WATER & COAST
Clearwater Beach
Pinellas County · Gulf Coast
A wide Gulf beach on a barrier island west of Clearwater, with a 1,080-foot pier and a festival at sunset every night of the year.
ABOUT THIS PLACE
The beach sits on a barrier island joined to the mainland by the Memorial Causeway, and the sand is the fine white quartz that runs down this coast. It is a built-up beach rather than a wild one, with hotels behind it and Beach Walk running along the front, which suits people who want food, chairs and lifeguards within reach of the water. Pier 60 reaches 1,080 feet into the Gulf and is lit for night fishing, with a bait and tackle shop renting gear. Around its base is a park holding one of the largest beach playgrounds on Florida's west coast, covered pavilions and coin telescopes. The Sunsets at Pier 60 festival runs every night, starting two hours before sunset and going on two hours after, with musicians, dancers, fire performers and over thirty craft sellers. It costs nothing to attend. Parking is paid, and the Jolley Trolley and a ferry from downtown Clearwater both reach the beach
Not identified in this guide as an officially clothing-optional beach. This is a visit category, not a safety rating—check surf, lifeguards, water quality and posted rules.
BEACH CONDITIONS
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