You won’t find many who disagree: Caladesi Island State Park is paradise.
The isolated beach, located off the coast of Clearwater Beach and Dunedin, was named the No. 1 beach in America by Dr. Beach in 2008.
You must reach it by boat; most people arrive via the Caladesi Island Ferry, which departs from Honeymoon Island State Park.
But there’s a better way to get there – bring or rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard and you can not only reach the pristine beach and island but also also explore the waterways, which are filled with wildlife.
Caladesi Island attracts all sorts of birds – pink roseate spoonbills, magnificent frigatebirds and ospreys. In the clear water, you can spot horseshoe crabs, live shells and stingrays. Along the way, you are likely to see dolphins.
If you arrive without our own kayak, you can rent one from Sail Honeymoon, located on the south side of the causeway to Honeymoon Island. They rent sailboards and stand up paddleboards as well as single and double kayaks.
You can paddle to the northern tip of Caladesi Island in 20 minutes from there, so you can have a great experience with a two-hour rental. But to reach the central area of the island, spend time on the beach and/or paddle on the 3-mile mangrove trail within the island, you’ll need at least four hours. And if you bring a picnic, it would make a full-day adventure.
The northern tip of the island, where Honeymoon Island is just across Hurricane Pass, is a magical spot, with white sand, shallow tide pools full of tiny fish and natural vegetation that is off-limits in spring when shorebirds nest here. We saw mating horseshoe crabs in the shallow water, a ray, hermit crabs and live shells all within a few feet of each other. In the water, so many mullets jumped together that we suspected they were training for a circus act.
As we paddled along the mangroves in St. Joseph Sound, we saw many birds, including my favorites, four roseate spoonbills. Coming from Fort Lauderdale, we think ospreys are special. We saw so many of them on Caladesi and Honeymoon islands that after an hour or two, we barely mentioned them.
About a mile south of the island’s tip you reach the entrance to the marina and concession area, a shady area with a snack bar, changing rooms, showers, a playground and picnic tables. A short walk through the woods leads you to the beach, which extends in glorious wildness for miles, lined with sea oats, dune sunflower and beach morning glories. Birders should watch for American oystercatchers, black skimmers, royal and least terns, and plovers.
This is a natural beach: The sea grass is allowed to stay on the sand.
There’s a 3-mile trail south through virgin pine flatwoods. You can take it through the woods and then cut over to the beach for your return. (Watch for Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and gopher tortoises.)
There is also a 3-mile kayak trail through the mangroves.
Planning your visit
Caladesi Island State Park is one mile west of Dunedin, north of Clearwater.
Sail Honeymoon, 61 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin, rents single kayaks for two hours for $30, four hours for $40 or all day for $55. Doubles are $40, $55 and $70. They don’t reserve kayaks, but they have a large supply. SailHoneymoon.com
If kayaking isn’t your style, Caladesi Island Ferry, 727-734-1501, departs from Honeymoon Island beginning at 10 a.m. Trips run every half hour February to September and hourly the rest of the year. To make sure everyone doesn’t try to take the last boat back, your return ticket is four hours after you arrive. Adults: $14; children $7. CaladesiFerry.org
Walking to Caladesi: Another alternative to the ferry is exploring Caladesi Island by walking north on Clearwater Beach. Where Caladesi was once a separate island, a few years ago, sand deposits connected it to Clearwater Beach. There’s no public parking at the north end of Clearwater beach, however, so you’ll need to either arrive by bicycle and lock up at a northern beach-access point or walk several miles on the beach. (If your start at Clearwater Beach Pier 60, it’s about three miles.)
There is no land camping at Caladesi, but the 108-slip marina is equipped with water and electric for overnight boat stays. To access by boat from Marker 14 on the Dunedin Causeway Channel, which runs parallel to the causeway between Hurricane Pass and the Intracoastal Waterway, follow a compass heading of 212 degrees for approximately one mile. Follow the channel markers into the Caladesi Island State Park marina. Reservations can be made online at ReserveAmerica.com or first-come, first served in the marina. Fees are $24.00 per night, plus tax through ReserveAmerica or $1.00 per foot, plus tax, at the marina.
Bonnie Gross gives tips on visiting the natural and authentic Florida at www.FloridaRambler.com.
