Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County. Dunedin has several beaches, including Dunedin Causeway, Honeymoon Island, and Caladesi Island State Park, which is consistently rated among the best beaches in the world.
Understand
Dunedin (/dəˈniːdɨn/) is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was home to about 37,000 people in 2019. Dunedin is one of the few open waterfront communities from Sarasota to Cedar Key where buildings do not completely obscure the view of the Intercoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico beyond; a 1-mile stretch of Edgewater Drive (also known as Alternate US 19) south of downtown offers views of St. Joseph Sound, Clearwater Beach, and Caladesi Island. Downtown Clearwater and Clearwater Beach are a 6-mile drive down Edgewater.
The quaint, but thriving downtown business district is striking in comparison to neighboring Florida communities for its absence of commercial signage and corporate franchise restaurants and retail stores. The Pinellas Trail, a 39-mile-long bicycle and pedestrian trail that traverses all of Pinellas County, bisects downtown Dunedin. Bicyclists are a common sight in the business district.
Since 1977, Dunedin has been the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays, and of the class-A Minor League Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. Dunedin is one of the smallest communities used by Major League spring training teams. Dunedin Stadium is next to the Dunedin Public Library, a few blocks south of downtown on Douglas Avenue, and two blocks east of Edgewater Drive.
Get in
Public transit
By car
FL-580 goes west from Tampa/Oldsmar across the bay and becomes Main St of Dunedin after crossing US-19. Keene Rd and other major roads of Dunedin connect it to Clearwater to the south and Palm Harbor to the north.
Get around
Dunedin is very pedestrian friendly, offering many shops and restaurants in the main downtown area.
By trolley
The Jolley Trolley runs once an hour on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. A bit before the top of the hour it stops at trolley stop signs on Main Street, near Pioneer Park.
See
- Dunedin Historical Society, 349 Main St, +1 727 736-1176. Tu–Sa 11AM–4PM, Su noon–4PM.
- Fine Arts Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd, 28.0375°, -82.7741°, +1 727 298-3322. M–F 10AM–5PM.
- Honeymoon Island State Park, 28.061301°, -82.826529°, +1 727 469-5942. A popular destination for honeymooners after it split from Caladesi Island to the south during the 1920s, attempts at development proved unsuccessful due to World War II and the purchasing of the land by the state to protect the land. It was zoned as a park in 1981 and features of beaches. It is Florida's most popular state park with more than a million visitors per year.
- Caladesi Island State Park, 28.02°, -82.8211°. A Florida State Park located on Caladesi Island, across St. Joseph Sound from Dunedin, Florida and north of Clearwater Beach. It is reachable by boat and ferry. Amenities include 3 miles of nature trail, a marina, picnic pavilions, bathhouses, a park concession and a beach. Recreational activities include fishing, shelling, kayaking, boating, hiking and nature studies. In 2005 it was listed as having the 4th best beach in the country, in 2006 and 2007 the 2nd best, and in 2008 the best beach in the United States. Caladesi Island and Honeymoon Island to the north were formed from a large barrier island in 1921 when a hurricane created Hurricane Pass, splitting the larger island into two parts. Though still referred to as an island, Hurricane Elena filled Dunedin Pass in 1985, making Caladesi Island accessible by walking north from North Clearwater Beach.
- Municipal Marina, 51 Main St (west end of Main St), 28.0124°, -82.7923°, +1 727 298-3030, lferguson@dunedinfl.net.
Do
Events
- Dunedin Highlands Games. Scottish Heritage Games held in April.
- Celtic Festival. November.
- Mardi Gras Festival. Downtown event, on Fat Tuesday.
- Dunedin Wines the Blues Festival. Downtown event in November.
Buy
Eat
- Kelly's Crafty Kitchen (Kelly's Bake Shop & Cafe), 1582 Main St, +1 727 221-9188. Plant-based cuisine, such as meat substitutes.
- Flanagan's Irish Pub, 465 Main St, 28.012°, -82.7864°, +1 727 401-3477, flanaganspubdunedin@gmail.com.
- Lonni's Original Sandwiches (Lonnis Dunedin), 1153 Main St #106, +1 727 734-0121. M–F 9AM–3PM. most sandwiches $8 (2021)
- Delco's Original Steaks & Hoagies, 1701 Main St, 28.0179°, -82.7576°, +1 727 738-4700.
Drink
- Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave, 28.014°, -82.7876°, +1 727 736-0606. Florida's oldest microbrewery - craft beer, pub food, live music.
- Dunedin House of Beer, 927 A Broadway, 28.014°, -82.7896°, +1 727 216-6318.
Sleep
- Best Western -Yacht Harbor Inn, 150 Marina Plaza, 28.0131°, -82.7923°, +1 727 733-4121.
- Holiday Inn Express, 975 Broadway Street, 28.0154°, -82.7893°, +1 727 450-1200.
- Seaside Artisan Motel, 1064 Broadway Street, 28.0176°, -82.7901°, +1 727 736-4657.
- Amberlee Motel, 1035 Broadway Street, 28.0169°, -82.7893°, +1 727 733-3228.
- Palm Court Motel, 2090 Bayshore Boulevard, 28.0404°, -82.7841°, stay@palmcourtmoteldunedin.com.
- Beso Del Sol Resort, 1420 Bayshore Boulevard, 28.0241°, -82.7909°, +1 727 734-8851, info@besodelsolresort.com.
Connect
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