15 Best Things to Do in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL in 2026

It’s been on my Florida hit list for a while now, and its finally time for me to see exactly what St. Pete-Clearwater has to offer and figure out if it’s worth talking about. Here’s a clue; it is!

On the surface, it could be another Gulf Coast beach destination. And the award-winning beaches are as good as any in Florida! Clearwater Beach was voted the #1 beach in the US in the 2026 ‘Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice’ Awards! But dig a bit deeper and spend a little longer here, and a different destination starts to emerge.

A destination with a food scene that caught Michelin’s attention, an arts culture that’s been quietly building, and city vibes that feel more local and trendier than other ‘beach towns’.

It is still a beach destination. A brilliant one at that. But that’s only part of the story. Here are my 15 best things to do in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL.

Overview About St. Pete-Clearwater, FL

This might be your first time in this part of Florida, so before going through all the most popular activities in St. Pete-Clearwater, let’s cover the essentials. Here’s the location, where to stay in town, and more.

Where is St. Pete-Clearwater?

St. Pete-Clearwater is located on Florida’s Gulf Coast in Pinellas County, about 30 minutes west of Tampa. It’s a peninsula bordered by Tampa Bay on one side and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America if you must) on the other, with a string of barrier islands making up the beachfront.

St. Petersburg is the main city, Clearwater anchors the north end, and a handful of smaller beach towns like Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach, and Dunedin fill in the gaps.

How to Get There?

The best way is to fly into Tampa International Airport (TPA), which is about 30 minutes from downtown St. Petersburg, FL. St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) is closer and worth checking, though it serves fewer routes.

Once you get there, I recommend hiring a car. The area is spread out enough that you’ll want wheels, especially for the beaches and Dunedin. Driving from Orlando takes roughly 90 minutes depending on traffic. The close proximity to Orlando makes for the ideal twin-centre holiday.

Best Time to Visit

Spring (March to June) and winter sun (October to December) are the best seasons in destination. The weather is warm, there aren’t as many crowds than summer, and prices are more reasonable. Winter is mild and popular, meaning hotels are busier than you’d expect. September tends to be rather rainy in destination.

Summer works if you don’t mind the heat and humidity but keep in mind that hurricane season runs June through November.

Where to Stay in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL?

Here’s a list of great accommodation options to stay in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL.

I stayed at Bilmar Beach Resort, and it’s hard to beat the location. It’s right on the beach in Treasure Island, has that classic retro Florida look that’s been recently refurbished. There’s a great onsite restaurant, Sloppy Joe’s on the Beach, is a solid two-tier waterfront spot with live entertainment.

The bar does a happy hour if you want a cold drink without going anywhere. I genuinely can’t recommend it enough.

If you’d rather pick your own hotel to stay, you can browse all the hotels on Booking or Expedia and choose the one that suits you best.

Travelling on a budget? Check out budget hotels on Expedia

15 Unique Things to Do in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL

St. Pete-Clearwater is one of these places that you came once, you will most likely want to come again. Most people come for the beaches but stay for the vibe. I came up with that myself!

Nevertheless, there’s a lot more going on here. A proper arts scene, street art, Michelin-recognised restaurants, craft breweries, and a speakeasy with a password that changes weekly. Visiting for the first time? Here are all the best activities in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL.

Explore Downtown St. Pete

Start near St. Pete Pier at the end of Central Avenue. Everything worth doing is within walking distance of this stretch. Art galleries, independent restaurants, taprooms, cocktail bars, as well as murals.

There’s no single must-see attraction here. It’s more about the overall energy. Budget a full day and don’t over-plan it. Start near the Pier end of Central, walk west, and just discover the area naturally. You’ll stumble into breweries, coffee shops, and local food spots all around (do read until the end for the best restaurants, so you know where to go).

It’s also the best base for ticking off the murals, the speakeasy, the Dalí, and the James Museum all in one go. Talking about museums, we’ll go into those below.

Discover The St. Pete Pier

The St. Pete Pier covers 26 acres right on Tampa Bay, and it’s one of the fastest ways to get a feel for the city. Walk it, bike it, rollerblade it, or swim at Spa Beach. I really loved jogging here and blending in with the locals (or so I thought)!

You’ll find dining options for every budget, regular live music, pop-up events, and views back toward the downtown area that are hard to beat. I recommend staying for at least 2 hours. Perry’s Porch and Teak are both here (both covered in the Where to Eat section), so it’s easy to stretch this into a proper afternoon. Or stay nearby and start your mornings here like I did one weekend.

The pier also connects naturally to the waterfront art walk if you want to keep moving after. Come for the view, stay for lunch, and come back in the evening if you want to see the sunset.

Go Beach Hopping

St. Pete-Clearwater has four main beach options, and each one has a completely different personality. Don’t just pick the closest one.

Clearwater Beach: The most popular and most polished. Consistently ranked among America’s best, with a lively strip of restaurants and bars along the seafront. Pier 60 is here. More of a scene, but the sand and water are genuinely good.
St. Pete Beach: This is a classic beach on the Gulf Coast. A relaxed mix of beach bars and calm stretches of sand. Treasure Island is close by and it’s quieter if you don’t like the crowds.
Pass-a-Grille: The laid-back option. A small, historic neighbourhood with brick-paved 8th Ave, independent shops, and a genuine old-Florida feel. Consider a snack at Paradise Grill on the beach or a drink at The Hurricane Restaurant for the view.
Treasure Island: Not too famous and not crowded. Good for a long, uninterrupted day on the sand.

All four beaches are within a 30-minute drive of each other. You can easily hit two in one day.

Clear-Bottom Kayaking at Shell Key Preserve

This is one of the better things you can do in St. Pete-Clearwater. You can join a guided tour out of Tierra Verde, which is only a short drive from St. Pete Beach.

Get Up and Go at Shell Key Preserve was just rated the #1 nature & outdoor activity in the world by Tripadvisor and is a Tripadvidsor Travelers Choice Best of the Best winner!

The clear-bottom kayaks are the real draw. The kayak floor is completely transparent, so you’re looking straight down into the water as you paddle. Dolphins, manatees, pelicans, starfish, crabs. What you spot depends on the season.

You’ll probably see manatees and pink Roseate Spoonbills in summer, White Pelicans in winter, dolphins year-round. Tours run about two hours, with a beach stop at Shell Key midway. Shell Key Preserve is beautiful, and legend says if you find a shell with a hole in it, hang it on the tree for good luck!

The water gets clearer as you get closer to the Gulf. They don’t accept big groups, so it stays personal. Tours start at $74 per person and it’s worth every penny. That said, book in advance because it fills up fast.

Note that there are 2 tours available, one during the day and the other during sunset, so you can pick whichever option you prefer.

Book the Sunset Tour

Book the Day Tour

Take a Dolphin Cruise

St. Pete Beach is one of the better spots in Florida to see bottlenose dolphins in the wild. The Gulf waters around here are shallow and warm, which means dolphins are active year-round and easy to spot.

The cruises run about 90 minutes and take you out into the Gulf and along the barrier islands where dolphins tend to feed and play. The captains can’t guarantee that you’ll see them, but they’re common enough that most boats see something.

Other than dolphins, you’ll likely see pelicans, osprey, and depending on the season, manatees in the calmer inlets. Several operators run out of St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island, with options ranging from group tours to private charters. Just like other tours, this one always sells out, and you want to book it as soon as possible.

Check on Viator

Check on GetYourGuide

Pier 60 Sunset Celebration

Every night at Clearwater Beach, a free outdoor event starts two hours before sunset at Pier 60. You’ll see street performers, local artists selling work, live music, craft vendors.

It’s been running for years and it’s still one of the best free things you can do in St. Pete-Clearwater. Time it right and you get the full Gulf Coast sunset as the backdrop.

After the show, the strip along Mandalay Ave gets going. It’s casual. Restaurants, bars, live music out on the street. Grab a beer, find a spot with a sea view, and let the night sort itself out. Clearwater Beach after dark is noticeably more relaxed than the daytime tourist rush, and it’s worth staying for.

Want to know the things to do in St. Pete-Clearwater in the nighttime? Read below.

Enjoy the Nightlife

St. Pete-Clearwater has a real cocktail and bar scene, which is exactly what you want to enjoy the night. Here’s where to go:

Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill on Central Ave is the institution. Sports on every screen, live music most nights, and a solid crowd. A natural first stop or final drink of the night.
Sonder Social Club in Dunedin is the more refined option. It was Dunedin’s first craft cocktail bar, and it takes its drinks seriously.
Easy Tiger Hi-Fi Lounge is for people who care about both music and their drink. Cocktails and high-fidelity sound. It’s not a sports bar and not a club either, but it does a really good job at making people enjoy their time.

Check Out the Sunken Gardens

Sunken Gardens has been around for over 100 years. In the early 1900s, a local plumber bought six acres with a shallow lake, drained it, and planted a garden. By the 1920s, he was charging people a nickel to look around.

What grew out of that is now one of Florida’s oldest roadside attractions, and it’s aged well. Four acres of tropical plants, flamingos, parrots, koi ponds, and waterfalls right in the middle of the city.

A visit takes about 90 minutes to two hours. There are also the History Center and a garden shop on site. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (62+), and $8 for children aged 2-12. Under-2s are free. They open every day, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM, apart from Sunday when they open at noon until 4:30 PM.

You can book your tickets online ahead of time, or alternatively get the Eco Segway Tour on GetYourGuide, which is a thousand times more fun!

Book Tickets on GetYourGuide

Visit the St. Pete Murals

St. Pete has built one of the best street art collections in Florida, and the SHINE Mural Festival is the engine behind it. Hundreds of works are now spread across the city. Three to put on your list:

Golden Dawn at the Cordova Hotel
Shining Hope at Trinity Lutheran Church
Sunshine City, which was painted by UK artist Dave Bonzai

All three are walkable from the downtown area. The full mural map is available on this website, and it’s worth downloading before you go so you can build a route. Pair this with a morning walk along Central Avenue for the best light. It works well on its own as a two-hour walk.

Find a secret Speakeasy

St. Petersburg Distillery has been making small-batch craft spirits since 2014. It’s family-owned, award-winning, and worth a visit on its own terms. But the headline act right now is the speakeasy inside the distillery called 31 South.

It’s a password-based entry, which is an old Prohibition-era concept. The password changes regularly, so follow them on social media to get the current one before you go!

The Moonshiners Tour covers the full distillery, starts with a welcome cocktail, then takes you into the speakeasy for a bite and another drink. It’s one of the more distinctive things you can do in the city.

Join a Day Trip to Caladesi Island

Caladesi Island State Park is one of the few genuinely untouched barrier islands left on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The only easy way to get there is by boat or ferry, which is exactly why the beach stays in such good shape.

Drive to Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin and pay the $8 vehicle entry fee. The ferry departs hourly from 10am and takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Round-trip tickets cost $20 for adults, $10 for kids aged 6-12, and under-5s are free.

Tickets are cash or card, sold in person at the dock only, and you can’t purchase them online. You get up to four hours on the island. That’s enough time to walk the three-mile beach, do the nature trail through the mangroves, and grab a bite at the cafe.

Alternatively, you can rent a private boat for a few hours with a captain, which is inexpensive if you travel as a group, and it’s not only more fun but you also stop at other places around, including Clearwater Beach and One Tree Island.

Check on Viator

Check on GetYourGuide

The Museums

St. Petersburg has a few interesting museums for a city this size. Three worth knowing about are:

The Dalí Museum

The building is the first thing you’ll notice: a geodesic glass dome that doesn’t look like anything else on the waterfront. Inside, you get one of the largest collections of Salvador Dalí’s work outside Europe.

There are more than 2,400 pieces, plus rotating exhibitions and the Dalí Alive 360° dome show as an optional add-on ($15 extra). Admission: $32 for adults, $12 for youth aged 6-12, under-5s free.

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

Opened in 2018, this is one of the newer additions to the city’s arts scene. 26,000 square feet of gallery space with 400+ works: sculpture, paintings, and jewellery focused on the American West and world wildlife.

The collection was built by Tom and Mary James, who focused on living artists. General admission $23 but a little cheaper for seniors, youth and they offer military discounts. Open daily 10 AM to 5 PM, and until 8 PM on Tuesdays.

FloridaRAMA

An arts and entertainment complex in the Warehouse Arts District, built around an immersive exhibition created with 75+ artists celebrating Florida in an intentionally weird way. There’s a free gallery and bar on site. Worth an hour if you’re into this kind of thing.

Spend the Day in Dunedin

Dunedin is located just about 20 minutes north of St. Pete and it’s worth making time for. The name comes from the Gaelic word for Edinburgh (Dùn Èideann).

Two Scottish merchants founded the city in 1885 and named it after their hometown, and Dunedin has held onto that character through annual Highland Games and a small-town identity that feels genuine rather than put-on.

The city centre is walkable and bike-friendly. Main Street runs through the middle with independent shops, restaurants, and outdoor dining. The 45-mile Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail also passes through, paved and flat, running all the way from Tarpon Springs to Tampa.

Pair Dunedin with Honeymoon Island for a full day, or use it as the starting point for the Caladesi Island ferry.

Game Day: Sports in St. Pete-Clearwater

St. Pete-Clearwater is a legitimate base for a “Beaches and Game Day” trip. There’s more sport here than most people expect.

Tampa Bay Rays (MLB): Tropicana Field, St. Pete. The regular season runs from April through September.
Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL): Amalie Arena, Tampa. It’s only a short drive across the bridge.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL): Raymond James Stadium, Tampa.
INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: For a few days each year, downtown St. Pete transforms into a street circuit. 1.8 miles, 14 turns, built through downtown streets and the runway of Albert Whitted Airport. Around 200,000 people show up.
Golf: There are over 40 courses across the area with year-round sunshine. All styles of play covered, resort to public track.

The MLB Spring Training is also nice. The Phillies train at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater each March, and the Blue Jays train at TD Ballpark in Dunedin. Spring training is a different proposition to a regular season game. Tickets are cheaper, you’re closer to the players, and the whole thing is more relaxed. A good way to see professional baseball without the regular season price tag.

Walk the Neighbourhoods

Beyond the main tourist areas, St. Pete-Clearwater has a few distinct neighbourhoods that I highly recommend checking out.

Grand Central District: That’s the stretch of Central Ave between 16th and 31st St. More local, less polished. Independent bars, murals, and Good Intentions (Tampa Bay’s first all-vegan bar and restaurant) are all here. A different side of the city to the Pier end of downtown.
Warehouse Arts District: Home to FloridaRAMA, artist studios, and a growing creative cluster. More industrial in feel but worth the detour.
Old Northeast: Here, you’ll find historic homes largely shaped by developer C. Perry Snell in the early 1900s. Quiet and residential, but it gives you a good sense of how St. Pete was built.

Where to Eat in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL

St. Pete-Clearwater has quietly become one of the better places to eat in Florida. The food scene runs the full range: fresh Gulf Coast seafood, waterfront restaurants with serious kitchens, and a handful of places that are just genuinely hard to leave.

You could eat well here for a week and not repeat yourself. These are the ones worth making a reservation for.

The Living Room on Main: It’s right on main street in Dunedin, lovely ambience and décor, it’s meant to feel like your living room, relaxed vibes with culinary excellence.
RumFish Grill and Sports Bar: As they say Floribbean cuisine and tropical inspiration, quite literally, you dine in front of a 33,500 gallon aquarium! Located in St. Pete Beach.
Teak on St. Pete Pier: Amazing views over downtown, and a nautical inspired menu by some of the top chefs in the Tampa bay area. You also have a bar at the back with amazing views, and handcrafted cocktails at Pier Teaki upstairs.
The Helm Seafood Parlour: (if I had to pick, this would be no.1), a seafood restaurant with traditions from all over Florida. Amazing service, a great atmosphere and top notch cocktails. The Helm was a culinary experience. Located in St. Pete Beach.
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille: At the base of the St. Pete Pier with waterfront views over Tampa Bay. The signature Yucatan Shrimp is the thing to order here. Casual, open-air seating, live music on weekends.
Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar & Grill: Fresh seafood, tacos, and boozy slushies with live music and a beach bar vibe. You can’t beat that combination. The indoor grill side steps it up a notch with a more serious menu and craft cocktails.
Il Ritorno: Fine dining Italian on Central Ave in St. Pete, Michelin Recommended and going strong for over a decade under Chef David Benstock. High ceilings, exposed red brick, and a menu built around creative pastas like duck tortellini with shaved foie gras. It does get full days in advance, so book a table as soon as possible.
Elliott Aster: Inside The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, led by Michelin-starred Chef Lee Wolen of Chicago’s Boka. Wood-fired steaks, handmade pastas, and a curated antipasti bar in one of the most elegant dining rooms in St. Pete-Clearwater.
In Between Days: Florida’s first Tokyo-style sake bar and vinyl house, Michelin Recommended, and one of the more genuinely original spots in the city. Inside a converted bungalow in the Grand Central District. Not cheap but definitely worth it for the quality.
Fortu: Pan-Asian small plates on Central Avenue, inside the historic Ponce de Leon Hotel. The Japanese A5 wagyu is the signature dish here, but the spicy pork wontons and glazed carrots in kimchi butter are worth ordering too. A shared-plates format that works really well for groups.
The Tides Market: A short drive north of St. Pete in Safety Harbor. Part seafood market, part full-service restaurant, Michelin Recommended, and run by husband-and-wife team Jon and Mary Kate Walker. The grouper sandwich and fried oyster po’boy are the go-to orders. Worth the detour.

Where to Drink in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL

The drinking scene here goes well beyond beach bars. St. Pete-Clearwater has a solid craft brewery scene, a handful of cocktail bars that take things seriously, and a speakeasy that actually earns the concept.

The speakeasy and cocktail bars are covered in the activities section above (St. Petersburg Distillery).

Two breweries stand out for a cold beer. Dunedin Brewery on Douglas Ave has been going since 1996, making it Florida’s oldest microbrewery. The core range includes standards like the Apricot Peach Lager alongside a rotating seasonal lineup. It’s right on Douglas Ave in the middle of Dunedin’s downtown, so it fits naturally into a day there.

In St. Pete, 3 Daughters Brewing runs 14 taps in their tasting room and supplies bars and restaurants across the Tampa Bay area. A pint or a flight is the right move here. Both places are relaxed and worth the stop.

Conclusion

St. Pete-Clearwater is the kind of place you’ll want to book for that beach break after the theme parks! It has city vibes that rival Miami (without the size), but chilled beaches that rival any in Florida. The beach gets you here, and you discover so much more once you stay.

This Florida beach destination has more going on beneath the surface, and that’s what I loved about it. Come for a few days. You’ll probably wish you’d booked more.