The small city of Clearwater (and its Gulf-front extension of screensaver-worthy shorefront known as Clearwater Beach) flies under the radar of the average Florida tourist’s itinerary, yet it’s packed with sunshine-fueled activities in nature, as well as beaches galore. Such activities are inherently socially distant and are available all year long in the warm tropical climate of Florida—in other words, Clearwater is an ideal Florida vacation spot while travel remains complicated and the pandemic continues to hold the world in its grip.
Visitors love the beaches of Florida’s West Coast for their stunning sunsets (the East Coast is equally beautiful, but you have to get up early to enjoy, because the splendor there happens at sunrise). Clearwater, with its three-mile stretch of bright-white beach, is located on a barrier island on the West Coast and has hotels, restaurants, and cultural institutions to round out its outdoorsy appeal. If you’re a sports fan, you can even catch the Phillies spring training at Spectrum Field in February and March.
