Fort De Soto Park was honestly one of the biggest surprises of our Florida trip. The second we…read morearrived, we could see why so many people love this place. The beaches were absolutely beautiful with soft white sand and clear Gulf water that looked straight out of a travel magazine. Even though it's a popular park, it still felt peaceful and relaxing. One of the coolest parts was how much variety there is here. You can relax on the beach, bike the trails, go kayaking, fish, camp, or explore the historic Spanish-American War-era fort. Walking through the old fort while looking out over the water was such a unique experience and made the park feel completely different from a normal beach destination. We also spotted wild Nanday Parakeets flying around the park, which made the whole place feel even more tropical and unforgettable. Seeing bright green parrots while standing near the ocean was definitely not something we expected. Everything felt very clean, well maintained, and easy to access. Fort De Soto Park is the kind of place where you could easily spend an entire day and still not see everything. We would absolutely come back again and highly recommend adding this spot to your Florida bucket list. Check out our video on our socials @reessroots

Easy parking, clean enough bathrooms. If it weren't so dang far this would probably be the main…read morebeach spot for me and my friends! Can't say it's a hidden gem, but it's certainly not as touristy as Clearwater or Treasure Island so it's a great beach to go to. And $6 flat rate parking for the beach is amaaazziinnggg!!!! Lots of pavilions and different areas for activities like camping. We were there for a spikeball tournament. Always something going on!

My girlfriend and I had a great experience. The crew was highly accommodating and sweet. We were…read moreable to snorkel and see tarpon and other fish. In other areas there were sand dollars everywhere. Make sure and ask for the sun chill raft! Perfect chill pad to float and still be in the clear water.

The best way to explore Fort De Soto and Shell key is by going on a day cruise with Wayward Key…read moreTours. My husband and I had a wonderful time bouncing around to find different places to snorkel. We've never snorkeled in the area so we didn't know what we were looking for. The knowledgeable WKT crew had many suggestions and found spaces where we could enjoy the waters and sea creatures away from the crowds. The activities: We got to see the fort ruins, saw wildlife in the seagrass, and hung out in the sandbars where we found sand dollars and shells with every step. The ride: The World Cat was impressively stable on choppy water and operated smoothly. There is a sink and head to make those long outings comfortable. There is plenty of seating. A few people may be able to recline in the bow under a retractable bimini cover. The size of the boat made it possible for us to get into shallow areas and anchor wherever we wanted. If you're visiting the area or are a local looking for a private boat with a captain to give your small group a wonderful, custom tour, Wayward is the way to go!

Honestly, this wasn't my favorite beach. The TikTok videos I saw about this place were a bit…read moremisleading (though it's entirely possible I wasn't at the exact "correct" spot!). However, you make your own fun! My family and I had a great day eating, laughing, and relaxing to some good music. At only $8 per vehicle for parking, you really can't complain about the price. A good, affordable family day out!

Had an absolutely amazing time at Honeymoon Island State Park. This place is one of the most…read morebeautiful spots on the Gulf with clean beaches, clear water, and a peaceful natural setting that feels like a true escape. The beach stretches out nicely so even when it is busy you can still find your own space. The sand is soft, the water is calm, and it is perfect for swimming, walking the shoreline, or just relaxing and soaking up the sun. We also enjoyed seeing the shells along the shore which made it even more fun. The park itself is very well maintained with clean facilities, plenty of parking, and easy access to the beach areas. There are also nature trails that give you a chance to see local wildlife and enjoy a quieter side of the park. Everything about the visit felt relaxing and well organized. It is the kind of place you can spend the whole day and never get bored. Easy 5 stars and one of the best beach spots in the area.

We did the guided tour on the Chassa river and the guide was so accommodating and cool. Me and my…read morefriend booked same day and it ended up just being the 3 of us. We were iffy about having a guide but the experience would not have been the same without him. We would've had no idea where to go on that river. He took us to the cracks you can swim through on both ends, explored to see animals, and told fun stories. We could tell he loves doing this, he had just as much fun as we did :)

Went to Silver River today with Mac of Florida Eco-Adventures! Had an excellent day... good…read morekayaking, good people, good conversation, and saw lot of Florida Flora and Fauna! M ac is very easy to work with... and he takes good care of his kayakers! Highly recommended for anyone that want to get out and enjoy a wonderful day on the water...

What a great trip we had. Capt. Robin and her mate Braelyn were just the best. Informative and…read moresuper nice. Will definitely be back

Excellent shuttle and service. They take you to and from the island at various times. It was $25…read morefor adults for the shuttle. The provide an umbrella and a mask and snorkel if needed. They also provided shelling bags! Type in Merry Pier in the navigation system. Park on the street. There is meter parking or you can buy a parking pass for $10 for all day at the Shell Key Shuttle booth. Great option to get to the island! It was also very quick and the staff and captains were so nice and helpful!

This was such a wonderful experience. Captain Scott was an amazing captain who is knowledgeable and…read morehonest. Great time! Thank you

This was one of the most amazing dolphin, sightseeing, snorkeling trips I've ever been on! Never…read moremind the amazingly beautiful scenery, the boat's Captain (Captain Ned) and First Mate (Dave) made this trip the highlight of our entire adventure. Communication and education between those two and with the passengers were amazing the entire trip. They are both incredibly knowledgeable about the sea/sea life and boating and offered any and all necessary information to the passengers. They know how to have fun, man! Highly, highly recommend if you're anywhere near the St. Pete/Tampa Bay area!

Absolutely loved this island!…read more I have an annual pass for state parks so I didn't have to get into honeymoon island itself. A short drive to the paying booth for taking the ferry from honeymoon to caladesi. It is $20 dollars but they do take military discount too! The two guys on the boat are very funny guys. The captain loves to tell dad jokes and the other tells you fun facts about the islands. It's a short ride to caladesi. Once we arrived there was lots to explore however my friend and I just had a beach day. There is construction going on due to the past hurricanes but there is bathrooms, a cafe, and plenty of shade and trails! I can't wait to go back and explore more. The ferry takes off from honeymoon every hour and from caladesi every half hour. Highly recommend a day trip here!! Water is so nice.

Beautiful beach that has tons of shells…read more This beach is emptier than others because you have to take a ferry to get to it and you have a four hour limit. We aren't major beach people, but I got really interested recently in finding shells. We were at Clearwater Beach and didn't see a lot of shells so I did research into where we could find an abundance of shells and this was one of the beaches that popped up. They have so many shells, but all the shells are very similar. They are the clamshell looking type. So if you're looking for a variety of shells, I would suggest going elsewhere. However, I was super excited to find all of these shells. We ended up getting buckets full of them. You pay eight dollars to get into honeymoon State Park. Then you follow the signs to the parking lot where it is $20 per adult and $12 per child, five and under are free, for the ferry ride. The ferry ride is a boat that is actually quite fun for the children. It's about 10 minutes and in the morning, you can see dolphins and the ferry will stop to look at them. They can fit about 45 to 50 people on each boat, and they do fill up. The first boat is at 10 AM and leaves every half hour after that. You can rent two beach chairs and an umbrella for $35 and they have food and drinks that you can buy on the island. Since you can't bring carts most people travel light so we didn't bring shade or seats. Being that our whole goal was to find shells we weren't sitting much anyways. It is pretty empty. This is not a packed beach at all and we were there on a Saturday in the summer so prime beach season. The sand is white and fine and the water is beautiful. If you're looking for a beach that isn't that crowded I would highly recommend coming here.

We can't say enough great things about our experience with Captain Allen! We enjoyed a three-hour…read moreexcursion where we went snorkeling at Egmont Key, explored the lighthouse and forts on the island and then finished with some tubing. Wow, it was such a fantastic experience for myself, my husband and our 8-year-old son. Captain Allen is super friendly and accommodating to make sure you have the best possible experience. The boat was in great condition and the perfect way to take in the Florida breeze and sights. All the communication with him was quick and easy as well when planning our excursion. I would highly recommend Captain Allen and we are already thinking of when we can do this again. Thanks Captain Allen for memories that we will keep forever!

Capt Allen never disappoints! We've been out with him a couple of times. We had a great sunset…read morecruise and the dolphins did some serious dolphin-ing, playing right behind our boat in the wake. What a fun evening! Bring jackets as it gets a little chilly out on the water this time of year. (Waiting for my friends to send me the awesome dolphin photos they took)