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Caladesi Staff Pleased With Top Beach Rating

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A family enjoys the sun and sand at Caladesi Island State Park. Caladesi has claimed the top spot on an annual list of the nation’s top 10 beaches for 2008.

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: May 22, 2008

DUNEDIN, Fla. – What locals have known all along is now official around the country: Caladesi Island State Park has the best beach in the nation.

Caladesi's top spot on the 2008 list of best beaches from Dr. Beach, also known as Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, is no surprise to the island park's manager.

Caladesi has a beautiful beach that provides a great getaway and unobstructed views of the water and wildlife, said Pete Krulder, who has managed Caladesi and the neighboring Honeymoon Island State Park since 2005.

As a wildlife sanctuary Caladesi offers one of the last places in the county where people can enjoy a pristine coastal environment, Krulder said Thursday, after the list of best beaches was released.

Caladesi ranked in second place on the 2007 beach list from Leatherman. Karen Malo, park service specialist, said everyone at Caladesi is honored and excited it is number one this year.

Both parks are part of the Florida Park Service's Gulf Islands GEOpark System.

Friends of Honeymoon Island and Caladesi are highly protective of the park's natural environment, Malo said.

In naming Caladesi this year's top beach Leatherman cited the barrier island's powdery white sand, warm crystal-clear water and naturally pristine. Caladesi is a "well-kept secret," he declared.

The honor comes as park rangers and staff are preparing for one of the busiest times of the year, Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of summer.

There are no paved roads or vehicles on Caladesi Island. There is a marina and café.

Caladesi Island is accessible by ferry from Honeymoon Island State Park, at the western end of Dunedin Causeway. A ferry ride is $9 for adults and $5.50 for children.

The number of visitors Caladesi rose 8 percent last year, to 308,586. With a number one ranking park officials expect that number to be even larger this year.

Honeymoon Island is the most visited park in state system, enjoyed by more than one million visitors a year, Malo said.

With the beach at Pinellas County's Fred Howard Park, in Tarpon Springs, slated to close for 14 months after Labor Day and many people choosing to avoid Clearwater Beach, the Honeymoon Island visitors toll is likely to climb higher, Malo said.

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