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Clearwater Beach, Florida |
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Pictures fromClearwater Beach.
Clearwater Beach is on the Gulf Coast of Florida, west of the cities of Clearwater and Tampa. It is one island in a small chain of neighboring barrier islands that extend from the Gulf of Mexico inlet at Tampa Bay north to Honeymoon Island State Park, just southwest of the mainland cities of Crystal Beach and Palm Harbor. The Gulf of Mexico borders the western shores of Clearwater Beach and the bay waters of Clearwater Harbor, its eastern shores. At the northern tip Dunedin Pass separates Clearwater Beach from Caladesi Island State Park and at the southern tip, Sand Key is directly across Clearwater Pass.
A small island, barely over 3 miles in length and well under a mile wide at most points, Clearwater Beach has a permanent population of around 10,000 people. However, weekend visitors from the inland cities swell this figure greatly and promote serious traffic congestion. They all come for the beach and luckily, the city beach has loads of parking and the sandy beach area is big. Don't delay too long to get there though or you may end up circling the parking and beach areas.
There is a party atmosphere to Clearwater Beach almost day and night. At Pier 60, the city's hub area, vendors set up rides and amusements on the beach. Daysailers, kiteboarders and parasailers can be seen at any moment offshore. Across the street from Pier 60, on the bay side, vendors hawk tickets for boat rides - speed boats, sail boats and pirate ships! A walk down Gulfview Blvd. brings the sights, sounds and aromas of the restaurants and bars along the strip. At sundown beachgoers gather around the pier and await the inevitable sinking of the sun. A bell sounds, everyone claps and cheers but the day's not over yet. On the well-lighted pier local tradesmen have set up a mini flea market. If it's the weekend, a local band is playing in the bandshell and it's not until well after dark that people begin to thin out.
Clearwater Beach is accessible by 2 bridges. One from the mainland (Rte 60) comes directly into the Pier 60 area. The other is from Sand Key at the southern tip. The south end of Clearwater Beach is mostly commercial with hotels and motels along Gulfview Blvd. Just north of the pier into the downtown district condos spill out onto the powdery white sands. The northern half of Clearwater Beach is almost exclusively residential property. Oceanfront estates here sit several hundred feet back from the water, atop or behind luxuriant sand dunes.
Visitors to Clearwater Beach, Florida can tour many local cities by car. Clearwater, Tampa and St. Petersburg are all within 30 minutes ride. Access to Southwest Florida via Sarasota is less than 1 and ½ hours away. Caladesi Island State Park, just north of Clearwater Beach, can be reached by ferry from the mainland and Honeymoon Island State Park is about 30 minutes. This area can be accessed best by aircraft from the Tampa International Airport or, in a pinch, the Bradenton-Sarasota International Airport (75 minutes).
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Clearwater Beach |
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| Aqua waters foretell of shallow, sandy bottoms along the shore. | Sunsets on the beach are colorful and inspiring. | |||||
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| North-side and South-side condos rise from a white, sandy beach. | ||||||
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| Cabanas and umbrellas seem to run on infinitely along the beach. Crowds begin to gather at mid-morning and by noon parking, patience and all sea life is gone. | ||||||
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Photo of skyline of Clearwater Beach south from Sand Key. |
View from north-to-south on Clearwater Beach. | |||||
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"Best Beach" sign with pier in background. | |||||
Clearwater Beach Pier 60 |
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| Pier 60 entrance area photo. | View from the pier back to shore. | ...and here's the pier! | ||||
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| "Air toys" for the "kids". | Pirate ship just off the beach. | Ticket sales for boat rides. | ||||
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| Sunset is celebrated nightly at the foot of the pier. Everyone gathers, claps, cheers, whistles or sighs the sun out of sight for yet another day. But the action doesn't stop... | ||||||
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Vendors line the pier at dusk and show beachgoers their wares. |
Weekends find local bands filling the evenings with music from here | View of the beach and skyline from the pier. | ||||
Carlouel Subdivision |
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Carlouel Yacht Club |
Beautiful vistas from oceanfront dwellings. |
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| The Carlouel area is on the northern end of Clearwater Beach and exclusively residential. Here ocean front houses gaze out over hundreds of feet of sand dunes and a wide stretch of white powdery sand. Most of the beach, bay and non-waterfront dwellings pictured in the collections below are from this area. | ||||||
Beach Houses |
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| Beautiful ocean views, across a wide swath of sand dunes, are seen from these beach houses. | ||||||
Bayfront Homes |
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| In many of the coastal areas of Florida, bayfront development is very popular. The houses can be much bigger and more ornate than their oceanfront cousins. | ||||||
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Clearwater Beach Houses |
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| Even land-locked houses can be attractive in a coastal community. The liberal use of palms and near-tropical plantings in the residential areas make the neighborhoods a nice visit. | ||||||
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Clearwater Beach Condos |
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| North of the pier condos dominate most of the beach. The beach is fighting back however as it appears nature wants to bury the condos in sand dunes. It's a constant struggle to keep sand on the beach and off the walkways and streets. | ||||||
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| Picture just north of the pier looking north and condo skyline. | Picture just north of the pier looking south at the pier. | One of the many beach access points. Walk or bike - no car parking anywhere. | ||||
Road and Streets in Clearwater Beach |
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Street scenes in the Carlouel subdivision. |
Downtown area of Clearwater Beach. | |||||
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Picture of the downtown area. |
Gulfview Blvd. showing the south end of motels and hotels. | Gulfview Blvd. looking north toward Pier 60- beach parking area on left. | ||||
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Miscellany |
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Dusk is a great time for evening strolls on the beach. |
Picturesque beach access area. |
Clearwater Beach sunsets make bird feeding more fun! |
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This says it all... |
Great Egret in spring plumage adorns this house's driveway. |
View south from Pier 60 along Gulfview Boulevard. | ||||
