St. Pete Beach/Clearwater Beach

Fly into Tampa or St. Pete and you’re within roughly a half-hour drive of what are consistently lauded among America’s best beaches. St. Pete Beach and neighboring Clearwater Beach, just north, are the stuff white sand dreams are spun of. Lapped by the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, these beaches are a perennial family favorite as the sea is often as calm as a lake–and usually clear enough, too, to see from your shoulders straight down to the sandy bottom.

I’m lucky to live close to both beach areas. When I’m craving a little more action on and off the sand, I’ll usually make Clearwater Beach my destination for the day. I like to arrive later in the afternoon, when the morning crowds have cleared out, and set up on the beach around Pier 60 Park. Every evening, from about two hours before sunset to two hours after, street performers and vendors cluster around the pier for a lively sunset celebration that’s a blast to stroll around. If you want to stay the night, I recommend the luxurious gulf front Sandpearl Resort , with its excellent sushi and seafood restaurant overlooking the beach, Caretta on the Gulf, or the new JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, with a private beach and lively rooftop bar.

St. Pete Beach is one of my local go-tos living in Tampa, too. For an iconic stay on the sand at one of Florida’s Grande Dame hotels, The Don CeSar, aka the “Pink Palace,” is a family favorite that re-opened in early 2025 following a six-month renovation. Inside, with all the hotel’s 1920s history and lore, you’ll feel like you’ve walked onto the set of The Great Gatsby. At the buzzing pool bar and down on the lounge chair-dotted beach, however, it’s solid modern-era Florida beach fun, all year round.

When you’re ready for some urban entertainment in nearby downtown St. Pete, one of my favorite Florida cities, you can ride the SunRunner bus ($2.25 each way) between the beach and town. Hop off at stops along downtown’s main drag, Central Boulevard, to pop into cool coffee and wine bars like Pistil House and Bacchus Wine Bistro and stroll along the St. Pete Pier–a contemporary marvel with an inverted-pyramid design that’s topped with a great tiki bar, Pier Teaki.