Planning a trip to Clearwater Beach and wondering what to do? We’ve got you!
Clearwater Beach is exactly the kind of Florida destination that makes it very easy to spend all day by the water. The sand is white, and the Gulf is warm—what more could you really ask for?
And best of all, there are tons of fun ways to enjoy this gorgeous scenery, from parasailing and dolphin cruises to kayaking and private boat trips. But there’s also more to do than lie on the beach! With so much to squeeze in, we thought it only made sense to narrow it down to 10 of the best things to do in Clearwater Beach. Let’s get into it!
Don’t miss out!
Our Top Choice
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our FAVORITE thing we did in Clearwater Beach was this parasailing adventure! Soaring high above the Gulf of Mexico, with stunning views of white-sand beaches and the chance to spot dolphins below, was such a thrill. Trust us, Clearwater Beach looks even better from the sky!
Clearwater Beach At A Glance
First things first, you don’t necessarily need to rent a car in Clearwater Beach. Traffic can get pretty hectic, and parking is limited in the busiest areas, so using Uber or the local trolley can actually be much easier.
If you’re planning a proper beach day, try to get there early! Beach chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas are rented on a first-come, first-served basis, so the best spots can go quickly, especially on busy days.
And finally, keep Spring Break in mind. Clearwater Beach is generally more family-friendly than some of Florida’s other Spring Break hotspots, but it still gets VERY busy. If you’re visiting in March or early April, expect bigger crowds and much more competition for those beach chairs!
How We Would Spend Three Days in Clearwater Beach
🏖️ Day 1: Beach Time, Dolphins & Sunset Cruise
Start with breakfast and some beach time, head out on a dolphin-watching cruise at sunset, and finish your first day with a casual beachfront dinner.
🍺 Day 2: Dunedin, Boat Time & Sunset at Pier 60
Spend the morning exploring Dunedin, grab lunch at a local brewery, then relax on a private boat tour before sunset at Pier 60, followed by dinner by the water.
🛶 Day 3: Aquarium, Kayaking & A Final Night Out
Wrap up your trip with Clearwater Marine Aquarium, lunch at Kaia Bowls, a clear-kayak adventure, sunset drinks, and one last dinner by the beach.
Things to do in Clearwater Beach
1. Relax on a private boat
Tour Details
Clearwater Beach is surrounded by gorgeous islands and waterways, and this private boat tour is the best way to explore beyond the main beach!
It lasts four hours and is completely private for groups of up to six, so it’s just you, your favorite people, and a local captain showing you around the coast and nearby barrier islands. Sounds good, right?
The usual route takes in Caladesi Island, Honeymoon Island, and Three Rooker Island, and each one is worth a visit for its own reasons.
Caladesi is one of the most untouched islands on this stretch of the Gulf Coast. You can only get there by boat, so it feels SO much quieter than Clearwater Beach. Honeymoon Island, meanwhile, has more than four miles of beach, plus a three-mile trail through one of Florida’s last remaining virgin slash pine forests.
Then there’s Three Rooker Island, a teeny-tiny sandbar island that’s only formed relatively recently. It’s the perfect spot to jump in for a swim, or paddle in the shallows and hunt for shells.
What I love most about this tour is that there’s no rigid itinerary. Your captain tailors the day around what your group wants to do, whether that’s looking for dolphins or even popping into a beach bar. (Or both – you’ve got hours, after all!)
2. Go parasailing
Tour Details
If you want to see Clearwater Beach from a totally different angle, this parasailing experience is SO much fun!
You’ll head out on a boat from the marina, then be lifted into the sky to float above the Gulf of Mexico. The views of the white-sand beaches and nearby islands are gorgeous, and you’ll often spot dolphins in the water below.
The whole experience takes a little over an hour, but you won’t spend all of it in the air. It’s around 40 minutes on the boat and roughly 10 minutes flying. It’s short, but the boat ride is part of the fun, and it means you won’t lose a whole afternoon.
It’s also a great choice if you’re nervous! The crew walks you through exactly what’s going to happen before you go up, and the takeoff is smooth. Once you’re in the air, it’s actually very peaceful!
You can choose from three flight heights: 800 feet (244 meters), 1,000 feet (305 meters), or 1,200 feet (366 meters). The 800-foot (244-meter) flight is a great option for first-timers, but if you’re feeling brave, it only costs a few extra dollars to go higher and get an even better view! And if some of your group would rather keep their feet on the boat, they can still come along with an observer ticket and watch the action.
3. Experience Pier 60 at sunset
Pier 60 is basically the heart of Clearwater Beach, and it gets especially busy around sunset. The pier sits right on the beach, surrounded by restaurants, shops, and vendors, so there’s usually plenty going on around here!
Every evening, Pier 60 hosts its Sunsets at Pier 60 celebration, which typically runs from around 4 pm to 8 pm. Local artists set up stalls around the pier, while musicians and street performers provide entertainment as everyone waits for the sun to go down.
But the main event is the sunset itself! Clearwater Beach faces west over the Gulf of Mexico, so you get a clear view as the sun drops towards the water. It’s worth getting here before sunset so that you can look around the stalls first and find a good spot on the beach or pier.
We also like that this is one of those Clearwater Beach activities that you don’t really have to plan or book. Plenty of restaurants are nearby, so once the sun has disappeared, you won’t have to go far to find dinner or a drink.
4. Spot dolphins on a thrilling speedboat ride
Tour Details
Dolphins are pretty common around Clearwater Beach, and this speedboat tour is one of the most fun ways to look for them!
And we’re not talking about any old speedboat, oh no! You’ll be riding the Sea Screamer, a 73-foot (22-meter) speedboat that reaches over 20 knots. And if you don’t understand knots, all that you need to know is that it’s fast! Well, fast enough to make the ride exciting without feeling like a terrifying white-knuckle experience, so it’s still suitable for families.
You’ll cruise through Clearwater Harbor first, passing waterfront homes and local landmarks, before heading out into the Gulf of Mexico to look for dolphins. Dolphins often swim and jump in the boat’s wake, so keep your eyes peeled. And once the captain spots them, they can pick up the speed a little, and the dolphins sometimes follow behind, which sounds SO cool to watch!
Just be warned that if you sit toward the back, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get splashed! But honestly, that’s part of the fun of a speedboat ride. You can also buy sodas, beer, and hard seltzers during the ride if you want to crank up those vacation vibes.
We think that this tour is the best way to explore Clearwater Beach’s amazing marine life. And judging from the 400+ glowing reviews (read them here!), we’re not the only ones who think so! Plus, it’s only an hour long, so it’s also easy to fit into a beach day!
5. Go on an eco-kayak adventure through Tarpon Springs
Tour Details
Just north of Clearwater, Tarpon Springs is a charming little city that’s well worth exploring, and we think this two-hour kayak tour is one of the best ways to do it! You’ll paddle through sheltered waterways and lush mangroves teeming with wildlife, while catching glimpses of the town’s fascinating Greek sponge-diving heritage along the way.
You’ll head out onto the Anclote River with a guide, paddling through the mangroves and learning about the incredible ecosystem around you as you go. Your guide will help you spot wildlife along the way, and this part of Florida is home to some truly amazing creatures! Did you know that dolphins, manatees, stingrays, and bald eagles can all be found around Tarpon Springs?
The route also takes you past the famous Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, so you get a glimpse of one of the town’s most historic areas from the water, too. And for us, being down at water level in a kayak makes the whole experience feel so much more immersive!
The pace is gentle, and groups are small, with a maximum of 12 people, so it feels much more personal than a big boat tour. We think it’s a lovely way to spend time in Tarpon Springs if you’re visiting from Clearwater Beach.
6. Check out the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
We’re big animal lovers, so the Clearwater Marine Aquarium would definitely be on our list while visiting Clearwater Beach! But this isn’t your typical aquarium. It’s actually a working marine animal hospital that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured wildlife, releasing them back into the wild whenever possible.
During your visit, you can meet some of the animals that now call the aquarium home, including rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, and pelicans. Many of the permanent residents can’t return to the wild, so you’ll also learn about their individual rescue stories and the work that goes into caring for them.
One highlight is the huge dolphin complex, where you can watch the aquarium’s rescued dolphins through underwater viewing windows. You can also visit the working marine animal hospital, see rescued sea turtles, and even get up close to the stingrays at Stingray Beach.
There are also some really cool additional experiences available! Depending on what’s running when you visit, you can book animal encounters that allow you to do things like get closer to the dolphins or feed the stingrays.
General admission currently costs around $42 USD for adults, and the best part is that your visit helps support the aquarium’s rescue and conservation work. We think this is such a lovely place to visit, especially if you want to learn more about Florida’s incredible marine life!
7. Relax on a sunset and dolphin-spotting excursion
Tour Details
Florida’s Gulf Coast is an amazing place to spot wild dolphins, so don’t pass up the opportunity to get out there and see them on this dolphin-watching cruise!
The tour departs from nearby Dunedin, which is about a 15-minute drive from Clearwater Beach. It takes you out along the coast aboard the ParrotDise Express, a 47-foot boat designed with dolphin spotting in mind. You’ll spend around 2.5 hours cruising through the waters around Clearwater and Dunedin, keeping an eye out for dolphins swimming and playing in their natural habitat.
We also love that this isn’t just about the wildlife! You’ll get gorgeous views of the coastline and nearby islands as you cruise, making it a lovely way to see this part of Florida from a completely different perspective.
We offer afternoon dolphin excursions and later sunset tours, so you can choose what best fits your plans. If you go for the sunset option, you’ll get to watch the sky change over the Gulf while you’re out on the water – sounds pretty dreamy to us!
Drinks are included too, with beer, wine, sangria, soft drinks, and the boat’s own rum punch available on board. With amazing views and flowing drinks, we definitely think it would make a fun addition to a Clearwater Beach trip.
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
8. Try out axe throwing
Tour Details
Axe throwing probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you picture a trip to Clearwater, but hear us out because this 90-minute experience looks like SO much fun!
Basically, you’ll head to Hatchet Hangout in downtown Clearwater, where an instructor will teach you how to throw an axe without making a complete fool of yourself. They’ll show you the technique, help you work on your aim, and get you confidently hitting the target before the games begin.
And this is where things can get VERY competitive. You’ll go head-to-head with the rest of your group, play different axe-throwing games, and battle it out for bragging rights. The experience is private too, so you won’t have a bunch of strangers watching while you discover whether you’re secretly a natural or absolutely terrible at it.
We also think this is a great activity to have up your sleeve for a rainy day. There’s only so much staring sadly at Clearwater Beach through a hotel window anyone can take!
The experience has hundreds of glowing reviews, and we can totally see why. It’s silly, competitive, and completely different from anything else on this list, which is exactly why we love it.
9. Paddle around Clearwater Beach on a clear kayak
Tour Details
Kayaking is already a fun way to explore Clearwater, but doing it in a completely transparent kayak is even better! We love this 2.5-hour clear kayaking tour because it takes you out around Clearwater Beach with a local guide, giving you the chance to spot wildlife both around you and underneath the kayak as you paddle.
You’ll head out in a tandem kayak while you keep an eye out for dolphins and manatees. The route can also take you past sandbars and small islands, where you might get the chance to stop and hunt for shells—sounds fun, right?
We just think the clear kayaks make the whole thing SO much more fun. There’s something so cool about being able to look straight through the bottom of your kayak while you’re paddling, especially when you’re somewhere with this much marine life around.
You don’t need to be an experienced kayaker either. Your guide will give you a quick introduction before you head out, and groups are kept small, so it feels very personal. It’s also a decent workout, so you can absolutely justify a massive meal afterward! If you need a break from lazing around on the beach, this is a fun, active option.
10. Hit the beach!
We know, we know. Telling you to go to the beach in Clearwater is hardly groundbreaking advice. But when that beach is regularly named among the best in the USA, we couldn’t leave it off our list!
Clearwater Beach is basically the perfect Florida beach. It’s got powdery white sand, warm Gulf waters, and plenty of space. You’d really be doing Clearwater wrong if you didn’t spend at least a little time relaxing here.
It does get busy, though, especially around Spring Break, so don’t expect to have the whole place to yourself. That said, it’s generally very family-friendly, and there’s loads going on nearby if you want to break up the sunbathing with food or a wander along Pier 60. And if you fancy somewhere a bit quieter, Sand Key Park is just across the water and has a much more laid-back feel.
You can bring your own chairs and umbrella, or rent them directly on Clearwater Beach. Rentals are available between the jetty and north of Pier 60 from 9 am to 5 pm, with two chairs and an umbrella costing $40 USD. They’re first come, first served, so it’s worth getting down here early if you want one! You can see the full price list here.
Where to Stay in Clearwater Beach
Now that you know what to do in Clearwater Beach, you just need somewhere to stay! We’d recommend staying close to the beach itself, especially on a first visit, as you’ll have the sand, Pier 60, restaurants, and plenty of activities within easy reach. Below, we’ve picked three options for different budgets.
Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Suites – $$$
If you want the full Florida vacation experience, the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Suites is our luxury pick. You really can’t miss its huge pink building, and it sits just steps from Clearwater Beach’s white sands.
The rooms are super spacious, and many come with private balconies overlooking the Gulf. Some of the larger suites even have full kitchens and separate living areas, which is amazing if you’re staying more than a couple of nights.
Then there’s the eighth-floor heated pool overlooking the Gulf, an on-site spa, seafood restaurant, and rooftop cantina. Rooms typically start at around $270 USD per night, although you can expect to pay more during peak season. Read the amazing reviews and book your stay at the Hyatt Regency here!
Pier House 60 Clearwater Beach Marina Hotel – $$
For something a little more affordable without sacrificing location, Pier House 60 Clearwater Beach Marina Hotel is an ideal middle ground. It sits right between the marina and Clearwater Beach, with Pier 60 just a short walk away, so you’ll be right in the middle of the action.
But our favorite part is Jimmy’s Crow’s Nest, the hotel’s 10th-floor rooftop bar. It has panoramic views over the marina and Gulf, plus a nightly sunset celebration complete with a complimentary sunset shot. We’re suckers for a rooftop bar at the best of times, but throw in a Florida sunset, and we’re SOLD.
Rooms can start from around $200 USD per night, making this a great middle-ground option for such a central location! Check availability and book your stay at Pier House 60 here!
Gulfview Hotel – On the Beach- $
If you’d rather save your dollars for dolphin tours and cocktails, Gulfview Hotel – On the Beach is our budget pick. And even though it’s the cheapest of the three, you still get something pretty important: your own little slice of Clearwater Beach!
The hotel has a private beach, a heated outdoor pool, and a hot tub, while every room comes with a private balcony and a small kitchenette with a fridge, microwave, and stovetop. That’s especially handy if eating three meals a day in beachside restaurants is starting to damage your bank account.
This is definitely the no-frills option of the three, but if you want to be by the water and keep accommodation costs down, we think it offers great value. Rooms can start from around $170 USD per night, which is fantastic value for a hotel with its own private beach! Find the best prices and book your stay at Gulfview Hotel here!
If you didn’t find what you’re looking for, check out more hotel listings for Clearwater Beach here!
Renting a Car in the USA
The United States is a vast country with diverse landscapes, from bustling cities to scenic national parks. While public transportation exists in major cities, renting a car is often the best way to explore the country’s wide-open spaces and hidden gems.
We always book with Discover Cars and can’t recommend them enough. It’s super easy to compare prices, check company ratings, find the right vehicle for your needs, and add affordable full coverage insurance. If you want a full breakdown, check out our Discover Cars review here.
Tips for Renting a Car in the USA
What You Need to Rent a Car in the USA
Ready to hit the road and discover the freedom of exploring the USA on your own terms?
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Thanks for reading!
Warning: Clearwater Beach might seriously raise your standards for a Florida vacation! Between flying high above the Gulf, watching dolphins play in the waves, and ending the day with your toes in the sand, it’s pretty hard to imagine a better getaway. We came for the beautiful beaches, but all the fun adventures made us want to stay even longer!
Before you head off, be sure to explore our other USA travel guides! We’ve visited tons of incredible destinations and have plenty more recommendations, hidden gems, and insider tips to share. Or check out a few of our favorite blogs below to get started!
10 Best Things to do in Daytona Beach, Florida
How to Spend THREE DAYS in Pensacola, Florida: The Best 3-Day Itinerary
How to Spend THREE DAYS in Sarasota, Florida: The Best 3-Day Itinerary
10 Best Things to do in Crystal River, Florida
The Services We Recommend
From hotels to guided tours, we only recommend services we know and trust. Here are our recommended partners so you can explore with confidence.
