Clearwater Holidays

Clearwater's perched on a peninsula which dangles off Florida’s west coast, so it really lives up to its name. Here, it’s all about see-through seas that wash up on velvety sands. Even the drive to the seafront's scenic – you'll spy jet-skis and fishing boats tracing lines across the bay as you follow the above-water highway. And when you park up close to the shore, it's easy to see why TripAdvisor rank it as the USA's best beach.

When it comes to sunbathing stretches, Clearwater Beach is a real headline-grabber. The cushion-soft sands are three blocks wide, and they gently slope down into turquoise waters. Turn your back on the seafront, and you're just a couple of paces from a marina that offers scenic boat trips across Clearwater Bay. Mandalay Avenue splits the two with a string of beach cafés, surf shops and design-your-own t-shirt places.

After dark, the beach buzzes with life as people gather by Pier 60 to witness the striking sunsets while musicians, jugglers and magicians get the party started. Across the Garden Memorial Causeway, in downtown Clearwater, the vibe's just as energetic. Oak and palm-lined streets are crammed with restaurants and bars, while a big shopping mall provides the setting for blow-the-budget spending sprees.

There’s no shortage of days out around Clearwater. Take the bridge down to Sand Key Park, where the stretch of coast comes with smaller crowds, wild marshlands and walking trails. And if you keep following Gulf Boulevard, you'll pass through sun-drenched stop-offs like Indian Shores, Treasure Island and Madeira Beach. At the other end of the scale, you’ve got the Greek restaurants of Tarpon Springs within 30 minutes’ drive. And Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort™ are around an hour and a half's drive away.