2 hours away from Disney World and all the attractions that the Orlando area has to offer is Clearwater Beach. Located on the Gulfside of Florida, it is very well known beach to tourists from all over the country to go visit and vacation at. One of the things that I had on my bucket list was being able to visit a beach during my program, and a couple weeks ago I was able to get 2 days off with my friend Caroline to go Clearwater for the day and then go visit my Aunt in the Tampa area.

What we didn’t realize at the time that we went was that it was in the middle of Spring Break season, so we didn’t get there until later in the afternoon when beach crowds were dying down a bit. However, upon arrival, we got a nice parking spot right by Pier 60 and we walked up and down the Main Street and looked in all the different little tourist’s shops before heading down to the beach. Parking can be a bit of a problem during peak times like this but you can find parking at one of the many parking garages or parking in lots along the beach ($3/hr).

We were only at the beach for a short period of time so we didn’t do a whole lot besides look around and walk the beach, but on previous trips here I’ve had in years past I have found that they have many different attractions that you can include in your visit! Some fun activities include:

• Walking Pier 60
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium
• Pirate Ship Cruise
• Parasailing
• Dolphin Sightseeing Cruises

Even though this beach is farther away than most, it is one of my favorites and has some of the prettiest beach views I have ever seen. If you want to make an entire trip out of coming to the gulf side I suggest checking out Bush Gardens theme park or if you want to save money to check out Downtown Tampa and the Riverwalk! I did this on my last trip to visit my Aunt and its so much fun! It takes you through Downtown Tampa all the way past the Port where the cruises launch out of, the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Arena, and the Florida Aquarium. If you ride the Trolley too it will take you all the way down to historic Ybor City where you can check out all the vintage shops and all the amazing food & beverage options this Latin Quarter has to offer.