In Tampa, Florida, you can find a variety of great places where you can see beautiful sunsets. When you learn where the best sunsets are, you’ll enjoy spectacular views. You could also take photos or try your hand at painting them. Here are some of the best places to watch a sunset near Tampa.
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater Beach is about half an hour away from Tampa. It has excellent sunsets and 2.5 miles of sandy shores. One of the most popular places for watching the sunset is Pier 60. It's near the center of Clearwater Beach, and the boardwalk is often busy near sunset as people enjoy the excellent view. There's a nightly celebration called Sunsets at Pier 60 with street performers and artisans to help you enjoy the beautiful sunset. It's a nonprofit organization that started in 1995, and it's an ideal destination for tourists and locals.
Location: 1 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater Beach, Florida, 33767.
Hours: Sunsets at Pier 60 operates all year round: from two hours before until two hours after sunset, as long as the weather is good. Its current hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Frenchy's Rockaway Grill
Frenchy's Rockaway Grill is right next to the beach, and it's the perfect place for you and your friends or family to enjoy dinner while watching the sunset. It offers two large bars, many healthy food options, beachfront seating, and daily live music.
You can start with Maryland crab cake, a half-pound of boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon, fried calamari, or baked oysters Rockaway with spinach, spices, onion, bacon, and cheese sauce. The famous smoked fish spread comes with crackers and lemon, and the Rock Poppers are jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese, crab meat, and spices and deep-fried with horseradish and raspberry inferno sauce. You can also try the Tropical Chicken Walnut Salad with mayonnaise, mandarin oranges, toasted coconut, tomato, homemade banana bread, and a tortilla shell.
The seafood salad includes grouper, shrimp, and scallops cooked in lime juice and mixed with avocado, scallions, olive oil, garlic, tomato, and lemon. Grouper, mahi mahi, buffalo chicken, and snapper sandwiches are also available. All the fish is fresh and locally caught. If you have room for dessert, you can try the key lime pie or a Beach Brownie Blowout with a walnut brownie, cookies and cream ice cream, caramel, hot fudge, and whipped cream.
Location: 7 Rockaway St, Clearwater, Florida, 33767.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight.
The Calypso Queen Sunset Cruise
The Calypso Queen Sunset Cruise is a fun party boat. The cruise lasts about two and a half hours and costs $24.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids between three and 12 years old. Admission is free for children aged two years old and under. A buffet is available, costing $24.95 for adults and $11.95 for kids. People who opt for the buffet can also enjoy complimentary beer, wine, rum punch, or soft drinks. The cruise also has a DJ and dancing. Reservations are recommended, and gift certificates are available.
Location: Clearwater Beach Marina, 25 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater Beach, Florida, 33767.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, boarding is at 6:30 p.m. with departure at 7 p.m. On Sunday, boarding is at 5:30 p.m., and departure is at 6 p.m.
M. Bird Rooftop Bar
M. Bird is a rooftop bar and restaurant on the top of Armature Works, which is a fully restored historic building with an outstanding view of the Hillsborough River, especially at sunset. On many days, you can enjoy DJs and other live entertainment. Reservations are available on Friday and Saturday nights.
A variety of delicious cocktails are available, and you can share spicy roasted carrot hummus, truffle fries with white truffle oil and parmesan cheese, spicy tuna rice cakes, beef sausage with cheese fondue, and jerk chicken egg rolls with coconut pineapple sauce. For dessert, you can have white chocolate bread pudding with strawberries and honey or cinnamon sugar churros with gelato and toasted coconut.
Location: Armature Works, 1903 Market St., Tampa, Florida, 33602.
Hours: Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from noon to 2 a.m., and Sunday from noon to 11 p.m.
Davis Island Beach
Davis Island Beach is one of the only dog-friendly beaches near Tampa. It has a great view of the sunset, and it's about 200 feet long. It’s also a popular spot for anglers, picnickers, and beachcombers. While the beach isn't great for swimming, it's ideal for relaxing on the sand. There are many shops and restaurants nearby, and the beach has rinse stations, bags for picking up after your dog, garbage cans, and drinking water. There's also a small airport and a marina nearby. The beach is wheelchair-accessible, and admission is free.
Location: 900 Martinique Ave., Tampa, Florida, 33606.
Hours: Open every day from sunrise to sunset.
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park covers 8 acres, and it's the biggest park in downtown Tampa. It has a large lawn, restrooms, a playground for kids aged between two and 12 years old, two large fountains or splash pads where kids can play, a pavilion where you can watch the sunset, and a fenced area for dogs. The Tampa Museum of Art and the Glazer Children's Museum are right next door, and there's a dock nearby for kayaks, boats, or paddleboards. Visiting this park can help you get plenty of exercise and stay young.
Location: 600 North Ashley Dr., Tampa, Florida, 33602.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This is just a selection of the many excellent places near Tampa, Florida, where you can enjoy the sunset. Did we miss any of your favorite places in the area for watching the sunset? Contact us and let us know your favorite place to catch the sunset.
Clearwater Beach Sunset by Attila is licensed with Public Domain Mark 1.0