Clearwater Beach

Why Go

Clearwater Beach is Tampa Bay's most visitor-friendly beach — a wide, soft white-sand stretch on a barrier island lined with hotels, restaurants and marina activity. It's built for an entire beach day in one place, which makes it the easiest first choice for a first-time visitor.

Don’t Miss

Pier 60 at Sunset — Every evening, Pier 60 hosts a free sunset festival that opens two hours before sunset and runs two hours after — local artisan vendors, street performers and live music gathered in the plaza in front of the pier. It has run nightly since 1995 and is the natural way to close out a beach day here.

What to Expect

An active, resort-heavy atmosphere — the busiest of Tampa Bay's beaches, with dense hotel development and a lively commercial strip. The beach itself is broad enough, and there's enough nearby to do, that it works equally well as a half-day stop or a full day.

MAX Insider Tip — Plan to stay through sunset. Clearwater Beach feels very different as the afternoon crowds thin out and the evening crowd gathers around Pier 60 — arrive before the two-hour pre-sunset window starts if you want to browse the vendors before it peaks.