Beach Guide: Clearwater Beach, Dedicated to Fun

A. On a barrier island off Clearwater in Pinellas County, reached from the mainland by the Memorial Causeway. Tampa is inland to the east, St. Petersburg is south, and Sand Key runs south from the beach across Clearwater Pass.

This is the busiest and most developed of the Pinellas beaches. Where Indian Rocks and Redington Shores are residential and quiet, Clearwater Beach has hotels, a marina, a pier and a nightly festival.

A. Yes, and this is the main practical difference between Clearwater Beach and the smaller towns along this coast. Clearwater Beach is staffed by Clearwater Fire & Rescue lifeguards every day of the year on the main public bathing beach. Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Towers are staffed depending on season and weather.

Coverage has hours, though, and the beach itself doesn't close. The sand outside the guarded bathing beach is unguarded, and so is the whole beach outside staffed hours, when swimming is at your own risk. Don't assume a tower you can see is manned at the time you're in the water.

A. Flags fly at and near the lifeguard stations, using the colors adopted by the International Lifesaving Federation with symbols added.

Green means low hazard and calm conditions, which is not the same as risk free. Yellow means medium hazard, with moderate surf, currents or undertow. Red means high hazard from high surf or strong currents, and lifeguards may order people out of the water. Two red flags together mean the water is closed to the public, though you can still walk on the sand. Purple means dangerous marine life has been reported, which here usually means jellyfish, Portuguese man o' war or stingrays, and purple can fly alongside any of the other colors.

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater also publishes current beach conditions if you want to check before you set out.

A. The Gulf here tends to be calmer than Florida's Atlantic coast and the bottom shelves gradually, which is why the beach suits families. Tends to. Wind, tides and offshore systems can make conditions rough, and rip currents can form.

If you're caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore until the pull lets go rather than fighting straight back in, and raise an arm for a lifeguard. Call 911 in an emergency. Shuffle your feet when you walk in the water to warn stingrays away.

A. Three public garages, several city lots and metered on-street spaces. The Pier 60 lot is the most convenient and the first to fill, so on a busy day head straight for a garage rather than circling. No public parking is allowed north of the Acacia Roundabout.

Payment is by kiosk using pay-by-plate, by text, or through the ParkMobile app, and all city lots, garages and metered spaces take it. Enforcement hours vary by location, and each meter posts the hours and the rate that applies there. Current rates and a map of the lots are on the city's beach parking page.

A. The fishing pier at the center of the beach, and the park around it. The park is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.  Due to the impact of recent hurricanes, Pier 60 is currently open only up to the fishing pier. The bait house and fishing pier is closed until further notice. Visitors can still enjoy the stunning views of Clearwater Beach by walking on the open portion of the pier. Fishing is not permitted on the pier or the public bathing beaches.

A. A free daily festival that has run since 1995, seven nights a week and year-round, weather permitting. It starts about two hours before sunset and runs until about two hours after.

Expect artisans and craft vendors, street performers, musicians and fire breathers. It costs nothing to walk through.

A. Yes, and it carries more equipment than the smaller beaches nearby. Beach wheelchairs with oversized balloon tires are available free of charge, first come first served, from the main lifeguard station at Pier 60 during staffed hours. Here’s more information: https://www.myclearwater.com/Visit-the-Beach/Beach-Accessibility/Check-Out-a-Beach-Wheelchair.  Restrooms on the beach are ADA compliant.

The city also lays mobility matting across the soft sand at three points. One thing to plan around: From May 15–Oct. 31, the mats are shortened to 100 linear feet because of turtle-nesting restrictions. From Nov. 1–May 14, the city provides 260 linear feet.

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater's guide to accessible beaches sets out what each Pinellas beach has.

A. Pets are not permitted on the main beach. Dogs are prohibited on the beach south of Somerset Street and allowed on leash north of Somerset Street. Service animals are excepted from the prohibition.  If you want a beach where dogs can swim, Honeymoon Island State Park up the coast in Dunedin has a dedicated dog beach at the southern tip of the island, where dogs stay on a handheld six-foot leash. There's also a fenced dog park at Sand Key Park—but it’s not on the beach.

A. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 249 Windward Passage on Island Estates, is reached from the Memorial Causeway between downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach. It’s a working rescue and rehabilitation hospital for dolphins, sea turtles and otters rather than a conventional aquarium, and it runs the sea turtle nesting patrols for this coast.

Sand Key Park sits across Clearwater Pass to the south, and the smaller barrier island towns run down Gulf Boulevard from there. Boat trips, dolphin cruises and parasailing operate out of the marina.

A. Spring and fall give you warm water and comfortable air at once. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms that usually pass through and clear, and the Gulf is at its warmest then.

Winter is the trade-off. The air is often lovely, but Gulf water off Pinellas drops into the low to mid-60s in January and February, too cold for most people to swim for long. March brings spring break crowds, though not every day or every part of the beach will be busy.

A. Nesting season in Pinellas County runs May 1 through Oct. 31. Clearwater Marine Aquarium patrols about 21 miles of north Pinellas beach before sunrise seven days a week, starting April 15.

Leave nests and their stakes alone. Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before you go, because either can trap a hatchling on its way to the water, and take chairs, umbrellas and tents off the sand overnight.

If you're staying in a Gulf-front hotel or rental, the rule is not simply that lights go off. The standard is that artificial light must not be visible from the beach after dark during the season, and shielded, turtle-friendly fixtures are allowed. Pinellas County sets out the local rules, and disturbed nests or injured turtles go to the state Wildlife Alert line at 888-404-3922.