7 Things to Do in Clearwater, Florida

Clearwater is one of Florida’s premier destinations. With white sand beaches and warm turquoise water, it is the perfect getaway any time of year. Keep reading to discover the best things to do in Clearwater, Florida and the surrounding area!

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7 Things to do in Clearwater and the Surrounding Area

Table of Contents

• 1. Spend the day at Clearwater Beach
• 2. Take a boat tour
• 3. Drive to Honeymoon Island
• 4. Take a ferry to Caladesi Island State Park
• 5. See the sponge docks at Tarpon Springs
• 6. Visit Fort De Soto Park
• 7. Go on a Dolphin Cruise at St. Pete’s Beach

1. Spend the day at Clearwater Beach

Clearwater Beach is an idyllic pedestrian-friendly town with powder-white sand and warm turquoise water.

Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach is the most popular public beach with plenty of space to spread out a towel, or even rent a cabana.

Take a walk along the pier to spot dolphins and take a peak at the fishermen’s latest catch.

You’ll also find a half-mile paved path that runs along the beach providing access to the waterfront cafes, hotels, and shops, including Hogan’s Beach Shop.

Hulk Hogan is a resident of Clearwater, and his shop is filled from floor to ceiling with Hulk Hogan merchandise.

Families will love the beachfront playgrounds, activities, and free outdoor movies at the pier in the summer.

Kids will especially enjoy visiting the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium which was once home to Winter from Dolphin Tale.

If you’re hungry, grab a famous Super Grouper Sandwich from Frenchy’s Original Cafe, or the Cinnamon Bun French Toast from Clear Sky Cafe.

2. Take a boat tour

The harbor at Clearwater Beach is lined with a variety of tour operators ready to take you out for a fun day on the water!

A few of the more popular tours include Little Toot. This adorable bright red tugboat has been delighting guests for almost 25 years. Their dolphin tours are considered one of the best things to do in Clearwater.

The narrated sightseeing tour will take you around the harbor and out to the Gulf where you are guaranteed to see a dolphin.

Dolphins love to jump and play in Little Toot’s large wake, and the boat is lower to the water’s edge so you’ll get an up close and personal experience with the dolphins.

Kids will also love Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. The “Pirates Ransom” was built in 1993 and is designed to look like a real pirate ship.

While on board, families will enjoy activities like treasure hunts, face painting, and even water gun fights! Check Groupon for discount tickets.

For a more romantic experience, watch the sunset while sailing on a schooner.

Or, book a Sunset Dinner Cruise aboard a yacht where guests will enjoy a dinner buffet on the open-air top deck.

If you are an avid fisher, then you may want to consider booking a deep-sea fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s your best bet for hooking a snapper, sea bass, or grouper!

3. Drive to Honeymoon Island

Honeymoon Island State Park is considered one of the best state parks in Florida and even topped the charts as the most visited state park in 2007.

This barrier island is only 20 minutes from Clearwater and can be reached by a short drive over the Dunedin Causeway.

The island was purchased in the late 1930s by businessman Clinton Washburn. While having lunch with the editor of Life magazine, he commented that the island would be the perfect spot for a honeymoon.

The Life article referred to the island as Honeymoon Island and the name stuck!

Washburn went on to construct 50 honeymoon cottages on the island and welcomed the first honeymooners in 1940. You can even view photos of the honeymooners at the Rotary Club Centennial Nature Center.

Over 160 couples stayed on Honeymoon Island before it was shuttered shortly after the beginning of World War II.

It really is a romantic setting with more than four miles of white sand beaches.

You can also take the Osprey Trail that leads through one of the last remaining untouched slash pine forests in Florida.

Bike, surrey, and kayak rentals are available at the Nature Center. Here you will also find a gift shop and concessions. Other amenities include a playground, a dog beach, and elevated boardwalks.

Honeymoon Island is also a great place to spot local wildlife. Some of the island’s residents include the endangered gopher tortoise, armadillos, raccoons, eagles, osprey, and great horned owls.

The entrance fee to the park is $8.

*Related post: If you’re visiting Orlando, check out our guide The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Photos & Tips!

4. Take a ferry to Caladesi Island State Park

Caladesi Island is a remote island that spans 3.5 miles and can be seen just off the coast of Honeymoon Island.

The untouched beauty of this island earned it the title of America’s #1 Beach in 2008.

Caladesi Island State Park can be reached by a 20-minute ferry ride from Honeymoon Island. Tickets are $16 roundtrip for adults and $8 for kids 12 years and younger. Check the website for coupons.

The ferry departs daily from the Honeymoon Island docks at 10 am and continues every half hour. Guests are allowed a maximum of 4 hours on the island.

You can also kayak to Caladesi Island. Kayak rentals are available at Sail Honeymoon which is located along the Dunedin Causeway.

It is a short 15-20 minute paddle to the island where you can explore miles of mangroves and unspoiled white sand beaches.

At low tide, you can actually walk along a 3-mile sandbar from Clearwater North Beach to Caladesi Island. However, the walk is long, hot, and not recommended.

For another fun kayaking excursion, check out the Emerald Cut at King’s Landing!

5. See the sponge docks at Tarpon Springs

Tarpon Springs is a unique riverfront town located about 30 minutes north of Clearwater.

It was named for the abundance of Tarpon fish found in these waters, but is known for its sponge docks and rich Greek heritage.

Sea sponges are plentiful in the local waters of the Anclote River and in the early 1900s the sponge market exploded.

The Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange was formed in 1908 and created a need for experienced sponge divers.

Greek immigrants from the Dodecanese Island had plenty of experience diving for sponges in the Aegean Sea and flocked to Tarpon Springs.

In 1939, disease ravaged the sponge beds and the industry suffered for years. Despite the decline, Tarpon Springs continued to support a thriving Greek community.

Today, Tarpon Springs is known as the Sponge Capital of the World and is home to the largest Greek community in the US.

Visitors of Tarpon Springs can walk along the riverfront to see the working sponge docks, visit the shops in the historic downtown district, and order a gyro from a local Greek restaurant.

Mama’s and Hellas are the two most popular Greek restaurants. We decided to try Hellas based on the reviews, and it did not disappoint.

The food is delicious and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Order the flaming saganaki cheese and gyros, then after your meal stop by their bakery and order a cannoli or slice of baklava cheesecake!

Take time to stroll through the Greektown Historic District. Here, you’ll find brick streets lined with historic 1800s buildings that now house galleries and boutique shops.

If you want to dive a little deeper into the history of the area, download the free Tarpon Springs audio tour.

Be sure to visit the sponge docks along Dodecanese Boulevard where you can purchase all sorts of sponge products.

You can even hop aboard the historic 1920s St Nicholas Boat to take a sponge diving tour. On the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to watch as a sponge diver demonstrates how to harvest sea sponges.

A few more highlights of Tarpon Springs include the 1940s St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Tarpon Springs Aquarium, the palm tree lined Fred Howard Park Beach, and Anclote Key Preserve State Park which is accessible only by boat.

If you’re looking for overnight accommodations, try the 1910 Inn. This charming bed & breakfast is housed in a historic Queen Anne Victorian home.

6. Visit Fort De Soto Park

Fort De Soto is a county park that spans across five interconnected islands, known as keys, that are connected by bridges and causeways.

The main attraction of Fort De Soto Park is the Spanish-America War era fort that is located on Mullet Key.

Construction of the fort began in 1891 and features 29 military post buildings. The buildings included barracks, a hospital, a stable, a kitchen and mess hall, a storehouse, and more.

The fort also included two mortar batteries. One of the batteries, Battery Bigelow, actually collapsed into the Gulf during a hurricane in the 1920s and can be seen just off the shore.

Today, visitors can see what remains of the fort and learn more about its history at the Quartermaster Museum.

Fort De Soto is also known for its miles of pristine beaches.

North Beach has been touted as one of the best beaches for families by Parents Magazine. Here you’ll find shallow tidepools and a pirate-themed playground.

Other popular things to do at Fort De Soto park include renting bikes and riding along the seven-mile paved bike path, or walking along the nature trails near North Beach.

You can also rent kayaks to explore the nearby mangroves and spot dolphins and manatees in the clear water just off the shore.

The fishing pier is a great spot to cast a line and watch the pelicans. From the pier, you can also take a 20-minute ferry ride to Egmont Key.

Egmont Key is home to the oldest lighthouse on the Gulf Coast and the remains of Fort Dade that was built in 1899. Egmont Key also offers some of the best snorkeling in the area.

If you enjoy camping, the Fort De Soto campground is one of the prettiest campgrounds in Florida where you can set up a tent right on the water’s edge.

7. Go on a Dolphin Cruise at St. Pete’s Beach

We booked a tour on the Dolphin Racer at St. Pete’s Beach and it was one of the highlights of our trip!

The Dolphin Racer is one of the largest speedboats in the US, and it’s a thrill ride and a dolphin tour in one!

The tour departs from St. Pete Beach and cruises around Boca Ciega Bay before heading out into the Gulf.

The dolphins love playing in the huge wake and you are guaranteed to see a dolphin, or your next trip is free.

We saw plenty of dolphins, and at one point we even had six dolphins jumping and playing only feet from the boat.

The captain is entertaining and informative, and the tour will also take you by some of the largest oceanfront mansions in Tampa Bay.

The tour lasts about 2 hours and is very reasonably priced. Tickets are only $32 for adults and $19 for kids, making it a great activity for the whole family.

And if you’re looking for a place to stay at St. Pete Beach, check out the Don Cesar Hotel. This ‘Pink Palace’ is an iconic landmark that has hosted celebrities and society’s upper-crust since the 1920s.

I hope this guide has helped you discover the best things to do in Clearwater! If you have any questions or recommendations of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

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