Living in Tampa Bay for 10+ years and going to all of the beaches, these are the best beaches to bring your family to for a day trip.
I base my recommendations on:
- Ease of Access (How hard to get there)
- Sand Quality (I like sugar sand)
- Crowds (I hate big crowds)
- Swimming Quality for Families (I like safe, warm, shallow water for my kids)
- Idiot Quotient (How likely it is you will run into a**holes–pot smokers, drunks, music at club DJ sound level, people who talk ballistic and have to say the F word every other word, etc.)
Honeymoon Island State Park
This is my favorite Florida State Park and the good news is Honeymoon Island is the kind of island you can drive your car to. Just put “Honeymoon Island State Park” into your GPS and you’ll be good.
Honeymoon Island has 385 acres of land (and another 2,400 submerged acres), 4 miles of beach, 3 miles of hiking trails, and is the most visited state park in Florida with over 1 million visitors per year. Expect VERY LONG car lines on weekends and holidays if you don’t get a jump on the day. Park opens at 8am sharp.
My number one tip for your Honeymoon Island adventure is skip rocky “Main Beach” and go to sugar-sanded “North Beach,” located at the furthest point you can drive to. Not only is the sand better, but the swimming area is protected by breakers (seen in above pictures) which means mild waves, shallow swimming area and warmer water. Natural beauty of the island is better here too. Dolphin sightings are common.
Fun Fact #1: Before the island was known as Honeymoon Island it was known as Hog Island (’cause of the pigs). Developers thought Honeymoon Island had a better ring.
Fun Fact #2: Members of The Wizard of Oz’s Lollipop Guild vacationed at the island in the late 30s for a promotional stunt.
Fun Fact #3: Fortunately, the developers never got the chance to sink their excavator claws into the soil before the island became a protected state park.
Caladesi Island State Park
Caladesi Island State Park, on the other hand, is NOT the kind of island you can drive to. There are three ways to arrive:
Take a private boat: if you can get your hands on a boat you can moor at the marina and even boat camp, which is the only overnight/camping option for the island.
Take the ferry: Go to Honeymoon Island and jump on the public ferry. The most common option. Here is a coupon.
Walk from Clearwater Beach: Go to Clearwater Beach and walk north for a couple miles. Wear shoes or a very good pair of sandals or you will get nasty blisters on your feet (learned from personal experience). The walk is curtesy of 1985 Hurricane Elena which filled in Dunedin Pass. Not recommended for families with young children.
Island includes: 3 mile hiking trail, homestead ruins, kayak trail, nearly 4 miles of beach, and sparse crowds. Even though the island is a bit more remote, it still has a concession stand and bathhouse.
Fun Fact #1: Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island used to be one larger island until a massive 1921 hurricane ripped them apart.
Fun Fact #2: Homesteader Henry Scharrer and his daughter Myrtle lived on the island in the 1880s. Myrtle wrote the book, Yesteryear I Lived In Paradise, at the age of 87.
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater Beach is the only “commercialized” beach on my list. And that’s okay! Sometimes it’s nice to have street performers, big events and beach pubs to hang out at. And just between me and you, if I ever get rich through a frivolous lawsuit, my beach house will be located on Clearwater Beach!
IMO, Clearwater Beach is the best commercialized/public beach in Florida. For starters, the beach is HUGE, so despite large crowds you can always find a nice sandy spot with plenty of elbow room. Clearwater Beach has ENERGY! Beach bars, restaurants, music, sailboats, lights, sounds, excitement, bouncy houses!
While definitely having a high Idiot Quotient, the idiots can easily be avoided by moving down beach a bit because idiots don’t like to walk an extra 50 yards to stake a claim. This is my number one tip: DON’T SET UP CAMP NEAR PIER 60! (Pier 60 is the epicenter of Clearwater Beach).
Getting there can be a pain sometimes, so as always, get a jump on the day if going on weekends, holidays or spring break. Sunsets are so beautiful here they make me want to cry.
Fun Fact(s) #1: Winter the Dolphin, from the movie Dolphin’s Tale, lived at Clearwater Beach. Hulk Hogan lives here.
Fun Fact(s) #2: My favorite Clearwater beach bar/restaurant is the Palm Pavilion. Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill is excellent too. You can’t miss them. The original Hooters restaurant is located in the city of Clearwater.
Fun Fact(s) #3: Scientology has declared Clearwater as their holy city and is attempting to assert control via buying up real estate and infiltrating the government. Reportedly, they call it Project Normandy.
Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto Park is made up of a series of 5 interconnected keys by road that once upon a time played host to a military fort with big guns. Nowadays, the Spanish-American War fort and big guns are just for show but the keys are not (although they are very pretty).
Things to do: fishing piers, beach fishing, 2 mile kayak trail, hiking, biking, birding, car camping, check out the old fort, and, of course, hang out at East Beach or North Beach (skip East Beach and go to award-winning North Beach, trust me).
One of my favorite things to do here is to take a long beach walk along North Beach to see the birds, shells and splendid nature. A lovely beach. Swimming is good. Popular fishing spot.
Fun Fact #1: Mullet Key (the main key with the beaches) was used as a bombing range by the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.
Fun Fact #2: The four 12-inch M1890 mortars and two 6-inch Armstrong guns at Fort De Soto Park are the only ones left of their kind in America.
Fun Fact #3: A ferry runs from Fort De Soto to Egmont Key State Park, which houses a lighthouse and the ruins of Fort Dade.
As a bonus, since two of the above beaches are state parks, it’s two more stamps in the book for anybody on the Great Florida State Park Quest!
Enjoy!
