Clearwater was booked with the intention of being budget friendly, a ton of beach time to get a head start on my tan, some spring training baseball, and a place to crash within walking distance of the beach–mission accomplished! I’ll fill you in on some tips and tricks to cut down and costs and share some of my favorite places to grub, drink, and catch a beach sunset.
I flew Spirit Airlines for the first time because ROUND TRIP was only $60! Now, with Spirit, you do pay for your bags and they only allow for one free personal item; so, I shoved that carry on full of clothes until it could barely zip and wore my bulkier clothes (sweatshirt, sneakers) on the plane.
Short & sweet tip: If you pre-pay for luggage when you book your flight, it’s cheaper. I paid around $39 for my carry on bag but it would have been $10 more if I waited until later.
We flew from Philly International into Tampa because that was the cheapest airport to fly into at the time. Clearwater is about a 20-30 minute ride from the Tampa airport but traffic will add some additional time as I believe there is only one way in and one way out and both times we entered the island, there was traffic so just plan accordingly.
The Beach: Clearwater beach is on the Fulf and the difference between the Gulf and Atlantic is significant. The Gulf has beautiful shades of blue water and you can see your feet through it and I definitely prefer it over the East coast. The beach is free but the beach gear rentals will cost you.
short & sweet tip: do yourself a favor and buy your own beach chair and umbrellas. They are $25 a piece per day to rent on the beach if you aren’t staying at a fancy hotel on the beach that provides their own.
If you fly into Tampa, buy them before you get into Clearwater beach. Beach towels were 2 for $20 in Clearwater beach at CVS but only 2 for $10 outside of town for reference. When we were done with the chairs and umbrellas at the end of our trip, we gave them to people on the beach who didn’t have them.
Places to Grub & Grab Drinks:
My favorite place hands down was Frenchy’s. There are multiple locations but the two we visited were Rockaway which is right on the North beach and Frenchy’s South Beach which is farther down the strip but not right on the beach. I would suggest the Rockaway location. We went straight here from the hotel and it was just what I was looking for after leaving the cold weather behind me. We walked in and could feel the warm ocean breeze and smell the salty air. The tropical, beach vibe at this place just drew me in; I immediately went into vacation mode. The vibe was warm, inviting, and in the distance I could see the crystal blue ocean and white, sandy beach. The hostess asked us if we wanted to sit outside, a HELL YES, and she offered us the covered patio or the beach where they had tables set up with umbrellas. We picked the covered patio which was perfect. I had a basil berry cooler and fresh Mahi mahi with coconut rice and veggies which was as good as it sounds. A great place to enjoy a tropical drink with some fresh seafood 🙂
Clearsky Cafe: We came here on a Saturday night and ended up sitting inside since outside was full. There is a GREAT PHOTO-OPP out front in the largest beach chair in Clearwater. They have live music and a quaint outside spot to sit; you can see the beach from the restaurant so if you’d like to take a nice stroll after a meal, it’s right there 🙂 I finally tried the grouper tacos which is “the food to try” in Clearwater. There is grouper everything! It was good to try but didn’t have a ton of flavor so I could take it or leave it. This restaurant is also known for their BRUNCH! Every uber driver we rode with suggested it but we did not make it for their famous brunch so if you happen to catch it, let me know if it adds up to the hype!
Palm Pavilion- This place, like Frenchy’s, is right on the beach. It’s a great view and has an outdoor, covered patio with seating as well as live music 🙂 We went during covid so there was no happy hour but typically they have one from 4-6. Try the GATOR BITES! They taste like popcorn chicken 🙂
CoCo’s Crush Bar: They sell any flavor crush (fresh fruit and vodka) you could probably think of! Anyway, great drinks, an indoor and outdoor bar, and a cute, beachy feel in a courtyard to hang out in while you enjoy a fresh squeezed spiked drink. It isn’t on the beach though-just a heads up. We walked there from Frenchy’s South Beach. They also have games and some live music some nights so check their website to make sure you catch it!
Brown Boxer, North Beach location-We went on a Tuesday night and they had $7 burgers with fries, $4 three olive vodka cocktails, and live music. It was very lively and a fun vibe for a Tuesday night. They had indoor and outdoor seating (outdoor was dog friendly!) and two floors. it was right on the main strip in Clearwater near a lot of other bars and restaurants so it’s easy to find and easy to hop around from here. It’s not on the water but only a block or two away.
For the BEST place to catch the SUNSET:
Jimmy’s crows nest Clearwater beach: This place is a great spot to watch the SUNSET! It’s atop Pier House 60 Hotel and is completely outside. Get there early to grab a spot as it is seat yourself and fills up quick. There is a bar and tables but it is a small space hence the tip to get there early and pregame the sunset. Jimmy’s offers a free shot just before the sunsets and a countdown so you don’t miss it. The best seats are at the front of the bar as it gives you a clear view of the beach. Don’t worry if you can’t get a seat because at sunset, everyone runs up to the front of the bar anyway to catch the best view. Everyone was so sweet about taking turns to get a clear view which someone who is five feet tall, can definitely appreciate 🙂
The pier: definitely something cool to check out! We didn’t go out on the pier due to limited time but we did walk down near there and they do shows at night and there are shops, shows, etc to check out. It reminded me of Key West where they do shows on the pier at sunset.
Phillies Spring Training: This was the purpose of the trip–to see a spring training game. It was about a 20 minute ride from our hotel in Clearwater. It was a beautiful, palm-tree filled baseball stadium, such a perfect way to watch a game. We had seats but there was also a lawn option. The prices for food and drinks were better than a typical major league baseball game so that will save you a few bucks! They had cute little tiki huts throughout the stadium for your beverage needs and food at the concession stands. Also offered was a Phillies shop to grab all of your Phillies souvenir swag. It was a fun day at the ballpark!
Where to stay:
I had never been to Clearwater beach before so I didn’t really know what to expect/look for when booking a hotel. We were going around spring break so prices were elevated so we contemplated staying about 15-20 minutes away and ubering/renting a car to get to the beach, restaurants etc. There is one bridge into Clearwater and every time we drove in or out of the actual town of Clearwater, there was traffic. Also, I am not sure if it was due to covid or not but it was very hard to get an uber/lyft etc so please to save yourself time and money, and take my tip below.
Short & sweet tip: Stay in Clearwater Beach and not “Clearwater” or outside of it. You may pay more upfront per night at a hotel, but in the long run it will save you time and money on transportation.
We stayed at Camelot Suites. If you are a college kid, aren’t looking for any type of housekeeping/room service, and want to save a buck but still be close to the beach, this is your hotel. I can tell you that I would probably not stay here again.
The good, the bad, and the ugly:
The good: It’s a block from the beach and has a mini kitchen, so you can save a buck by cooking breakfast/heating up food/storing a ton of beer in the full sized fridge. If you like late night swimming, the pool is open pretty much all night.
The bad: There is no daily housekeeping/turn down service, we were told they only exchange towels every other day, and the pool doesn’t have much sunlight throughout the day because it is right in the middle of all of the rooms. This also leads to it being pretty loud because the pool is open until pretty much whenever. This didn’t really bother me but if noise bothers you, well, good luck.
The ugly:
There is only staff there from 10-4 so if you don’t catch the owner or her employees by then, you are pretty much out of luck if you need anything. We called the after hours number one night because we needed fresh towels. The woman on- call questioned if we were drunk and said she was 2 hours away and there were no staff on site. She ended up giving us a code to get into a supply closet that had some clean towels, although the one had a huge ass hole in it. The shower is SO small (and I am a petite 5 ft) and water pressure isn’t great. When I got home I felt like I had to scrub 5 days worth of sunblock and sand off of me. The rooftop that was advertised, consists of rusty old lounge chairs that I wouldn’t sit on without a current tetanus shot, and grills. Again, this was an old inn on the beach at a lower price point than most other places, so I guess you get what you pay for BUT I still think it was WAY overpriced for what you got at $200 a night.
So there you have it! Another warm sea-breeze, palm tree filled place to vacation to so you can escape to a warm climate, catch a spring training game, or just enjoy some fun in the sun anytime of year 🙂