Photos: courtesy of Caladesi Island via the Caladesi Ferry (caladesiferry.org)
Dunedin · Things to Do
A 20-minute ferry to three miles of boat-access-only beach — one of America's ranked best, wild and unbuilt.
for the wedding weekend
The guest outing that feels like a secret: a real desert-island beach, an hour door to door from the wedding hotels.
Caladesi Island is the beach the region brags about at dinner parties — three miles of pristine Gulf sand reachable only by boat, ranked #4 in America by the Dr. Beach survey the ferry proudly quotes, with more than 70,000 visitors a year and not one building of note. The official ferry runs from Honeymoon Island's dock: twenty scenic minutes each way, hourly departures from 10 a.m. (half-hourly in season), year-round except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The logistics have personality: tickets are sold in person only — no online sales — at the Honeymoon Island ticket office, round trips run $20 adult / $10 child, and island stays cap around four hours, which is exactly one perfect beach afternoon. Bring shelling bags; leave the beach wagon (prohibited since 2023).
| Departs | Honeymoon Island State Park docks, Dunedin Causeway |
|---|---|
| Fares | Round trip $20 adults, $10 kids 6–12, under 6 free |
| Schedule | Hourly from 10 a.m.; half-hourly mid-Feb–Labor Day & weekends |
| Fine print | In-person ticket sales only; ~4-hour island stay; no beach carts |
| Contact | 727-734-5263 |
Details verified June 2026 against caladesiferry.org, caladesiferry.org — hours and policies change; confirm directly before locking the itinerary.
Clearwater Beach
The free nightly sunset festival — artisans, street performers, and the Gulf's best show, 29 years running.
for the weekend Zero-effort guest programming: tell everyone "Pier 60 at sunset" and the evening organizes itself, free.
Read the full guide →
Clearwater Beach
The little yellow tugboat with a guarantee: see dolphins or the next trip's free — USA Today's #1 dolphin tour.
for the weekend Its own site pitches private charters for bachelorette parties — and the dolphin guarantee makes it the safest guest outing on the marina.
Read the full guide →
Clearwater Beach
Two hours aboard a Coast Guard-built pirate ship — water-gun battles for the kids, free beer and wine for the adults.
for the weekend The kids-and-cousins solver: one boat entertains ages 3 to 93, and the 21+ crowd drinks free the whole sail.
Read the full guide →
The venues your guests would pair with Caladesi Island via the Caladesi Ferry.
Dunedin
A restored Jazz Age hotel on the Dunedin waterfront — lawn ceremonies over St. Joseph Sound, a ballroom named for the island across the water, and a rooftop that used to be a radio station.
Inn / Resort · Historic / Landmark
Dunedin
A state-park barrier island named for honeymoons — a reserved stretch of wild Gulf beach, a raised aisle in the sand, and the park gates closing at sunset.
Beach / Waterfront
Dunedin
A laid-back condo resort on Dunedin's bayshore where the Sunset Room earns its name nightly and the tiki bar waits downstairs.
Inn / Resort · Beach / Waterfront
