Visiting Tampa Bay Area?

If you are looking for things to do while visiting Tampa bay / Clearwater / St. Petersburg areas, then here are some suggestions.

In Clearwater, visit Sand Key Beach instead of Pier 60. Its more laid back. Go out on the beach and head north to the rock pier / boat channel area. That's a cool spot. You will often see photographers (Me) and fishermen up that way. Parking is just over $5 for all day parking.

A little bit north of Clearwater is Dunedin where Honeymoon Island State Park is located. This is a great beach to visit and if you have your pet along, you can definitely bring them!! There is a pet beach here. During Low Tides there is plenty of area to walk at the dog beach.

Head to Tarpon Springs which is north about 45 to 55 minutes. Head to Fred Howard Park. That is a beautiful beach and the drive out to the beach is breathtaking. I won't say more to avoid spoiling the surprise.

Ten Minutes from Fred Howard Park is the Sponge Docks. Type that in Waze and head there. Tarpon Springs is actually a huge Greek community. The sponge docks are a bunch of greek restaurants, a bakery and some cool touristy shopping spots. Plan to do Lunch or Dinner while you are here. Greek food is great and there are a few places to choose from.

South of Clearwater is St Petersburg. There are many spots along there to check out. John's Pass is a bunch of restaurants and tourist shops with boardwalk. There is a beach here too called John's Pass Beach. Some other spots include the Dali Museum and the St Pete's Pier. Both are nearby and nice spots to check out.

Further south is Fort DeSoto. It is the furthest south spot before crossing the Skyway Bridge. It has many beaches in there and also has a pier and old fort to check out.

Even further south across the Skyway bridge, you could head to Coquina Beach. These are getting closer to Siesta Key and the beaches are more like those fine white sand you see down in Siesta Key. Coquina Beach is pretty laid back and really nice beachs with wide open parking even on busy weekends. Weekdays are generally the best as traffic is low. Weekends expect to take 45 min to an hour just to get off the island.

Anna Maria island is just north of Coquina Beach. They have many cottages, villas and AirBNB's for people to stay at. You won't find any commercial hotels here and that's the unique charm of the place. Parking can be a bit of a nightmare so be aware of that and plan for it. Your AirBNB may have bikes or golf carts to help with that. Just ask!

Even when its not sunny out you can still find fun things for you and your family to do. There are many things to do in and around Clearwater making it such a great tourist location.

Oh yeah, while you are here, be sure to schedule a photo shoot. I love meeting new people and photographing them while they are enjoying their stay. Be sure to plan ahead since I'm booking 2 to 4 weeks out.

Have fun while you are here and stay safe!