Day On, Day Off: Opal Sands Resort & Clearwater Beach
There is no shortage of great things to do on your visit to Clearwater Beach, Florida. Here, we break down how to spend a day exclusively on-property at Opal Sands Resort, and another entirely spent exploring the sights and sands around Clearwater.
Day On at Opal Sands Resort
Cabana Mornings
Just a short walk down a dune from your room, beach cabanas are a great place to set up basecamp for a morning spent lounging on “America’s Best Beach” according to TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travelers’ Choice Awards. Eventually, be sure to take a stroll down the beach’s Pier 60. You will know you are there when you can hear the sounds of the buskers putting on animated performances for the passersby.
Lunch at Sandbar
After enjoying some time in the sun, walk over to the Sandbar for a casual lunch. Cover-ups and flip flops are welcome at this beachfront Tiki Bar, where you’ll be greeted with a menu teeming with fresh seafood and refreshing cocktails like the blueberry mojito. This is the place to relax your lunch hour away.
A Journey to the Spa
The spa at Opal Sands Resort is not home to your average mud bath and facial. Their unique offerings take you on a journey of healing with the AromaSoul Mind | Body Ritual spa treatment where an aromatherapy blend and technique is selected based on your desired type of relaxation. The “Mediterranean Journey” uses orange and basil essential oils to promote renewal and release, dissipating tension through gentle movements.
Dinner and a Nightcap at Sea Guini
The resort’s signature restaurant, Sea Guini, perfectly blends their access to fresh, local seafood and produce with an ode to Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant interior is modern and plays with the colors that you see in the Gulf right outside their windows with vibrant blues and greens. Whether you choose a Neapolitan-style pizza fresh off the wood-fired oven or a classic of the Italian seacoast, octopus carpaccio, you can always expect the freshest of ingredients in every dish. After, head over to the lounge patio to take in the beauty of the Gulf after dark with a post-dinner drink.
Day Off in Clearwater
Borrow a Bike
While you could easily walk to all the sights and attractions of Clearwater Beach, why not borrow one of the resort’s complimentary bikes for the morning? Within just a minute, you’ll be cruising the long expands of red brick walkways that make up up the Beach Walk – the winding beachside promenade with lush landscaping and coastal shops. Hungry? Just a little further down at sister Opal property Sandpearl Resort, Caretta on the Gulf offers a breakfast and lunch menu that can be taken on the open and airy patio.
Cool Down at Ice&Cream Creamery
Dive into the nautical ambiance at Ice&Cream Creamery, with wood-paneled walls and a mermaid mural behind the counter. Along with the fun atmosphere, the establishment serves up 36 specialty flavors of ice cream, made fresh in small batches using the best locally sourced ingredients that Florida has to offer.
Vincent van Gogh Comes Alive
You’ve seen Vincent van Gogh’s famous paintings like “Starry Night” and “Sunflowers,” but you’ve never seen them like this: presented in a high-definition, larger-than-life format thanks to the use of projectors. On display now until April of 2021 at The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg (roughly 30 minutes from Opal Sands Resort), the “Van Gogh Alive” exhibit creates a full-sensory experience where more than 3,000 of his images are cast on the museum’s walls and floors and synced to a classical music soundtrack, creating an experience that feels as if you were walking right into one of his post-impressionist paintings.
Sunset Drinks and Music
Watch the sun stain the skies over Clearwater Beach while you enjoy a drink on Palm Pavilion’s laidback beachfront open deck. With live music almost every day of the week, the venue is the perfect way to wind down from a day with specialty frozen cocktails or a local craft beer.
Dinner & Dancing on the Open Ocean
Just one of the fresh ways to get on the water in Clearwater Beach, StarLite Majesty’s Evening Dining Yacht tour departs from Clearwater Beach Marina for a three-hour tour that includes a full restaurant-style menu prepared onboard and entertainment in the form of live music and a dance floor. Still, the best part of this tour might just be the picture-perfect evening views of Clearwater Bay and the Gulf as seen through the 115-foot vessel’s large picture windows.
Where to Stay Opal Sands Resort
