Uncovering the Best Beaches in St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg skyline during a sunset

Are you moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, sometime soon? If yes, you’ll be excited to know that the beaches here are some of the best in the world, with beautiful white sugar sand, gorgeous turquoise waters, and plenty of free parking. We’ve got the details on several of the best beaches in St. Petersburg below to whet your appetite before you arrive! Plus, at the bottom, we’ve got important info if you’ve just arrived and need to find storage in St. Petersburg. Read on to discover them all and start making your beach plans today.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Clearwater Beach

person jet skiing in the ocean over waves

What makes Clearwater Beach a great beach!

The tranquil waters off of Clearwater Beach make it an excellent beach for parasailing, paddle boarding, and jet-skiing, among other water-based activities. Plus, the soft, white sand is practically perfect.

Restaurants in Clearwater Beach

Pier 60 is where you’ll find many restaurants near Clearwater Beach, but several other excellent choices are nearby. Some of the best include:

  • Frenchie’s Rockaway Grill
  • Crabby’s Beachwalk Bar & Grill
  • Clear Sky Cafe
  • Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar
  • The Salty Crab Bar & Grill North Beach

Activities in Clearwater Beach

Exploring all the shops at Pier 60 is a great way to see what Clearwater Beach has to offer. Of course, as one of the best beaches around with tranquil Gulf waters, all sorts of water activities are available, too. They include:

  • Surf fishing
  • Jet-skiing
  • Parasailing
  • Stand-up paddle boarding
  • Beachcombing

St. Pete Beach

What makes St. Pete Beach a great beach!

St. Pete Beach has much to explore, including the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and Don Cesar Hotel. Nearby Shell Key, is gorgeous and a great place to see seabirds and sea turtles too!

Restaurants in St. Pete Beach

There are more than a few excellent restaurants in St. Pete Beach to enjoy, and all are within a stone’s throw of the beach. (You’ll find plenty of bars, also!) The 5 best include the following:

  • Willy’s Burgers and Booze
  • Frog Pond (for breakfast)
  • Chill Restaurant & Bar
  • 82 Degrees Bar
  • Nori Thai Restaurant

Activities in St. Pete Beach

Divers taking a photo of a manatee underwater

We mentioned earlier that the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and Don Cesar Hotel are here in St. Pete Beach, both of which are fun places to explore. However, there’s so much more to do, including:

  • Dolphin snorkel cruises
  • Glass-bottom kayak tours at night
  • Sunset sailing cruises
  • Tropical day cruises
  • Booze Cruises

Pass A Grille Beach

What makes Pass A Grille Beach a great beach!

Pass A Grille Beach is one of the widest beaches in St. Petersburg and one of the most laid-back. There are many beautiful shops to explore, as well as outdoor art markets and exciting rooftop bars.

Restaurants in Pass A Grille Beach

As with all the beaches in St. Petersburg, FL, Pass A Grille Beach has a wide variety of restaurants, bars, cafes, and eateries to enjoy. Plus, the seafood, as you might expect, is phenomenal! Five of the best places to eat include:

  • Brass Monkey
  • The Dewey
  • Grace
  • The Hurricane
  • Paradise grille

Activities in Pass A Grille Beach

Pass A Grille Beach has more fun and exciting activities! Remember, this is the Gulf Coast, and because it faces west, sunsets here are spectacular! Some of the best things to do include the following:

  • Watching the sunset and waiting for the bell at Paradise Grille to ring when it does
  • Deep-sea fishing cruises
  • Beachcombing for shells
  • Fishing off the Merry Pier
  • Gulf Beaches Historical Museum

Treasure Island Beach

What makes Treasure Island Beach a great beach!

Many people come to Florida hoping to see dolphins and other wildlife. On Treasure Island beach, that hope is turned into reality on most days as dolphins swim off this beautiful, wide beach all the time. Making it one of the most popular beaches in St. Petersburg.

Restaurants in Treasure Island Beach

As you might expect, there are several excellent restaurants to enjoy on Treasure Island Beach, most of which are right on the beach or just a minute or two walking distance. The top 5 eateries here include the following:

  • Ricky T’s Bar & Grill
  • Sloppy Joe’s On the Beach
  • R Bar
  • BRGR Kitchen & Bar
  • Sea Dog Brewing Co.

Activities in Treasure Island Beach

Sea Dog Brewing Co offers one of the most popular activities here at Treasure Island Beach; drinking adult beverages while watching the day drift by. You can also;

  • Sit in a shady area and read a good book
  • Snorkel off the beach
  • Take a long walk and contemplate life
  • Build a sand castle with the kids
  • Watch a spectacular sunset (but just once a day)

Dog-Friendly Beaches in St. Petersburg

puppy sitting on a beach

Unfortunately, there are only a few options if you want to take your dog to any beautiful beaches in St Petersburg, Florida. On most beaches, dogs are strictly prohibited from going on to the sand or using any access points to get there.

However, near Pass A Grille Beach there’s a small beach area where your dog can run off-leash and enjoy the surf, sand, and sun. It’s at the end of Pass A Grille Way between 1st and 3rd Avenues. Not surprisingly, the area is called Pass A Grille Dog Beach. You should note that the site is on the bay side, not the Gulf side.

Store your Beach Items with Hide-Away

If you’ve just arrived and need storage units in St Petersburg, Florida, Hide-Away Storage is a perfect choice! Hide-Away offers safe, secure, and affordable self-storage in St Petersburg as well as Ruskin, Palmetto, Ellington, Parrish, and Bradenton, Florida. Our storage units are always clean and come in various sizes to perfectly match your needs. Hide-Away also offers convenient drive-up storage units, 24/7 video security cameras, keypad-controlled front gates for extra safety, and more top self-storage features.

Not sure what size storage unit you need in St Petersburg? No problem! Our easy-to-use storage size guide will help you figure out precisely what you need to reserve a storage unit online quickly and easily. Call, click, or reserve your storage unit in St Petersburg so that it’s ready when you arrive! Until then, enjoy all the gorgeous beaches, delicious restaurants, and fun activities St Petersburg has to offer!