Caladesi Island State Park Beach

Located on Caladesi Island near the city of Clearwater, Caladesi Island State Park Beach – also called Caladesi Island Beach and Caladesi Beach – is a large three-miles-long beach with white sand.  This beach is a part of a state park named Caladesi Island State Park.  This beach was listed as one of the 21 best beaches in Florida by Conde Nast Traveller magazine and it was also listed as one of the “15 Most Secret Beaches In The South” by Southern Living magazine.

This beach is open between 8 am and sunset.

Caladesi Island State Park Beach has lifeguards between Memorial Day and Labour Day.  This beach and the areas near it have many amenities including showers, restrooms, a children’s playground, picnic pavilions, a marina, concession stands, and a canoe/kayak launching area.  

Dogs are not allowed here.

Caladesi Island State Park Beach offers many amenities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, picnicking, camping, hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, boating, snorkeling, jet-skiing, water-skiing, parasailing, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.  

Caladesi Island State Park Beach has calm water and this makes it ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, and canoers.  In addition, snorkelers also visit the beach to explore its vibrant marine biodiversity.  There is a kayaking trail near Caladesi Island State Park’s eastern part that offers a fun Caladesi Island kayak experience – this kayaking trail passes through a water body named St. Joseph Sound and it offers an interesting insight into local biodiversity.  However, if you are planning to snorkel, swim, kayak, or canoe near the beach, we recommend being careful because the water here has unpredictable rip currents.  

If you like beachcombing, this beach is a popular beachcombing site and you can find many shells here.  If you like taking pictures with excellent views, Caladesi Island State Park Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the western Florida shoreline and the Gulf of Mexico, especially at sunset.  There is a nature trail near Caladesi Island State Park Beach – this Caladesi Island wildlife trail offers a fun way to explore Caladesi Island State Park’s vibrant coastal landscape and biodiversity.  In addition, the state park’s marina also offers overnight boat-camping.  If you are planning to camp in your boat in Caladesi Island State Park, we recommend visiting Florida State Parks’ website for more helpful information regarding the Caladesi Island camping rules and charges. 

Caladesi Island State Park Beach offers disabled-friendly boardwalks for visitors with disabilities.  In addition, this beach also offers beach wheelchairs for visitors with disabilities – you can contact the state park’s ranger station at (727) 469-5918 for more information regarding using the beach wheelchairs.

Getting to Caladesi Island State Park Beach is easy and the main way to get here is through a ferry – you can take the ferry to Caladesi Island State Park from another nearby state park named Honeymoon Island State Park.  To reach Honeymoon Island State Park, you need to drive along Curlew Road – which is a part of the Florida State Route 586 – from the city of Dunedin and then follow signs present near Curlew Road to reach here.  You can park your car at this state park after paying an entrance fee.  The entrance fee for Honeymoon Island State Park is $8 per vehicle and $2 for pedestrians and cyclists.  Once you park at Honeymoon Island State Park, you can take the Caladesi Island Ferry to Caladesi Island State Park.  You can easily walk to Caladesi Island State Park Beach from the ferry landing.  

We recommend checking the Caladesi Island weather reports before visiting this beach because the weather here can sometimes get stormy.  We also recommend visiting this beach early during winters because it may occasionally get crowded.

Caladesi Island – where Caladesi Island State Park is located – was once the home of a homesteader named Henry Scharrer who lived here with his daughter Myrtle during the late 19th century and the early 20th century.  Myrtle’s experiences on this amazing island have been documented in her book Yesteryear, I lived in Paradise.  In addition, the beach and the island supposedly received their name – Caladesi – after a fisherman who lived here in the late 18th century. 

There are many attractions near Caladesi Island State Park Beach within a 30-minute-drive.  Penny Lane, Beatles Museum has interesting exhibitions showcasing memorabilia related to the famous rock band The Beatles.  Hammock Park is a 90-acre recreational area that has nature trails, boardwalk, an observation area, a butterfly garden, a children’s playground, picnic areas, and restrooms.  Pier 60 offers covered pavilions, a bait shop which also sells souvenirs, restrooms, fishing rod rental shops, and a children’s playground.  This pier also offers Instagram-worthy views of the Gulf of Mexico and it also offers an amazing fishing experience – it also hosts a fun festival named “Sunsets at Pier 60.”  Largo Central Park is a 70-acre recreational park that offers many amenities including picnic areas, a lawn, restrooms, grassy recreational areas, a playground, a United States military memorial, and a toy train – this park also has the Central Park Performing Arts Center.  

Edgewater Park is a waterfront recreational park that offers many amenities including a gazebo, restrooms, picnic areas, a playground, and restroom facilities.  The park also has a tree named the Centennial Tree that was planted in 1999 to commemorate the city of Dunedin’s 100th anniversary.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is mainly dedicated to the rehabilitation and rescue of sick and injured marine animals.  While this aquarium has many interesting exhibitions, its most famous resident is a dolphin named Winter, who wears a prosthetic tail – Winter also starred in the 2011 movie Dolphin Tale.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Caladesi Island State Park.  Frenchy's Outpost Bar & Grill is a waterfront restaurant that offers amazing dishes including seafood, sandwiches, salads, soups, chicken wings, and oysters.  Ozona Blue Grill offers a variety of excellent dishes including baby back ribs, ribeye steak, seafood, lamb, pastas, salads, and flatbreads.  Bon Appetit Restaurant is an upscale waterfront restaurant that serves excellent seafood and it also offers a variety of other amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including pasta, salads, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, and chicken dishes.  Molly Goodheads Raw Bar & Restaurant has an amazing and vibrant decor and it also offers delicious seafood along with pasta, burgers, steaks, sandwiches, and poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Benedict's Family Restaurant serves amazing dishes for lunch and breakfast including waffles, eggs, pancakes, and French toasts.

If you are looking for a hotel near Caladesi Island State Park, there are many great nearby options within a 25-minute-drive.  The 4-Star Sandpearl Resort offers many amenities including a pool, outdoor oceanfront fire-pits, a spa (for a fee), multiple restaurants, and a children’s club.  Another upscale hotel is the 4-Star Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa that offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a bar, a pool, a fitness center, a spa, multiple cabanas, a terrace, and a kids’ camp.  A more affordable hotel is the 3.5-Star Fenway Hotel, Autograph Collection that offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, a gym, a lawn, a bar, and bike loaner facilities.  The 3-Star Best Western Plus Yacht Harbor Inn is another moderately priced hotel that offers many amenities including two restaurants, a bar, a pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach offers many amenities including multiple bars,  a restaurant, a pool, a fitness center, a convenience store, and boat rental facilities.