As an inveterate beach bum, I have been to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Until last week, had someone asked me to list the top three beaches in the world, I probably would have included West Bay Beach in Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras; Nungwi Beach on the northern tip of Zanzibar, and Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. But last week I spent the day at Florida’s Bahia Honda State Park in Big Pine Key and my world was turned upside down.

Caloosa Beach at Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key, Florida
Bahia Honda contains three separate beaches, each of which is completely different from the others. Caloosa Beach is tucked into a gentle cove at the foot of the old Overseas Railway trestle at the southern end of the park. A portion of the old bridge has been maintained as an elevated walkway that offers spectacular views of the beach and inlet. Caloosa is popular with families because restrooms, a snack bar, Read the rest of this entry »
As I travel north to visit my family for the holidays, I decided to stop the Tampa Bay area. This is one of the few areas of Florida that I had not considered prior to moving from North Carolina to Florida and I thought a tour of this area was long overdue. Among the many criteria I have when searching for a place to live is the quality of the beaches, and so this is where I began my investigation.
St. Pete Beach has a lovely strip of sand and clear water, but the town itself is very touristy. The sand is nice but not the pure white, sugar-fine stuff that can be found at other locales around Florida’s Gulfcoast.

St. Pete Beach




















































