-1900.
Within Clearwater you can hop onThe Jolley Trolley (www.thejolleytrolley.com) for $1.25. It serves Clearwater Beach and Island Estates.
If you are driving, most metered parking on the street or in a lot is 75 cents to $1 per hour. Beach meters are enforced every day with varying hours. Read the meters for the hours of enforcement. An expired meter fine is $15.
Overnight parking is not allowed at the Clearwater Municipal Marina, 25 Causeway Boulevard.
In-Season Costs
February through April is the peak tourist season. The humidity is low and temperatures are comfortable, but finding an available hotel room in a convenient location can be more challenging than at other times of the year.
Clearwater is known for its value, so even during the in-season prices don't rise as dramatically as they may in other areas. For instance, lodging that costs $100 during the low season may increase to $120 during the high season. A hotel that charges $100 a night during the slow season may see a rate increase to $250 during the peak tourist season.
Book your lodging early during the in-season because the hotels fill up very quickly. Other costs, including restaurants and attractions, remain relatively steady throughout the year.
Florida Tourism - Clearwater Attractions, Activities and Day Trips
The greater Clearwater area offers several well-known attractions, all of them nearby or short driving distances from Clearwater and “home” base.
Adventure Island
10001 Malcolm McKinley Drive (Adjacent to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay), Tampa (813) 987-5660 or toll-free (888) 800-5447
Tampa Bay's only outdoor water theme park, Adventure Island is a blend of slides, corkscrews, water falls, wave pool, children’s water playground and other family attractions set within 30 lush acres.
Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street, Tampa (813) 920-4130
This 45 acre, wildlife sanctuary is home to 140 cats representing 16 of the 35 species of exotic wild cat. All in one place, visitors can see lions, tigers, geoffroy cats, jungle cats, servals, caracals, snow leopards, bobcats, lynx and more.
Brooker Creek Preserve
3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs (727) 453-6800
Brooker Creek Preserve is Pinellas County's largest natural area at nearly 8,500 acres. Comprised mostly of pinelands and freshwater swamps, the preserve is home to native wildlife including bobcats, red-shouldered hawks, wood storks, coyotes, white-tailed deer and gopher tortoises. Boardwalks and trails are open to the public. The award-winning Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center provides a resource center as well as numerous interactive exhibits and gift shop.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3000 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa (813) 987-5082 or toll-free (888) 800-5447
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the ultimate family adventure park offering an array of fascinating attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos featuring more than 2,000 animals, live entertainment, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay provides unrivaled excitement for guests of every age.
Caladesi Island State Park
# 1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin (727) 469-5918
Caladesi Island State Park is an undeveloped barrier island and only accessible by boat or by foot north of Clearwater Beach and is ideal for all manner of water sports, shelling and nature walks. It consists of over three miles of pristine sand beach, a two-mile kayak trail through mangroves and a three-mile hiking trail that traverses virgin slash pine forests and old growth maritime hammock. Caladesi also has a 108-slip marina equipped with shore power and water. A ferry, the Caladesi Connection, departs hourly from nearby Honeymoon Island.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
249 Windward Passage, Clearwater (727) 441-1790
With daily feedings, presentations and "hands-on" opportunities, visitors can view and learn the biology and behavior of bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles, Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, local fish and coral reefs.
Dunedin
Visitors should not miss the Dunedin Historical Society and Museum. The original station for the Orange Belt Railroad System dating to 1889 showcases the history of Dunedin and Pinellas County through thousands of artifacts, photographs and documents. Dunedin’s village-like downtown with its restored Main Street area has been named one of America’s “Five Most Walkable Downtowns” by Walking magazine. The community celebrates its Scottish heritage several times a year through festivals and competitions.
Dunedin Fine Art Center
1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin (727) 298-3322
The Dunedin Fine Art Center offers a wide variety of studio art classes, educational workshops, gallery exhibitions, lectures, outreach programs and community events. The center contains 18,000 square feet of space including studio classrooms and galleries and is home to the acclaimed David L. Mason Children's Art Museum, the only children's art museum on Florida’s west coast.
The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Drive, Tampa (813) 273-4020
The Florida Aquarium is a world-class educational facility featuring nearly 5,000 aquatic plants and animals that tell the tale of water, native land and marine animals in Florida.
Florida Botanical Gardens
12175 125th Street North, Largo (727) 582-2100
The Florida Botanical Gardens, located within the expansive Pinewood Cultural Park, are comprised of specialty and demonstration gardens, preserved wetlands, wildlife sanctuaries and other exhibits.
Florida Holocaust Museum
55 Fifth Street South, St. Petersburg (727) 820-0100
The Florida Holocaust Museum is dedicated to advancing public awareness, education and understanding of the Holocaust and has become a preeminent source of Holocaust information and one of the largest Holocaust museums in the country. The museum features art, photography and documentary exhibits from around the world.
Florida International Museum
244 Second Avenue N, St. Petersburg (727) 341-7900
The Florida International Museum is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate housing artifacts from the Smithsonian and traveling exhibitions on a rotating basis.
Fort DeSoto
Ft. DeSoto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde (727) 582-2267
In addition to some of the region’s best recreational beaches, nature and canoe trails, visitors will find plenty of historical sites of interest as well in Ft. DeSoto Park. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the fort itself – built during the Spanish-American War – is on Mullet Key, the largest of the five islands that make up the park. Adding to the historical interest are a 12-inch mortar battery, two British breech-loading, rapid-fire rifles of 1890s vintage and the Quartermaster Storehouse Museum.
Great Explorations, The Children’s Museum
1925 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg (727) 821-8992
Drawing upon the arts, sciences and technology, Great Explorations encourages and invites creative problem-solving and discovery through interactive displays and exhibits. The museum, popular with all ages, presents a vast array of multidisciplinary activities, including special classes and workshops, summer camps, field trips and programs.
Gulf Coast Museum of Art
12211 Walsingham Road, Largo (727) 518-6833
Located in Pinewood Cultural Park, Gulf Coast Museum of Art’s campus includes nine permanent collection and changing exhibition galleries featuring artwork by Florida artists and Southeastern fine crafts, along with sculpture gardens, studio-classrooms, an auditorium and a museum store. Many educational programs and membership events supplement the exhibitions.
Honeymoon Island State Park
1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin (727) 469-5942
Honeymoon Island State Park is a 2000-acre natural gem situated along the Gulf Coast of Pinellas County (three miles north of Clearwater, off Dunedin). Featuring nearly five miles of unspoiled beach, a three-mile nature trail, and one of the few remaining south Florida virgin slash pine stands, the park is a stop-over for many migratory birds and is one of the top osprey nesting sites on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Fred. E. Marquis Pinellas Trail
12020 Walsingham Rd., Largo (727) 549-6099
The Fred E. Marquis Pinellas Trail is a linear park and recreation trail currently extending from St. Petersburg in the southern end to Tarpon Springs in northernmost Pinellas County. The trail, created along an abandoned railroad corridor, provides 46 miles of a unique, protected greenspace for walking, jogging, skating, and biking and links some of the county’s most picturesque parks, scenic coastal areas and residential neighborhoods.
Friendship Trail Bridge
St. Petersburg (813) 289-4400
The "old" Gandy Bridge links Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties over Tampa Bay, a national estuary. At 2.6 miles in length, it is the longest over-the-water recreation trail in the United States, operational for all types of non-motorized activities including biking, walking, running, roller-blading and fishing.
Heritage Village
11909 125th Street North, Largo (727) 582-2123
Heritage Village is a 21-acre, open-air historical village and museum located in Pinewood Cultural Park, home to some of Pinellas County’s most historic buildings. The 28 structures, some dating back to the mid-to late-19th century, include the Lowe Barn, a school, church, railroad depot, and store as well as a variety of historic homes. The homes range from the McMullen-Coachman Log Cabin, the oldest existing structure in Pinellas County, to the magnificent Victorian-era House of Seven Gables. The Pinellas County Historical Museum traces the county's history from the Indian-Spanish period to contemporary times.
John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk
John’s Pass Historic Village and Boardwalk, located on the Intracoastal Pass between Madeira Beach and Treasure Island, is named for French pirate John LeVique who is said to have lost his treasure here during a hurricane in 1848. Today over one hundred merchants inhabit the Village which features retail shops, restaurants, fishing and water recreation. Visitors will want to check out Hubbard’s Marina, the Village’s centerpiece. Daily boat trips are available which include, among several nature-based cruises, trips to Egmont Key - Ft. Dade, site of sunken Spanish-American War ruins, a ghost town, an 1858 operational lighthouse and the picturesque fort itself.
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W. Sligh Avenue, Tampa (813) 935-8552
One of the top three zoos of its size in North America, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo has been named the number-one family-friendly zoo in the U.S. (Child magazine). The zoo features the region's only dedicated zoological garden and natural outdoor exhibits for more than more than 1,800 animals from Florida and elsewhere.
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater (727) 462-6024
Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51-acre environmental and energy education center located in the heart of the city of Clearwater. With a lake, upland forest and wetlands, the park showcases most of the plant and aquatic animal species native to the area. A trail guide is available for those who would like a more in-depth experience.
MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry)
4801 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa (813) 987-6100
At over 300,000 square feet and more than 450 hands-on exhibits and activities, MOSI is the largest science center in the southeastern United States and features an IMAX DOME theater. MOSI also includes Kids in Charge, designed by children for children with more than 180 activities.
Museum of Fine Arts
225 Beach Drive North, St. Petersburg (727) 896-2667
The Museum of Fine Arts has one of the most comprehensive art collections on Florida's west coast. The collection of 4,000 objects includes Greek and Roman antiquities, pre-Columbian and Asian art, works by European and American artists such as Monet and O'Keeffe and 20th century photography. The museum also presents traveling exhibitions and offers a variety of programs and community events.
Pinellas County Historical Museum
11909 125th Street North, Largo (727) 582-2123
The Pinellas County Historical Museum is on the grounds of the 21-acre, open-air historical Heritage Village at Pinewood Cultural Park. The Museum’s exhibits trace the history of Pinellas County from the Indian-Spanish period to contemporary times. The Museum also has a 3,500-volume library and archives containing historic photographs, maps, special collections and other materials relating to the history of Pinellas County.
Ruth Eckerd Hall
1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater (727) 791-7400 or toll-free (800) 875-8682
Clearwater’s 2,184-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, at the Richard B. Baumgardner Center for the Performing Arts, is one of North America’s most successful and favorite performing arts facilities. Its acoustically perfect chamber, designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, has been named one of the top five concert halls in the United States by a nation-wide industry poll. Ruth Eckerd presents more than 200 events annually.
Safety Harbor
The Native Americans and early settlers of Pinellas County believed the mineral water here could aid in healing the sick. Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto believed he had found the “Fountain of Youth.” Safety Harbor became known as the “Health Giving City” with five separate springs providing legendary curative powers. A walking tour of this historic community offers quaint streets, parks, homes and Indian mounds. While here, visitors should stop in at the Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History. The museum features artifacts of the region from prehistoric times to Aboriginal Indians and pioneers as well as educational exhibits throughout the year.
Salvador Dali Museum
1000 Third Street South, St. Petersburg (727) 823-3767
The Dali features the world's most comprehensive collection of the famed surrealist’s work outside of Spain. The collection includes 94 oils, 200 watercolors and drawings and 1000 graphics, sculptures and objets d'art. The museum offers extensive educational programs for students and teachers. Film series, lectures, concerts and other special events supplement the themes of the exhibitions throughout the year.
Sawgrass Lake Park
7400 25th Street North, St. Petersburg (727) 217-7256
The 400-acre Sawgrass Lake Park allows visitors the chance to walk through one of the largest maple swamps on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The park’s mile-long elevated boardwalk and half-mile dirt trail provide opportunities to see all manner of wildlife in their natural habitat. The park is named as one of the premier birding sites in Florida by the Great Florida Birding Trail and the National Audubon Society.
Science Center of Pinellas County
7701 22nd Avenue N., St. Petersburg (727) 384-0027
The Science Center is a hands-on teaching museum with interactive exhibits exploring astronomy, physics and archaeology. Permanent exhibits include the African American Scientists & Inventors Exhibit, the Spirit of Columbia Theater & Planetarium, the Carol Samuels Observatory, an Environmental Learning Exhibit (which includes wetlands, a nature trail and gardens) and a replica of a 16th century Native American village. The museum also presents a variety of educational and outreach programs including workshops, science fairs and lecture series.
Shell Key Preserve
West of Tierra Verde (727) 943-4000
This 1,800-acre preserve includes one of Pinellas County's largest undeveloped barrier islands (180-acres), numerous mangroves, expansive sea grass beds and mud flats. The preserve is a sanctuary for nesting, wintering and migrating birds and also serves as a popular recreational area. A central core area for conservation is off-limits to the public, but boating, camping, and beach activities are permitted in some areas.
St. Petersburg Museum of History
335 2nd Avenue N.E., St. Petersburg (727) 894-1052
The St. Petersburg Museum of History maintains a collection of over 32,000 artifacts, an archive of over 8,000 historic photos and 5,000 documents that trace the history of the Pinellas Peninsula. The museum’s signature exhibit traces the story of commercial aviation from its inception in St. Petersburg in 1914 and features a full-size working replica of the Benoist Airboat.
Sunsets at Pier 60
Pier 60, Clearwater Beach (727) 449-1036
A "street" festival located on the promenade portion of Clearwater Beach's famous fishing pier, celebrating the setting of the sun and featuring artists, craftsmen and performers with weekend musical entertainment.
Tampa Museum of Art
600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa (813) 274-8130
The Tampa Museum of Art is one of the southeast's finest museums, with changing exhibitions ranging from contemporary to classical and a renowned permanent collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, 20th- and 21st-century sculpture, paintings, photography and works on paper.
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa (813) 229-7827 or toll-free 800-955-1045
Located in downtown Tampa along the Hillsborough River, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is the largest performing arts complex south of Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, and presents a wide variety of world-class concerts, performances and events. The complex consists of five individual theaters, a performing arts conservatory, rehearsal halls, and on-site boutiques, restaurant and banquet facilities.
Tarpon Springs
An unlikely blend of two cultures can be experienced here, Pinellas County’s oldest city and the “Sponge Capital of the World.” Its waterfront is a working seaport and shopping district with the feel of a Grecian fishing village. Downtown is a showcase of Victorian-era buildings and homes. Visitors will not want to miss the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum which contains historical exhibits and information, particularly on how the marine and natural environments shaped the city's development, the local people and the sponging industry.
Weedon Island Preserve
1500 Weedon Drive N.E., St. Petersburg (727) 579-8360
Weedon Island Preserve is an expansive 3,000-acre region on Tampa Bay comprised mostly of marine habitats with some uplands. Hiking and canoe trails, a fishing pier, kayak rentals and a 45’ observation tower with over a mile of boardwalks through mangrove swamps are available for public use.
The Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center provides an overview of the rich Indian and marine resources of the preserve.
Ybor City
Once known as the “Cigar Capital of the World,” Tampa's Latin Quarter is one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in all of Florida. The neighborhood is still famous for its historic streets and architecture (including restored cigar factories), but it’s also a thriving cultural community offering nightlife, shopping, art galleries, and a variety of dining establishments. The Ybor City Museum features exhibits on Vicente Martinez Ybor, the founding and early history of Ybor City, its social clubs and cigar industry.
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Clearwater tourism & sightseeing
