If you’re looking for an incredibly family friendly beach vacation, look no further than Clearwater Beach, Florida. If silky white sand, clean beaches and beautiful Gulf sunsets aren’t enough for you, then the array of kid friendly activities should be more than enough to sell you. The boardwalk and pier alone is idyllic of coastal Florida and you can spend the whole week there without ever needing to set foot in a car. We walked everywhere and if you’re a parent who has traveled with kids before, the difference between being able to plop your kid in a stroller compared to plopping them in a car simplifies EVERYTHING.
I also have a little secret that helped the success of our vacation and it was really quite simple. It made all the difference in the world, and quite honestly the vacation was a lot more fun 🙂 But you’ll have to read more about that at the link above.
So here’s the scoop on Clearwater Beach for those thinking about an upcoming vacation.
Where to Stay
Hotels and resorts are plentiful in Clearwater Beach. You have your standard hotels mixed in with beachside resorts. Though we opted for a condo. While a beachside condo proved to be more expensive, we found a great option just by expanding our search to a couple blocks from the beach. Our must-have list? A pool, two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and within walking distance to the main drag and beach. We got them all for the bargain price of $1,500/week (that we split with friends. So really we paid $750)! We stayed at a family owned condo resort with 7 cottages and 2 private pools. The reality was that we basically had the pool to ourselves each time we where there.
What to Do
We stayed for a full week and still didn’t do everything on our list. Here are the highlights I can recommend.
Every night Pier 60 has their “Sunsets at Pier 60” where artisans, crafters and street performers take over the pier 2 hours before and 2 hours after sunset. There was one night when we were there where they even had a movie on the large inflatable screen. We spent our last night at Pier 60 and it was a great way to say farewell to Clearwater Beach. Of course, the main drag has many places for you to stop for ice cream afterwards 🙂
We spent time throughout the week at Pier 60 as well. There is a great little playground nearby if the kids need to get some energy out.
Dolphin Sightings on the Little Toot
Do not miss an opportunity to head out on the ocean for a little dolphin sightseeing. There were quite a few companies that offered this but we chose the Little Toot. It was reasonably priced too – just over $20 for what I think was an hour ride or 1 1/2 hours. The tugboat made great waves which brought the dolphins out to swim 🙂
Beach Days, Beach Days, Beach Days
You have to take advantage of the silky sand in Clearwater Beach and let the kids experience the ocean. These were some of the best moments of the trip. Though the beach and kids can also bring stress, so come prepared. And by prepared I mean bring chairs, umbrellas to provide shade (a must!), a cooler with plenty of snacks, plastic bags for any diaper changes you need to do, sand toys, sunscreen and a positive attitude. And if you have access to one of those wagons for the sand, I highly recommend one. We attempted to bring strollers one day which if you’ve ever tried to lug a stroller through sand, it doesn’t work so well. Find a wagon if you can 🙂 And if your beach day goes so well that you’ve tuckered your little tikes out, you might just luck out with a nap (for them, not you of course!).
And this is them post beach day….Tired? I think so!
So while I said earlier you can stay for the whole week without ever stepping foot in your car, we did decide to take one outing into Tampa for the zoo. We thought about doing Busch Gardens but for the expense of it and the age of the girls at that point, we didn’t think it’d be worth the money. So the zoo was a great compromise. The most fun they had was the splash pad. Give two one-year olds some water to play with and they are happy campers.
Good Eats & Drinks
Jimmy’s Crow Nest: If you’re looking for the best views of Clearwater Beach, look no further than here. It’s a rooftop bar above a hotel – a great option for a happy hour beverage or after-dinner drink to watch the sunset.
Frenchy’s has a few different restaurants in Clearwater Beach, but we were closest to the Rockaway Grill. Right on the beach, it provided us a great outdoor seating after a day spent in the sand. The kiddos enjoyed their first grouper nuggets (grouper must be the popular fish choice in Clearwater) and us adults a grouper sandwich. Family friendly, decent prices and an overall convenient spot for a meal 🙂
We wanted to do a nice dinner one evening out, but two toddlers makes that a little more challenging. However, the Sandpearl Resort had a great casual dining option right on the beach, which gave us access to enjoy a beautiful sunset at the same time. With a fire pit out in the sand for guests to enjoy and amazing sunset views, it’s worth the stop. It’s also where we scored some of the best pictures of the kiddos throughout the week for an after dinner stroll in the sand 🙂
Palm Pavilion Beachside Bar & Grill
The best fish tacos of my life were had here. Either that or I was just incredibly hungry. It’s an extremely casual restaurant right on the beach and a good option if you’re traveling with kiddos.
So that’s Clearwater Beach. It’s definitely on our list of places to go back to and it’s a great location for a first vacation with your little tike! It couldn’t have been more relaxed and the fact that it was so walkable and family friendly made the trip 🙂
Happy Travels to You!
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