Honeymoon Island

Honeymoon Island is a misnomer. You cannot have your romantic honeymoon getaway on this particular island. In the island’s not-so-distant past, this was not the case. In 1939, the name, Honeymoon Island, was part of a gimmick. A contest was run by the then owner, New York businessman, Clinton Washington, in conjunction with the Times, Newsreel and the Clearwater Lions Club. The targets were newlyweds and grand prizes were a vacation on honeymoon Island. In the end, 167 newlywed couples arrived to spend some time in grass-thatched huts on the island. Today, however, Honeymoon Island, Florida, is a nature preserve, a state park. It is an undeveloped barrier island bought by the state to turn into a park.

The history of Honeymoon Island State Park is not very simple. It began as a Spanish discovery in the 1500s. Somehow or other, it never became settled. Various individuals purchased Honeymoon Island giving it names such as Hog Island, with the intent of establishing a settlement, building home or developing condominiums as part of an island resort. After the initial attempt to turn the island into a honeymoon destination failed, the island changed hands again. For a time, it served as a place for factory workers to escape the mainland pressures of their work during World War II. The island was a place to come out to and relax. You had to sail out. There was no land link at the time.

The final owner before the government took over was Hyman Green. He purchased Honeymoon Island in the 1960s with the specific intent to create a resort development. A repetition of all the other projects scheduled for Honeymoon Island, this one failed. He did, however, construct the first fixed link. Honeymoon Island now connects to Dunedin through a causeway.

The State of Florida began to purchase Honeymoon Island in small 50-acre clumps in 1974. The last parcel of land, giving the island totally into State control was donated in 1982 by the City of Dunedin. The State of Florida opened the Honeymoon Island State Park in October 1982. Honeymoon Island now serves several purposes. It provides visitors with a chance to wander around a mostly unspoiled wilderness island. It protects the osprey nesting sites and provides information for improving the relationship between species and humans. Honeymoon Island is also a local beach and picnic area. Its sandy beach is rocky but rarely crowded. There are picnic areas, nature trails, playgrounds and restrooms. The time you spend there is limited. The park closes at dusk.

Another use of Honeymoon Island is to catch the ferry over to Cadesi Island. Cadesi Island and Honeymoon Island hotels are non-existent. These are nature preserves. If you wish to extend your visit, you must stay somewhere on the mainland.