Active Pursuits

Hitting The Beach

This entire stretch of coast is one long beach, but since hotels, condominiums, and private homes occupy much of it, you may want to sun and swim at one of the area's public parks. The very best are described below, but there's also the fine Pass-a-Grille Public Beach, on the southern end of St. Pete Beach, where you can watch the boats going in and out of Pass-a-Grille Channel and quench your thirst at the Hurricane restaurant. This and all other Pinellas County public beaches have metered parking lots, so bring a supply of quarters. There are public restrooms along the beach.

Sand Key Park, on the northern tip of Sand Key facing Clearwater Beach, sports a wide beach and gentle surf, and is relatively off the beaten path in this commercial area. It's a great place to go for a morning walk or jog. The park is open from 8am to dark and has restrooms. Admission is free, but the parking lot has meters. For more information, call tel. 727/464-3347.

Clearwater Public Beach (also known as Pier 60) has beach volleyball, watersports rentals, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and concessions. The swimming is excellent, and there's a fishing pier with a bait-and-tackle shop, plus a children's playground. Gated municipal parking lots here cost $1.25 per hour or $10 a day. Expired meter fine is a steep $20. The lots are right across the street from the Clearwater Beach Marina, a prime base for boating, cruises, and other water activities. A somewhat less crowded spot in Clearwater Beach is at the Gulf end of Bay Esplanade.

Boating, Fishing & Other Watersports

You can indulge in parasailing, boating, deep-sea fishing, wave running, sightseeing, dolphin watching, water-skiing, and just about any other waterborne diversion your heart could desire in the St. Pete and Clearwater beaches area. All you have to do is head to one of two beach locations: Hubbard's Marina, at John's Pass Village and Boardwalk (tel. 800/755-0677 or 727/393-1947; www.hubbardsmarina.com), in Madeira Beach on the southern tip of Sand Key; or Clearwater Beach Marina, at Coronado Drive and Causeway Boulevard (tel. 800/772-4479 or 727/461-3133), which is at the beach end of the causeway leading to downtown Clearwater. Agents in booths there will give you the schedules and prices (expect to pay $35-$50 for a half-day of fishing on a large party boat, $65-$80 for a full day), answer any questions you have, and make reservations, if necessary.

Scuba Diving

You can dive on reefs and wrecks with Dive Clearwater (tel. 800/875-3483 or 727/443-6731; www.divingclearwater.com), which also operates the live-aboard boat Plunger V. Call for schedules and prices.