Our world-renown beaches, extensive recreational opportunities, nature-based attractions, and the availability of accommodations designed to fit every budget and taste, are all reasons why Clearwater and its island beaches are one of Florida’s most popular vacation spots. Come put yourselves in our shoes!

Clearwater Beach is the Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico according to Dr. Stephen Leatherman (”Dr. Beach”), a Florida International University professor who has been ranking America’s beaches for over a decade. USATODAY.com readers have ranked Clearwater Beach in their Top 10 List of Best Beaches from Maine to Hawaii. Conde Nast Traveler has also recognized Clearwater Beach as the Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico and the Travel Channel has declared Clearwater is the Best Activity Beach in the United States. More

Caladesi Island State Parkis currently ranked the fourth best beach, primarily for its water quality, rustic charm, clean beaches, on-site amenities and its emphasis on wildlife. Pinellas County is the only Florida destination which can say it has two of the top 10 beaches; in fact, Fort DeSoto Park is ranked the #1 Beach in the United States.

Clearwater is very proud to be designated a Blue Wave Beach. This certification program, overseen by the Clean Beaches Council, promotes beaches which are managed to protect their natural assets. This designation assists the public in identifying the nation’s cleanest and safest beaches. Caladesi Island, Honeymoon Island and Sand Key Park beaches have also received the Blue Wave Designation.

Clearwater Beach is undergoing a dramatic renaissance, the most significant improvement to Clearwater’s tourism economy in decades. Our Billion Dollar Beachincludes over one billion dollars in private development, a mix of upscale hotel accommodations, residential condominiums and Beach Walk, the City of Clearwater’s beautification program. Beach Walk will dramatically complement the beach’s landscape - and the visitor experience - by adding green space and public areas with more amenities as well as improving pedestrian access. Several private projects are already underway, including four major hotel/condo properties. Phase One of Beach Walk construction began in January 2006 and will last approximately 12 months.

If you would like to receive Footprints, our electronic newsletter with development updates and reasons to visit Clearwater, including what’s new and what’s fun, please complete the form here.

This is an article from the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce.

Come join us for the 20th Annual Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic!

This year, in addition to the 5K & 10K races, we’ve added a 1-mile Stroller-Walk / Kids Race around Coachman Park!

Race Registration and the famous post-race pancake breakfast will be back at the Harborview Center this year, with the race starting at the corner of Osceola Ave., and Cleveland, next to the brand-new Water’s Edge building.

We look forward to another fun event this year… see you there!

1. Register Online with
2. Pre-Registration Sites - CLICK HERE In person pre-registration will be available at several locations in the Tampa Bay area starting on November 2nd, 2008.
3. By Mail - CLICK HERE and download our registration form.
   Fill out and mail to:
   PO Box 781
   Clearwater, FL 33757
4. Day Before - In person pre-registration at Starbucks Coffee on the corner of Ft. Harrison & Cleveland St. in Downtown Clearwater.
5. Race Day - In person race-day registration will begin at 6:30 am at the start of the race. !!!!! RACE STARTS AT 8:00am !!!!!

Registration Fees:

5K & 10K
Pre-Race Entry: $17
Race-Day Entry: $22
Children 13 & under: $8.00

1 Mile Stroller Walk & Kids Race
Pre-Race Entry: $8
Race-Day Entry: $13
Children 13 & under: $8

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December Events and things to do in and around the Clearwater Beach Area.

Sunsets at Pier 60
Pier 60, Clearwater Beach (727) 449-1036. Artisans, street performers, musicians and more perform two hours before sunset and two hours after. Artisians must display their own hand crafted work. www.sunsetsatpier60.com

Downtown Farmer’s Market (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
112 S. Osceola Ave., Clearwater. Features fresh produce, plants, bakery products, seafood, weekly entertainment.

Lighted Boat Parade
Various waterways throughout Clearwater (727) 363-9245. This annual tradition features colorful lighted boats parading through the waterways; a good vantage point is downtown’s Coachman Park. Free.

Weedon Island Preserve (9:00 AM)
Weedon Island Preserve, St. Petersburg (727) 453-6500. Ongoing recreational opportunities including guided hikes every Saturday. The preserve has canoe and kayak trails, 4.54 miles of hiking trails and a variety of estuary and terrestial habitats for avid birders.

Theater in Ancient Art: The William Knight Zewadski Collection
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (727) 896-2667. 50 fascinating Greek and Roman works recreate a theatrical experience recognizing the theater was not only entertainment but was an integral, ritualistic part of these civilizations. www.fine-arts.org

When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson Collection
Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg. Exquisite rings, anklets, earrings, hair pendants, jeweled crowns, ivery combs and an elaborate swing and a gold throne for a deity are among the peice on view. They demonstrate the perference for gold in South Indian Jewelry.

Christopher Still: Coming Home
12211 Walsingham Road, Largo (727) 518-6833. Still is best known for his artful representations of Florida life, history and culture. To achieve the accuracy and detail he requires, he has traipsed into the Florida wilderness, used a specialized painting box to paint underwater, interviewed scholars and descendants of historical figures and researched countless aspects of Florida history. Fee. www.gulfcoastmuseum.org

Wifredo Lam in North America
Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third Street South, St. Petersburg (727) 823-3767. Over 50 paintings, drawings, photos and letters by Wifredo Lam, the celebrated 20th century Cuban-born artist, focus on the artist’s impact on the development of modern art in America, tracing the way in which he combined aspects of the European avant-garde with Afro-Cuban myths and art forms. www.salvadordalimuseum.org

Myth in Dali’s Art
Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third Street S, St. Petersburg (727) 823-3767. Selections of the museum’s permanent collection examine how Dali used mythology to embody his fears and desires. www.salvadordalimuseum.org

Beauty in Common Things: American Arts and Crafts Pottery from the Two Red Roses Foundation
Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg (727) 896-2667. The show features approximately 80 examples of pottery from the American Arts and Crafts movement by esteemed potteries as Rookwood, Grueby, Newcomb College, Marblehead, Teco, Saturday Evening Girls, and Overbeck. Furniture and paintings will place the ceramic objects in context and create environments which will enhance understanding of the Arts and Crafts movement in America. www.fine-arts.org

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SAY NO TO DRUGS HOLIDAY CLASSIC
This year, in addition to the 5K & 10K races, we’ve added a 1-mile Stroller-Walk / Kids Race around Coachman Park!
www.saynotodrugs.com

Sunsets at Pier 60
Pier 60, Clearwater Beach (727) 449-1036. Artisans, street performers, musicians and more perform two hours before sunset and two hours after. Artisans must display their own hand crafted work. http://www.sunsetsatpier60.com/

Christmas Under the Oaks
Coachman Park, Downtown Clearwater (727) 723-0888. Don’t miss this tradition of the holiday season. This arts & crafts show features exhibitors from all over the southeastern U.S. Food, beverages, live music, fun for the whole family. http://www.clearwaterjuniors.org/.

Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3
The Foster Grant Ironman World Champtionship 70.3 starts and finishs on Clearwater Beach. Event consists of a 1.2 mile ocean swim, a 56-mile bike race and a 13.1 mile run. Over 1,800 athletes are expected to participate. Visit the Expo at the Harborview Center in downtown Clearwater. http://www.ironman.com/

Annual Tampa Bay Classic Championship
Belleview Biltmore Resort, 25 Belleview Blvd., Clearwater (615) 948-3124. West Coast Swing Dance Competition affiliated with the World Swing Dance Council, the National Fast Dance Association and AANCE. Featured events include 20 hours of dance workshops, 35 hours of social dancing, multiple competitions, golf tournament, pool party, volleyball, cookout, all for $129 for the weekend. http://www.tampabayclassic.com/ -  info@danceamerica.net

Carlisle Classic Championship Regatta
Clearwater Community Sailing Center, 1001 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater (727) 517-7776. The regatta features racing on the Gulf of Mexico and on Clearwater Bay. Expected Classes on the Gulf are I-20, F-18, Open Portsmouth Low, H16, H14T, Wave and Open “B.” On the Bay are Daysailers, Big Fish, Sunfish, Laser’s, 420’s, Opti’s, Windmills, Access Dinghies and Open Portsmouth. Any class with 5 boats registered will constitute a fleet. http://www.clearwatercommunity.com/ sailing.org Fee

Downtown Farmer’s Market (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
112 S. Osceola Ave., Clearwater. Features fresh produce, plants, bakery products, seafood, weekly entertainment.

Annual Florida Pirate Festival
Vinoy Park, 500 Bayshore Drive, St. Petersburg (727) 656-2182. Arrrrh. Come aboard all ye scurvey buccaneers! Travel back 300 years to the Golden Age of Piracy. Music, rides, nationally renowned entertainer and merchants. Fee. http://www.piratefair.com/

Annual Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic
Various locations on Clearwater Beach (727) 536-0064. This is the largest traditional festival in the state and one of the largest on the east coast. The Sheraton Sand Key Resort will host a crowd of about 5,000 over three days. More than 20 bands will play in several venues. http://www.jazzclassic.net/

We sure are seeing lots of amazing events here in the Tampa Bay area right now, not the least being the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays are currently slugging it out with the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series for Championship status! The first two games were already here at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg with each team taking a win to Philadelphia for the next three games, Saturday the 25^th through Monday the 27^th. If you are thinking about a cool place to stay for the next set of games here in our area, the 29^th and 30^th of October, please give us a call or click HERE so we can hook you up with an outstanding accommodation for those days or even longer. We are only a 45 minute drive from Clearwater Beach to the stadium, with some units even closer. You get the best of both worlds by staying close to or even right on the white, powdery sands of Clearwater Beach and then enjoying the game in St. Pete.

In addition, in here is a not too subtle reminder that the Super Bowl will also be held in Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium, February 1^st, 2009. This stadium is known as “The Crown Jewel of the NFL” and should provide an amazing Super Bowl experience for all attendees. We invite you to come join us for a once a year event, held during a prime vacation time for our area. Based upon that info we encourage you to think about booking now as we have a regular group of folks who book their long term stays through our website for a month or even longer during the high season.

For you College Football fans, and a month before the Super Bowl happens, there is the Outback Bowl held on New Year’s Day, also at Raymond James Stadium. This game pits matching teams from the SEC and the Big Ten Conference and is the culmination of a week-long set of events. We are sure to find you a great place to stay for the week between Christmas and New Years. How does a New Year’s toast on the sands on the Gulf of Mexico sound?

Why not turn your stay here into a waterfront vacation and enjoy some fun and sun on the coast with the stadium just a short drive over the bay? You say you don’t have tickets to either of the games? There will be lots of fun and excitement outside of the stadium as well as the whole area will be buzzing with special events and things to do. Maybe you could crash a tail-gate party or two!

Are you thinking about putting a whole group together? Maybe you even live in the Tampa Bay area but would like to put together a super, Super Bowl retreat for your family and friends! We have properties that are ready to work with you and can provide a great place to stay and play with separate accommodations but all within close proximity to each other. What about a package that would include both a place on the beach and limo service? Give us a call at 800-587-0141 or 727-447-3529 and give us the opportunity to arrange something special just for you!

Stayed 10/24/08 to 10/27/08 in the Villas of Clearwater Beach 6B

Honeymoon Part I

Had an amazing time. Condo is very clean, spacious…
We will be back soon for honeymoon part II

Stayed in Harborview Grande 705

This is a gorgeous condo situated in a vibrant beach community with sweeping views of the Gulf and especially across the Clearwater Beach harbours. The recently redesigned Clearwater Beach waterfront is beautiful, and great restaurants and bars are within just minutes walking distance. The condo itself is brand new, stylishly appointed, comfortable and very spacious, with a massive balcony situated directly over a tranquil harbour where we frequently saw dolphins playing. The place is magic!