Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Clearwater, Florida
The tropical paradise of Clearwater Beach in Sand Key Park has soft white sands and a lulling emerald green surf, and was ranked one of the top city beaches on the Gulf of Mexico by Dr. Beach, a world famous beach vacation expert aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman. It has spectacular sunsets, and is a beacon for those who love sunbathing and swimming in a laid-back, natural setting. There are 95 acres of sandy heaven on the barrier island of Sand Key, nestled between the Clearwater mainland and the Gulf of Mexico, just 20 minutes from Tampa.
The beach is beautiful and clean, with bright white shell filled sands and encircling dunes. It is composed of 2 sections - Palm Pavilion in the north, and the Holiday Inn Area where the main beach is located. Both areas have showers, restrooms, and changing areas, and the beach and park are both wheelchair accessible. For those wanting to bask in the warm, turquoise waters of the Gulf, lifeguards are on duty from 9am-5pm during the high season, which runs from March all the way through September. There are no facilities that will accommodate higher impact water activities such as boating and jet skiing, but if a day complete with family, picnics, and a swim in tranquil waters are what you're after, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place than Sand Key Park Beach.
Sand Key Park is a great place for nature lovers, with 65 acres of vegetation native to the area surrounding the beach and an incredible wildlife display. Rare breeds of sea turtles migrate every year to deposit their eggs on Sand Key Beach's stunning sandy beach. The adjoining park is a great place to have barbecues and picnics after a swim, and is ideal for fun family gatherings. The beach is connected to the park via 9 boardwalks. These boardwalks frequently play a part in the weddings the beach occasionally hosts. Sometimes you may chance to witness one of these weddings taking place at sunset over the water.
Although the beach and park close their doors at sunset, there's plenty to do and many nice places to stay just outside the park in the neighboring city of Clearwater, including hotels, condotels and Bed and Breakfasts. Check out the Sunset Festival on Pier 60 held every evening, Thursday through Monday, featuring local craftsmen, street art, and live music. Kids will love having their faces painted and watching the very animated clowns and jugglers entertaining along the pier. The extravaganza begins two hours before sunset and comes to a close two hours afterwards.
If you're coming to Sand Key Park Beach, the most convenient way is to come by car, and there's plenty of metered parking. Entrance to the park is free. Once inside, you'll find you'll forget about life's every day worries once you've discovered the rest and relaxation for which Sand Key Park is famed.