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Caladesi Island State Park Review

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Caladesi Island State Park

Fodor's Review:

Quiet, secluded, and still wild, this 3½-mile-long barrier island is one of the best shelling beaches (scallops, nautilus, baby's ear, and various other varieties) on the Gulf Coast, second only to Sanibel. The park also has plenty of sights for birders—from common sandpipers to majestic blue herons to rare black skimmers—and miles of trails through scrub oaks, saw palmettos, and cacti (with tenants such as armadillos, rabbits, raccoons, and rattlesnakes). The landscape also features mangroves and dunes, and the gradual slope of the sea bottom makes this a good swim for novice swimmers and kids. You have to get to Caladesi Island by private boat (there's a 108-slip marina) or through its sister park, Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area, where you take the 15-minute ferry ride across to Caladesi. The park has the only section of beach north of Venice where it's okay to bring your pets—on a leash.

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