St Pete or Naples
 

I am debating between st peterberg/clearwater area or naples/sanibel area for a romantic 5 day vacation. We would like a combination of beaches, shopping, restaurants and area attractions. Which area would be a better choice in may.

For beaches, it can be a tossup, although there are a lot more "moderately priced" lodging options right on the beach in the St. Pete Beach/Clearwater area than in Naples.

If you want really upscale shopping and upscale restaurants it would be hard to beat Naples.

Lots of things to see and do in the St. Pete area including Busch Gardens and things like the Dali Museum. In Naples you have a number of Everglades and nature attractions, but no theme parks.

I live very close to Clearwater/St. Pete, but I have to say, I really love Sanibel. It's less busy than the Clearwater/St. Pete area, and the island is pretty self-contained. If you like nature, I would definitely go with Sanibel -- you've got the Ding Darling refuge, the Sanibel Captiva Conservation area, the shell museum, you can go kayaking/canoeing in the mangroves, you can rent a powerboat and go up to Cayo Costa (or go on a boat tour with someone).

That said, Clearwater & St. Pete offer tons to do and the beaches are really nice. So it's a great choice, it's just that I personally like Sanibel more than just about any other destination in Florida (besides the Everglades).

This is a no-brainer:

Romantic vacation = Sanibel or Naples

St. Petersburg/Clearwater may have wider beaches, but is lacking in the romantic atmosphere department overall.

Look into LaPlaya resort in Naples. I've visited all of these areas in Florida (Clearwater, St. Pete, Sanibel/Captiva, Naples), and think that resort would be perfect. (Bew sure to get a room in the beach house rather than tower.)

Naples by far is the most romantic - stay at the Bellasara (spelling ?) and just walk 5th Ave !! Don't forget to eat at Tommy Bahama's - our fav !

If "romantic" means the chance to spend more money, and sometimes on the very same things, then you already know the answer.

I vote St. Pete/Treasure Island areas. Great beach, lots to do...vintage charm. You can make any place romantic if given the chance...

If you're looking for romantic in the SP/Clwr. area then try either the Sheraton Sand Key (just across the bridge from Clwr.) or the Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach. Want something low key? Go for Island Inn B&B in Passe-a-grille Beach (south of SP). High-end shopping can be found at International Plaza in Tampa, a mall with Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms, Macy's, and many more specialty shops. For discount shopping, hit the Ellenton Mall -- they have a Saks outlet there. Though it lacks the small-town charm of Naples 5th Ave. there's much more to do in SP area. From a previous poster, it sounds like Naples is getting lost in its own success with traffic being a nightmare so be sure to wait until after April if you decide to go there.