St. Pete/Clearwater Beachy Tiki Bars

Nothing hints of a retro island party more than a thatched roof, flickering bamboo torches, totem poles and a cold piña colada! St. Pete/Clearwater area offers great places to tiki.

Sitting across a glistening wide expanse of the Intracoastal Waterway from Caladesi Island State Park, Castaways Tiki Bar & Grille in Dunedin offers a sweet sunset view. Relax on the waterfront deck with a tropical drink as the sun slips behind the distant island.

Spend the day with your toes in the sand and your lips to a frosty mug at the Tiki Bar at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. The beachfront bar serves drink and food until sunset.

If you’re in a dancing mood, head to the tiki bar at Shephard's Beach Resort on Clearwater Beach. The resort’s large Gulf-front deck features live rock bands and a dance floor that’s large enough for even an occasional ‘80s collective dance move, the electric slide. Nearby, overlooking the turquoise waters of Clearwater Pass, customers enjoy tropical drinks and live music at the poolside Tropix Tiki Bar at the Quality Inn.

Heading down the coast, fresh seafood and beach sunsets are the attractions on the veranda of Mangos Restaurant and Tiki Bar at the Doubletree Beach Resort on North Redington Beach.

A little farther south, you’ll find some of Florida’s oldest tiki bars. With a 60-plus-year history of serving brews and rum runners in an open-air bar on Madeira Beach, The Bamboo Beach Bar and Grill (aka “the Boo” to locals) is filled with characters as colorful as the drinks.

Nautical life sets the tone at The Hut at Sculley's Restaurant, a 70-foot-long waterfront deck bar at John's Pass Village & Boardwalk. You can listen to live popular tunes as charter fishing boats dock and dolphins swim through the historic narrow pass between the Gulf and Intracoastal Waterway.

No need to dress up (or even wear shoes) at the tiki beach bar at the mid-century Thunderbird Beach Resort on Treasure Island. You can stroll up from the surf for a cocktail, listen to a guitarist sing beach standards such as “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” and pretend you’re a local.

The Ka' tiki, a quintessential beach-bum bar, is appropriately tucked away from traffic on a dead-end, two-lane across from a quiet white sand beach. In the tradition of “Margaritaville,” the Sunset Beach tiki bar has a song written in its name, and you may hear it along with blues, rock and folk tunes performed on its flip-flop-friendly patio.

Also off the beaten path, Philigan's Tiki Bar at Sea Hags Bar and Grill is a popular getaway for locals and visitors. Nestled inside Blind Pass Marina on the Intracoastal, the outdoor patio bar is a great place to check out sailboats passing by and chill with a cocktail.

You’ll also find small tiki bars poolside at dozens of beach resorts in St. Pete/Clearwater. Just look for the thatched roofs, follow the sound of live music and the scent of pineapple, and you just may find your own favorite little tiki spot.