A One-Day Itinerary to the Best of Belleview Inn & Beyond
Historic golf, a spin on the Pinellas Trail, spa time, and sunset dinner on Clearwater Beach: Here’s how to experience the best of Belleview Inn and its Gulf Coast surroundings in one day.
Staying at Belleview Inn puts two very different sides of Florida’s Gulf Coast within easy reach. There’s the quieter, storied side of Belleair, where days unfold among historic Donald Ross–designed fairways, leafy streets, and the Inn’s palm-fringed pool. Then, just a few miles away, Clearwater Beach brings sugar-white sand, Gulf views, and the beachfront amenities of sister Opal Collection resort Sandpearl Resort – where your Belleview Inn wristband unlocks complimentary valet parking and lounge chairs for an easy beach day.
Want a taste of both? From breakfast in Belleair to dinner overlooking the gulf, here’s how to spend one very full – and very Florida – day.
Prefer to Take Your Sweet Time?
9 A.M.
A Breakfast Basket Delivered to Your Door
While Maisie’s – a marketplace located on the hotel’s first floor that resembles an old-fashioned ice cream parlor – is a darling place to take your breakfast (or any mid-day snack of an artisan cheese board, for that matter), nothing quite tops the experience of having the essentials delivered to your door while you wake up. Belleview Inn’s breakfast baskets come filled with an assortment of muffins, croissants, fresh juice, and piping hot coffee from local artisan roaster, Belleair Coffee Company.
10 A.M.
Bike a Bit of the Pinellas Trail
The Gulf Coast of Florida is home to one of the longest bike trails, as well as what is said to one of the best in the state: The 38-mile Pinellas Trail, running from Tarpon Springs in the north down to St. Pete in the south. That’s because the old rail trail offers a wide range of riding experiences, from picturesque cruises through parks and over causeways to full urban riding, allowing cyclists to take in the views of the many coastal communities it goes through – Belleair being one located smack dab along the route. So grab a bike from the front desk (rentals are included in resort fee) and get to exploring this beautiful and paved path. Nearby notable peddling points of interest: Florida Botanical Gardens and Taylor Lake in neighboring Largo, and Belleair pocket parks like Barbara Circle, Fairview Park, and Wildwood Park.
1 P.M.
Historic Links at Belleair Country Club
As a guest of the Belleview Inn, you have access to two private 18-hole golf courses: the East and West Course, located at the neighboring Belleair Country Club. Designed and built by Donald Ross in the early 1900s and considered some of the oldest – and most storied – in the state, they boast two different feels: the East Course is more open, the West Course is tighter, but both offer a great pace of play (each one taking about three hours to finish) and retain signature features essentially as Ross designed them. Take, for example, the West Course’s 4th hole, a par-3 that is elevated and entirely surrounded by a sand moat.
4:30 P.M.
An Afternoon of Spa or Seclusion at Sandpearl
After biking and golf, some well-deserved R&R is in order. And an ideal place to get that? Sister Opal Collection property, Sandpearl Resort, located just five miles north on the sugar-white sands of Clearwater Beach. Belleview Inn guests get the perk of free valet parking at the resort, then can pick their choice of stretching out on the resort’s semi-private beach or luxuriating at the 12,000-square-foot spa oasis, featuring seven treatment rooms, including two couple’s suites (reservations recommended).
7 P.M.
Sunset & Supper at Caretta on the Gulf
While it may be hard to pull your gaze away from watching the sun slipping into oblivion from your white-linen table, the second your dishes deliver, your eyes won’t be able to help themselves from focusing on just one thing: the food. As an AAA, 4-Diamond restaurant, Caretta on the Gulf embodies all aspects of fine dining at its best: an imaginative menu blending a mix of South American, Caribbean, and other international influences; dishes inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients and local catches; and a sommelier-selected wine collection boasting varietals from around the world. A few of the local favorites: crusted diver scallops, Kobe-style wagyu carpaccio, and Gulf grouper accented with foraged mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes.
