Visiting Top Rated Beaches at Honeymoon and Caladesi Island State Parks
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Visiting top rated beaches in Florida
Embark on an exciting journey to the beautiful beaches of Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island, where the ocean waters and white sands create the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable escape to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Exploring the natural beauty of Florida beaches was something I couldn’t wait to do once we moved to Florida. There are so many beautiful beaches to explore along the Florida coastline and so many seashells to collect. I am excited to share one of those beaches here with you today.
Due to the close proximity of each beach, you could visit both beaches in one day. In order to get to Caladesi Island you need to take a ferry from Honeymoon Island. Endless adventures await at these two captivating islands.
**It has been noted that you can walk to Caladesi Island from Clearwater Beach which is about a 2 mile walk through the ocean water. I have not tried this so do your research first and travel during low tide if you can. Always be cautious when crossing the ocean by foot.
Honeymoon Island State Park
Honeymoon Island consists of 4 miles of beach and 3 miles of trails through the pine forests. Many different species of animals can be found on this island such as osprey, great horned owls, gopher tortoises, raccoons, armadillos and more. The beaches are beautiful, and the sand is a soft white, making it magical to explore.
Cost: Honeymoon Island has a fee of $8 per car to enter the park.
Hours: 8am until sundown, 365 days a year.
Address: #1 Causeway Blvd, Dunedin, Florida
Amenities: biking (rental available within the park), hiking, fishing, picnic, kayaking, surfing, swimming, weddings, beach access, and playground
Facilities: restrooms, concessions, restaurant, shower rinse off station
Pets are allowed at the pet beach on the southern part of the island and on all trails.
We explored Honeymoon Island on the gulf side and walked on the beach, taking our time as we looked for sea shells and enjoying the sun. Although we didn’t find an abundance of shells we did find several small shells along our path. UPDATE: We went to this island again in 2023 and found an amazing number of seashells. We use our seashell bag as we collect the seashells. It keeps them zipped in the bag, so we don’t lose them as we continue to hunt for more shells. Somedays the shells may not be as abundant as others so never give up on your seashell hunting adventure.
We have been to this beach a couple different times, both in the summer months. Each time was different with the amount of people we saw. The first time we parked at the first parking lot and when we walked along the beach it felt like we had the beach to ourselves which was so nice. There were very few people there. The second time we went we parked near the north beach and there were quite a few people. We however, walked up the north beach and the amount of people thins out considerably.
Seashell hunting
** Tip for cleaning seashells. To clean the seashells, use 20% bleach to 80% water and let them soak in this combination for a few hours. After they are done soaking you can pick off the extra pieces stuck on to the shells and then brush them off with a toothbrush, after they are dry you can rub them with mineral oil to shine them up.
I also use hydrogen peroxide to soak my sand dollars in, and they come out beautifully. You can soak them until they turn white, as long as it takes. Do not over soak them because they will get more brittle the longer they soak.
If you are looking for the best seashells along the gulf coast in Florida, I recommend you check out SWF Beach Life on YouTube. This lady does an amazing job at searching for seashells and teaching you where to find the best shells and she also tells you the name of each shell she finds. You will enjoy her channel.
Seaweed and rocks
When the tide was high the beach was pretty clean but as the tide lowered the seaweed began to line the beach. It isn’t the prettiest thing to see but you can walk over it to get to the ocean.
If you walk the north beach you will find smaller rocks in the water that you may have to walk over. Just be aware of the rock and watch where you step so you do not fall. There are plenty of areas without rock for you to enjoy.
I did find however that there were better seashells to be found closer to the rocks.
Clouds and rain don’t last
Below are updated pictures of Honeymoon Island State Park. Some of my pictures are cloudy which make this area look pretty blah. Remember during Florida summers, it can be cloudy and rainy one minute and sunny the next. It rains daily and typically lasts between 15-30 minutes during the summer months.
Finding seashells
The last time we went to Honeymoon Island we came away with some pretty amazing seashells! Since we have lived in Florida a few years now, my youngest son and I have began to learn more about seashells and have started collecting more and more unique shells. We went before and during low tide so we could comb the area and then backtrack to find more once low tide hit.
I was super excited to find this large conch shell pictured on the left below. It was out in the water on a sandbar and I just happened to see it poking up out of the sand. Needless to say, I was super excited!!!
Abandoned boat
As we were walking toward the North end of the beach, we came across this abandoned boat. I do not know the history of this boat but if you have any details I would love to hear its story. Please comment below. I assume it is a boat that made its way to the island after a hurricane.
Bathrooms and showers
There are plenty of restrooms and showers located throughout the park. You will also find a few rinse off stations for convenience so you can rinse off the sand before getting in your car.
Shoes for walking on the beach
In order to walk on the beach without stepping on the sharp broken shells we often wear our beach shoes. I love my Chaco or Teva sandals, my older son is wearing his Columbia water shoes which are amazing, and my little guy is wearing his crocs which he loves and wore all the time until he outgrew them and now he wears Tevas.
I do notice that when walking along the edge of the beach, the shells tend to wash up into your shoes as the waves go onto land, so his Tevas are not as comfortable. He has been using water shoes (with socks) so the shells cannot get in between his foot and sandal and that has worked perfectly.
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