Beach Holiday Florida, Tampa Bay Area

There are loads of great options for a beach holiday in Florida, but the Tampa Bay area would be my top pick for a Gulf Coast beach break. Clearwater Beach and St Pete Beach both offer lovely, long sandy beaches with crystal clear water. Both have plenty of amenity in terms of casual restaurants, bars, boat trips and shops for necessities. We are particular fans of the Sandpearl Resort at Clearwater Beach for a stay at the more luxury end of things.

If you fancy a change from the beach, St Petersburg and Tampa have some wonderful museums and a range of attractions including Busch Gardens as well as some great restaurants. If you are headed to Orlando and want some relaxation time before or after your visit, this area is a great option. It is only around 100 miles and under two hours travel time between the two places.

Finally, St Pete Beach and Clearwater Beach are an especially good choice if you are travelling with a toddler or small child. The beaches tend to slope very gently, giving plenty of shallow water for your younger beach goer to splash around in. It is easy to get accommodation on or very near the beach so you should not have to trek far with the usual beach kit and can nip back to your room easily should you need to.

 

Go independent…

Virgin Atlantic fly direct to Miami from the UK. We love them for their great on board entertainment systems and family friendly approach.

British Airways also fly directly to Miami from the UK. We particularly like B.A if we want to fly from a regional airport as they tend to offer a great range of connecting flights.

If neither of these options appeal we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.

Book a package…

Sometimes you just don’t have the time or inclination to plan and book a trip independently, that’s when booking through a tour operator makes sense.

Kuoni will happily create a fly drive itinerary for you that includes a trip to the Tampa Bay area. They have a range of hotels in the area, including the fabulous Pink Palace that is the Loews Don Cesar Hotel

Hayes & Jarvis will also tailor make a holiday including time in the Tampa Area. They have a range of options for St Pete Beach especially.