Beaches

Pinellas County’s Gulf beaches are a chain of barrier islands, and each beach has its own feel. Some are lively with a pier and a nightly festival, some are quiet county parks, and some are small neighborhood access points. From our homes the nearest sand is between 2 and 20 minutes away, so you can spend the morning at a calm beach and end the day somewhere with a sunset show. Here is how they compare, north to south.

The beaches, one by one

Clearwater Beach

The area’s best-known beach has wide sand, lifeguards and the most going on: restaurants, bars and beach-gear stands within walking distance of the water. Pier 60 hosts Sunsets at Pier 60, a free festival every night of the year with artisans, street performers and live music, starting two hours before sunset. It has run since 1995. Parking fills up in the middle of the day, so arrive early. If you want animals as well as sand, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is minutes away.

Sand Key Park, Clearwater

A 95-acre county park with a white sand beach, seasonal lifeguards, restrooms, showers and a food concession. Entry is free, and parking has been about $5 a day. Sea turtles nest here from April through October, so give any marked nests plenty of room. It is a good choice when Clearwater Beach feels too busy.

Indian Rocks Beach

Indian Rocks Beach has more than two miles of Gulf beachfront and 26 public beach accesses. The main public access is at 1700 Gulf Boulevard, between 17th and 18th Avenues on the west side of the road, with about 80 metered parking spaces, restrooms, outdoor showers, drinking fountains and bike racks. The town keeps a low-key, small-beach-town feel, and the water is shallow for a long way out, which is easy for young swimmers. It is the closest beach to our home Casa Blue Horizon, about two minutes’ drive away, and to Goodtimes Waterfront, about ten. See our Indian Rocks Beach homes.

Redington Beach and Madeira Beach

Archibald Beach Park on Gulf Boulevard has four wooden walkovers, metered parking, restrooms, two outdoor showers, a covered picnic area and two sand volleyball courts. Further south, John’s Pass Park sits across the road from John’s Pass Village and offers metered parking, a walkover, restrooms, a shower, a picnic area and chair rentals. From The Salty Parrot in St. Petersburg, Archibald Beach Park is about seven minutes away, and from Indian Shores Family Oasis in Seminole about eight.

Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde

Fort De Soto covers about 1,136 acres across five interconnected islands, with almost three miles of white sand beach and more than seven miles of waterfront. It is a longer drive, roughly half an hour or more from most of our homes, and worth a full day. See our parks and nature guide for what else is there.

Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island

North of Clearwater, Honeymoon Island State Park has more than four miles of beach, and neighboring Caladesi Island State Park is reached by boat. This is the answer to searches for beaches north of Clearwater, and it is a calmer, more natural setting than the busy town beaches.

How far is each beach from our homes?

Approximate driving minutes from our homes in each area, without traffic. Largo shows the range across its three homes. Real trips vary with traffic and season.

Which beach should you pick?

• Young kids and the shortest drive: Indian Rocks Beach.
• Restaurants, a sunset show and more energy: Clearwater Beach.
• Space, lifeguards and easy facilities: Sand Key Park.
• A quiet local feel near St. Petersburg or Seminole: Archibald Beach Park.
• A full day of nature: Fort De Soto or Honeymoon Island.

Tips for a good beach day

Plan to be on the sand by mid-morning and back under cover by late afternoon. In summer, pop-up thunderstorms are common in the late afternoon, while mornings are usually the calmest and clearest part of the day. Bring chairs, an umbrella, water and sunscreen, since rentals are limited at the smaller beaches. Browse all our private pool vacation homes near these beaches, or read about sunset cruises and waterfront dining for an evening plan.