Caladesi Island Beach, looking north toward Honeymoon Island.
Caladesi Island is a place you don’t expect to see located so close to one of the greatest urban sprawls in Florida. It is a green oasis–a state park, in fact–just a mile up the beach from one of the most congested and overdeveloped barrier islands the Gulf coast has to offer: Clearwater Beach.
Caladesi is effectively insulated from the roar of civilization by its lack of a connection to the developed world by road or bridge. Truthfully, it is physically connected by land bridge to Clearwater Beach, at the site of what used to be Dunedin Pass. But you’d have to actually walk a fairly good way to get to Caladesi from the resorts of Clearwater Beach, and not a lot of people make that walk.
Clearwater Beach and Caladesi Island were separate islands until the cumulative effect of both human activities and natural forces resulted in the pass between them gradually filling in with sand and finally closing completely to the flow of water in the late 1980’s.
Caladesi Island was also connected to Honeymoon Island until the 1921 hurricane opened up a new pass, separating the two islands. Do you know what they named the new pass? That’s right, “Hurricane Pass.”
The only buildings on Caladesi Island are the marina office and concession, two restroom facilities buildings, two covered beach pavilions, and the ranger’s house. There is a ranger who lives full-time on the island to oversee and maintain Caladesi Island State Park. I know what you’re thinking: “How do I get that job?” Right?
If you have your own boat, getting to Caladesi is easy. You can dock at the marina, or you can anchor off the beach and wade ashore. The more typical way we landlubbers get to to Caladesi is to take the passenger ferry from Honeymoon Island State Park.
The island has several miles of nature trails through various types of habitats, from pine flatwoods to maritime oak/palm hammocks. Caladesi is an excellent spot for birding–shorebirds all year, and migratory birds in spring and fall.
If you’d rather kayak to Caladesi, you can launch from the Dunedin Causeway either with your own kayak, or you can rent one from Sail Honeymoon, located right there on the causeway. You’ll paddle about 3,200 feet across the shallow bay from the causeway to the northern tip of Caladesi Island.
On the bay side of the island you’ll find a maze of tidal creeks through the mangroves. The overhanging mangrove trees form “tunnels” that make great kayaking. From the causeway you’ll have to paddle a little over two miles to reach the tunnels.
