Caladesi: An Island You Can Actually Walk To!
Caladesi Island is a beautiful uninhabited island, with 3 miles of pristine white sand beaches, that’sonly 3 miles north of the extremely popular (and Top Rated) Clearwater Beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. And this “island” has a little secret. You can actually walk to it!
This completely surprised me when I found out, because I’ve lived in Florida my entire life, have visited Clearwater Beach countless times and I had no clue! That’s why, as soon as I found out, I had to try this adventure for myself. I needed to see how easy (or hard) this 3 mile one-way beach walk was to do. And now that I’ve had this incredible adventure with my family, I would like to share it with you so that you too will know how to walk to this spectacular “island” called Caladesi.
In This Guide:
Where is Caladesi Island?
Why Go to Caladesi Island?
How Do You Get to Caladesi Island?
What Does It Cost to Go to Caladesi Island?
How Do You Walk to An Island?
How to Walk to Caladesi Island From Clearwater Beach
Why Go to Caladesi Island?
- 3 Miles of Uncrowded White Sand Beaches
- Tree Shaded Picnic Areas
- Full Concession Service Near Marina
- Modern Restrooms
- 3 Mile Nature Trail through Florida Habitat
- 3 Mile Mangrove Kayak Trail/ Rentals Available
- Great Shelling
Voted #6 Best Beach in 2020 by Dr. Beach
Rated #7 Beach in 2017, 2018 and 2019
How Do You Get to Caladesi Island?
The most popular way to get to Caladesi Island is to take the 20 minute ferry-ride from Honeymoon Island (first boat leaves at 10am.) You can also come by private boat, kayak or
Walk from Clearwater Beach!
Family Note: This is a~6 mile beach walk round-trip without a lot of shade. I would not recommend attempting this with young kids or with kids that have never hiked 6+ miles before.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit Caladesi Island?
If taking the Ferry from Honeymoon Island, start here:
Honeymoon State Park Entrance Fee:
- $8 per vehicle, $4 per single occupant vehicle or $2 per pedestrian/ bicycler
Caladesi Ferry Fee:
- $16 per adult, $8 for children ages 6-12, 5 and younger are free
- With ferry transport, there is a 4 hour time limit on the island.
Caldesi Island State Park Fee:
- Once you arrive, there is a $2 per person state park fee.
For our family of 5, traveling by ferry would end up costing us over $70 for a day at the beach. Expensive, yes, but I also realize that it is this higher price that limits the crowds at Caladesi and therefore increases its appeal.
You can also arrive by private boat ($6 total per boat up to 8 people), kayak ($2 total per person) OR
You Can Walk From Clearwater Beach! ($2 total per person)
How Do You Walk to an “Island”?
So, I’m sure you’re wondering, how do you walk to Caladesi if it’s an “Island”? Well, actually it’s not really a true island. This originally confused me and so I’m hoping I can explain here what I’ve learned.
Caladesi State Park is located on the northern end of the same barrier island that Clearwater Beach is on. Yet between Clearwater Beach and Caladesi the island narrows to a very thin strip of land that, for a short distance, can become mostly covered by water at high tide or during storms. This is why it still claims to be an island that is accessible by boat only. But even with the changing tides, this doesn’t mean that you can’t walk to it, even with kids. (Keep reading to find out how.)
Clearwater Beach, on the other hand, is easily accessed by a beautiful bridge connecting to the mainland and the city of Clearwater, FL. And it is from Clearwater Beach that our beautiful beach walk will begin.
First, Where to Park?
There are several public parking lots in the Clearwater Beach area where you can park. The three listed below are the furthest north and closest to Caladesi. Parking at one of these will help shorten your beach walk to Caladesi Island State Park.
Mandalay Park – 4 Rockaway St, Clearwater – 145 spaces – $2.50/hr, 5 hr max
Avalon Public Parking –6 Avalon St, Clearwater – 53 spaces – $1.25/hr, 5 hr max
McKay Field – 605 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater – 17 spaces – $1.25/hr, 5 hr max
We began our adventure from Mandalay Park.
Please note that parking may be hard to find during spring break weeks, summer and on weekends. We suggest arriving early to be able to find parking.
From here it is a 2.5 mile beach walk to Caladesi Island itself and an extra 0.8 mile walk to reach the bathrooms & concessions in Caladesi Island State Park.
Tips Before You Head Out:
Begin Early in the Day to Beat the Heat and the Crowds.
- This beach walk is extremely exposed, therefore a morning walk will be much cooler. Please remember that your walk back will be harder in the heat of the day.
- Make sure you bring plenty of water. These are the water bottles we love and we use them everywhere!
- Bring snacks and even a picnic lunch if you want.
Read More:
15 Great Hiking Snacks for Families (That Kids Love!)
- Make sure you have sun screen, a sun hat and a sun shirt to prevent sun burns. This is a long walk without a lot of shade. This is my favorite sun shirt that I wear everywhere in Florida. It’s really light-weight, has great UV protection and I don’t get hot in it, even in the Florida sun.
- Water shoes are also great for this beach walk, because there is a short section where you will be walking through water. They are not necessary if you just want to take your shoes off in this section, but just know that you will be walking along a bank with mangroves and it can be hard to tell if there are sticks in the water that you could step on. If you are looking for water shoes, these are my favorite water shoes. and these are my husband’s favorite water shoes. Our kids have the kid’s version of these shoes.
- We recommend trying to get to Caladesi before the first ferry arrives. If you do, then you’ll hopefully be lucky enough have the entire beach of Caladesi to yourself, like we did!
Walking to Caladesi Island
After we parked at Mandalay Park, we then headed down to the beach. We began our walk about 7:30am. Once we reached the beach we turned north and started walking along the shore towards Caladesi.
The first part of this beach walk is on the north part of Clearwater Beach and I was surprised at how many people were there, even on an early Saturday morning. But the further we walked north, the less and less people there were. It was kind of nice leaving the crowds behind. And little did I know, that soon we would pretty much have the beach all to ourselves!
After about 1.75 miles into our beach walk the crowds suddenly seemed to disappear (see above) and now there was almost no one on this beautiful white sand beach with us! It was awesome!
At a little under 2.5 miles you will come to this sign, welcoming you to Caladesi Island State Park. (see above) And in this same area you will see many trees with shells hanging on them. (see below)
The Shell Trees
Once you reach the shell trees, you will soon be at the narrow section of the beach walk. This is the only section where the tides matter. And I’ll show you what it looks like in both low and high tide on the day that we were there. (Both are walkable, just low tide is easier.)
The Narrow Portion
This is what the narrow section looks like at low tide. It’s still a beach walk, but just closer to the mangroves. I do want to mention that even in low tide, there is still one small spot along this section where my feet were slightly walking in the water. This shouldn’t be a problem, but I thought I’d mention anyways.
Caladesi Island State Park
Once we passed the “narrow” section, the beach opened back up and it was spectacular! After about 2.5 miles (and a little more than an hour) of a beautiful beach walk, we had reached our destination!
For us, we decided to rest here (on the southern part of Caladesi) and let the kids play in the water. I liked that there was also a shady section here where my husband and I could sit out of the sun that was now beginning to warm up the morning.
We also really enjoyed watching all the different types of Florida birds along the shore and soaring over the water.
After playing for a while in the Gulf’s calm waters, we decided to venture down the beach to find the restrooms. These are located 0.8 miles further north from the narrow section of Caladesi.
Just to Summarize:
Total Distance From Mandalay Park to Caladesi Restrooms is 3.3 miles and takes approximately 90 minutes to walk.
(To me, this is always good to know, especially when adventuring with kids.)
Caladesi Beach
This is Caladesi Beach, looking north, from our swimming spot! I felt like we had the entire island to ourselves! It was amazing!
There are definitely some great perks to arriving before the first ferry does to the island.
(Side note: When the ferry does arrive, it arrives on the north side of the island and we found that the passengers tended to stay more up in that area. I’m not sure if this is usually the case but it’s what we saw.)
After walking the 0.8 miles north along Caladesi’s beach, we reached this sign and boardwalk that leads directly to the restrooms, with the concession only a little further past.
This is the view of the beach, from the boardwalk that goes to the restrooms. As you can see in the far right hand side, a few chairs and umbrellas are out on the beach on this north portion for guests to enjoy.
Up at the concessions you can also rent kayaks for Caladesi’s 3 mile mangrove kayak trail. There is also access the 3 mile nature hiking trail from here. For us, our kids just wanted to play at the beach so we didn’t partake in these activities this time, but I’m sure we’ll be back to try them out later.
The Return Walk (At High Tide)
Around 11:15am we decided to begin our journey back to our car. We didn’t want our kids to get too much sun and we knew we had a long hike back. In the morning the ~3 mile beach walk was fairly easy. The temperature was cool, the hard packed sand along the shore was easy to walk on and we were excited for our adventure.
I knew the walk back was going to be more difficult. The sun was now high over our heads, the day was hot and the kids were tired from playing all morning in the water.
Also, it was now close to high tide and, at the time, I wasn’t really sure what that meant for our walk back.
So let me show you so you’ll know more what to expect.
High Tide
This is the same short, narrow section to get back to north Clearwater Beach, but at high tide. This was no problem to walk through for us, but I will say that it was more tiring walking this section.
Also, there was one small spot (actually close to where I’m standing) where we had to walk through water that was at my thigh level, and I’m 5’8! (That is as deep as it got though for us.) Again, this was no problem, but if you are walking with shorter kids or are shorter yourself then I could see it being more difficult.
After this narrow section, it was a long 2.5 mile walk back to the car. The sun was hot, we were tired and I didn’t like having to walk back through north Clearwater Beach which was now crowded with people. But we expected this and our walk back actually made us appreciate Caladesi’s untouched nature and utter emptiness even more.
Top Things to Consider Before Walking
- This is a 6 mile round-trip walk in sand.
- Sand is harder to walk on than most other types of trails.
- The packed sand near the water is easier to walk on than the loose sand further up the beach.
- You will be walking through water at some point in this hike.
- Check the tides before your walk so you’ll know what to expect.
- The sun and heat can be brutal on this hike.
- November to March is cooler and the sun is less intense.
- Go early to beat the heat & make sure you’re prepared to stay safe in the sun.
- If you are wanting to kayak the mangrove trail and/or walk the 3 mile nature trail at Caladesi Island State Park, then you may want to think about taking the ferry. This way you’ll have plenty of energy to do the things you want and you won’t need to save your energy for the hike back.
But on the other hand:
If you and your family are searching for an incredible beach adventure, with the possibility of having a gorgeous white sandy beach practically to yourself, then this spectacular walk if perfect for you!
Our family absolutely loved going to Caladesi Island and for us, this long walk was completely worth the effort. I mean, how amazing is it that you can simply walk to an uncrowded and breathtakingly beautiful “island” right near a major metropolitan area. We thought this beach walk was incredible and we hope your family does too!
Recommended For Your Beach Walk:
Where to Stay
There are so many amazing hotels to stay in along Clearwater Beach itself, but don’t forget to check out the nearby area of Sand Key (with the Sheraton Sand Keyand the Clearwater Beach Marriot Suites on Sand Key.) Both of these hotels are located on the adjacent barrier island, going south, just minutes from from Clearwater Beach and they would be perfect if you are looking for a beach experience & hotel that’s more away from the crowds.
Have a Great Adventure Walking to Caladesi Island with Your Traveling Feet!
If You Found This Post Helpful, Please Share / Pin It
Thank You!
POPULAR TOURS IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA
Pinellas Activities You May Like:
- 10 Fun Trails to Hike in Pinellas County, FL with Kids!
More Nearby Fun Activities:
- How to Hike Alligator Alley Trail at Circle B Bar Reserve
- Rainbow Springs State Park, FL: Discover Breathtaking Crystal Clear Water
Traveling with Kids & Looking for Great Books?
- 100 Fantastic American History Books for Kids (Elementary to Tweens)
- 20+ Must-Read Fantasy Books Series for Tweens
This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please Read OurDisclosure Policy.We only share products with you that we use and love for our family. Thank you for supporting 10 Traveling Feet.
©10 Traveling Feet – 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc) is strictly prohibited.
