In 1921, a hurricane roared onshore just north of Tampa Bay, Florida, battering the area’s fragile barrier islands. The force of the storm opened a new inlet between the Gulf of Mexico and the inner Sound, slicing the barrier island in two between Honeymoon Beach and Clearwater Beach.
Cut off from easy access, the tip of the island that was home to Clearwater Beach was so remote that locals began thinking of it as a separate entity which eventually became known as Caladesi Island.
The northern tip of Caladesi, with its spectacular white sand beach, is a 30 minute walk from the main beach. Photo courtesy of Florida State Parks.
A lesser visited and relatively unknown beach destination for many years, Caladesi Island entered the spotlight when it was discovered by Dr. Stephen Leatherman. Every year since 1991 Leatherman, better known as as “Dr. Beach,” has been ranking America’s top ten beaches. In 2008 he named Caladesi the best beach in America. Fortunately, the Florida Park Service began acquiring the property on Caladesi Island in 1966, ensuring that it will be preserved in its natural state for generations to come. Today there are only three ways to reach Caladesi Island. Most visitors pay a $10 fee and hop aboard the passenger ferry for a 15 minute ride from Honeymoon Island State Park, but it can also be reached by private boat or by walking. From Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach, Caladesi is a little more than an hour’s walk.
Caladesi Island may well be the best beach in Florida for shelling
Getting there may be a bit of a chore, but it is definitely worth the effort. Caladesi Island has three miles of spectacular white sand beaches with shallow, calm waters that lend themselves to swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. The exquisite clarity of the Caribbean-like turquoise water is best seen from the air, as in the above photo of the northern tip of the island.
Because the sand is not raked or manicured by machines, Caladesi’s beach contains more seaweed and beach rubble than found on other public peaches, but this also provides beach-goers with an opportunity to scavenge for interesting things that have washed up. Coral and ballast from old shipwrecks are occasional finds, but the real treasures are Caladesi’s abundant, unblemished shells, which are tossed up on the beach by the warm currents of the Gulf Stream. While collecting live shells is prohibited, a short stroll along the beach will net dozens of collectible specimens, including olive shells, conchs, cowries, clam shells, and sand dollars.
In addition to the beach, Caladesi offers numerous other activities. Rent a kayak and paddle through the mangrove tunnels on the bay side of the island or walk the nature trail behind the dunes for a close-up view of the maritime hammock. Boaters can enjoy day use or overnight stays in the 108 slip marina, or in calm weather, anchor offshore. Visitors who arrive later in the day are usually treated to spectacular sunsets.
Even on stormy days, Caladesi sunsets are spectacular
Facilities at Caladesi Island include a concession stand, covered picnic pavilions, picnic tables under the palms, restrooms, changing rooms, showers, and a drinking fountain. Equipment rentals, including chairs, umbrellas, beach wheelchairs, and kayaks, are available from the rental shack on the beach. Ferries run on the hour, every day of the week, beginning at 10 a.m. The last ride over to the island is at 3 p.m. each day, and the final return trip is 4 p.m. Visitors who arrive by ferry are limited to a four hour stay.
