Caladesi named best beach

For years an also-ran, Caladesi Island State Park in northern Pinellas County won the distinction as America's top beach for 2008 by coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, otherwise known as Dr. Beach.

Leatherman called the 3-mile-long island off the coast of Dunedin his "favorite getaway beach" during an announcement live on MSNBC from the local beach this morning. He called the sand "white as it can be'' and lauded the crystal clear water.

"There's a lot of bird life, it's like a world apart" from the metro Tampa Bay area, said Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.

Caladesi has been in the top six of Leatherman's America's Best Beaches List since 1997 and was No. 2 for the last two years. Pinellas' Fort De Soto Park's North Beach won top honors in 2005. The park also was named as the best U.S. beach by the travel Web site TripAdvisor.com this year. 

Having two top-ranked beaches is "a definite distinction no community in North America can claim," said D.T. Minich, Pinellas tourism director. "To have have two number one beaches in one community is unprecedented."

The county's tourism marketing agency, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater has launched a $1-million summer advertsing campaign in Central Florida promoting Pinellas beaches. Billboards carry messages such as "America's #1 Beach is just 90 minutes Away.'' Now they might need to add an "es.''

This year's runner-up was Hanalei Beach in Hawaii. Two other Florida Beaches made the cut: No. 3 Siesta Key Beach near Sarasota and No. 9 Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne. Here is the entire list:

1). Caladesi Island State Park; 2). Hanalei Beach, Hawaii, 3). Siesta Key Beach; 4). Coopers Beach, Southhampton, N.Y.; 5). Coronado Beach, San Diego, Calif.; 6). Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.; 7). Hamoa Beach, Hawaii; 8). Cape Hatteras, N.C.; 9). Cape Florida State Park; 10). Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.

Tampabay.com Beach Guide: Beach news, events & restaurant reviews

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--Steve Huettel, Times Staff writer

[Jim Damaske, Times files]

Comments

[rayray]

Bay Area is home to the best beaches in US, that's a nice honor to flash on our advertising & promotions mantel.

Now, that what we're talking about, but don't take a back seat American, come on down and check it out for yourselves. Only issue, you may not want to leave. L8r!

Go Rays!

[jerry]

That is BS!!!!! The best beaches in Florida are perhaps Sanibel Island, Cape sandblast, Seaside, Destin, Siesta Key IS really good, Mexico Beach, St George Island. Those are the best. This guy is simply listing a beach because it is in his back yard.

[tim]

Obviously this guy's never been to a beach where people ride horses, cook oysters on open fires, toss around a frisbee and swim naked after dark. These are all illegal on Florida beaches.

[Carl]

Haven't been to this specific beach, but having enjoyed the East and West Cost Beaches, and those of the Great Lakes, overseas and in the middle of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, I know of two beaches that makes any I've been on as the top beaches one can enjoy.
One is the "old" US Air Force beach on Guam, and the best I have ever enjoyed was on Anderson AFB, Guam. This beach has an outer reef that is several yards out from land and keeps most dangerous sea life from getting into the swimming area. There is also a natural cave at the far end of the beach and it is truly great for parties and enjoying the sand and surf.
Ask any USAF veteran who served on Guam and was at the beach and ask him or her of their opinions.
St. Pete Times should send Tom or one of their reporters to check this beach out.

[Erick, Palm Harbor]

No offence to the residents of Florida, but no beach in the state of Florida, facing the Gulf or Atlantic Ocean with maybe the exception of South Beach is as beautiful as the white sands and crystal clear waters of the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Maybe Dr. Beach doesn’t know, but the islands are territories of the United States. Caladesi Island is no contest to Trunk Bay in St. John US Virgin Island or Flamingo Beach in Culebras Island, Puerto Rico.

[Stacey PB Native]

Juno Beach , Palm Beach County now thats a beach , just remember anything on the Gulf side, well it isnt all that unless you go south toward sanibel where it starts to feed into the Atlantic waters and Caribean, the Gulf is just too murky but now for all of us water and marine-life lovers...its allllll goooood!!!!!!!!!