'Best of' survey reveals top five attractions and experiences in 21 different categories

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, the official destination marketing organisation of Pinellas County on Florida's Gulf Coast, has just released the results of its annual 'Best of St. Pete/Clearwater' survey, with more than 3,000 locals and visitors alike placing their votes to determine the most popular attractions and experiences in the area.

The hotly contested 21-category online survey was launched in 2012 and with the top five most popular choices included in each category, the 'Best of' survey is an ideal reference point for first time visitors to the destination.

Beach bums will be keenly interested in the Best Beach, Best Beach Bar and Best Water Activity categories which awarded top honours to Clearwater Beach, Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach and the Dolphin Cruises which have various departure points across the peninsula.

Enthusiastic epicures should take note of the Best Brunch Spot, Best Spot for Grouper and Best Foodie Indulgence categories which saw the Island Way Grill on Clearwater Beach, Frenchy's Rockaway Grill on Clearwater Beach and Mazzaro's Market in downtown St. Pete all crowned victorious.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium beat the popular Busch Gardens in Tampa to the top spot of the Best Family Outing round-up, while a surprising winner for the Best Museum category was the Dunedin Fine Art Center, which ousted the world-renowned Dali Museum into second place from last year's number one.

"It's kind of like our own local version of TripAdvisor, and from Best Beach to Best Museum, we're excited to have some shake up in this year's results," said VSPC Deputy Director, David Downing. "That really proves the depth of culture and other offerings the St. Pete/Clearwater area has to offer." 

St. Pete/Clearwater is located just 30 minutes from Tampa and 90 minutes from Orlando, boasting an annual average of 361 days of sunshine and 35 miles of award-winning white-sand beaches. 

To see the full list of winners, please click here. For images please click here. For more information on St. Pete/Clearwater, please visit www.visitstpeteclearwater.com. 

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Nick Wheywell / Laura Jackson
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0) 20 3440 8930
E: teamvspc@rooster.co.uk  
W: www.rooster.co.uk

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater 

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater (VSPC) is the official destination marketing organization of Pinellas County in Florida and covers 26 municipalities in the area. 

The region is located on a beautiful peninsula on Florida's west coast, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Tampa Bay to the east. 

Just 30 minutes away from Busch Gardens and 90 minutes away from Walt Disney World, the area offers 35 miles of white-sand beaches and uniquely colourful communities to explore.

The destination is renowned for sunshine and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest run of sunshine days, a massive 768.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to the star of the 2011 smash-hit Dolphin Tale, Winter the Dolphin, whose real-life story of recovering from losing her tail with the help of a prosthetic is depicted in the film. Winter will return to the silver screen in September 2014 in Dolphin Tale 2 and filming in St. Pete/Clearwater took place from October 2013 to January 2014. 

Also home to the largest collection of Dali artwork outside of Spain, the county has culture, wildlife and beautiful beaches with a semi-tropical climate making it the perfect holiday destination for families, couples and singles.

Tampa International Airport is 30 minutes from St. Pete/Clearwater and many international airlines fly direct from the UK. Orlando International Airport is less than an hour's drive from St. Pete/Clearwater.

For more information: www.visitstpeteclearwater.com