Nature & Wildlife | Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant

Cabbage Key featured in Texas Lifestyle & Travel Magazine

Posted on May 19, 2022
By Daniel Ramirez, Texas Lifestyle Magazine
Cabbage Key, Nature & Wildlife, Recreation

Sunlight pierces the tree canopy as a couple holds hands as they approach Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant

Take a Ride to Cabbage Key

Take a ride with Captiva Cruises, conveniently located in the South Seas’ Marina, and you’ll find yourself on Cabbage Key, a landmark destination with quite a few interesting residents. The island is home to the ubiquitous anoles – small lizards, either brown or black – strewn throughout the island’s paths and trees, but also to a robust gopher tortoise population. Neither reptile is shy, but they aren’t as curious as the third inhabitant of Cabbage Key – Florida’s famed manatees. There’s not an accurate way to describe the sheer magnitude of these gentle mammals, save to say that they dwarf all visitors, yet are docile enough to surface and say hello. And, throughout your time near the water, whether marina or open gulf, you’ll have no end of attention from dolphins, who call this part of Florida home.


This is an excerpt from the article #TravelTuesday: Stretch Out and Stay a Spell on Southwest Florida’s Captiva Island by Daniel Ramirez, originally published in the travel section of texaslifestylemag.com


A Return To Old Florida: 6 Fantastic Experiences On Pine Island

Posted on March 2, 2021
By Fred Mays, Travelawaits.com
Cabbage Key, Dining, Fishing & Boating, Local Attractions, Nature & Wildlife, Pine Island, Tarpon Lodge

We all have those favorite vacation spots that keep bringing us back. It’s that feeling of peace and comfort that draws us again and again. That’s the way it is for me and Pine Island. I’ve been there four times and still want more.

There are any number of reasons to visit laid-back Pine Island off Florida’s Gulf Coast near Fort Myers. There is solitude and relaxation. Art galleries, fresh seafood, peace, and quiet are in abundance. There are no beaches, no hi-rise condos, not much traffic. But the biggest reason people come here is to fish!

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Tarpon Lodge and Cabbage Key

Posted on December 29, 2019
By Ray Collins, Family Beautiful
Cabbage Key, Nature & Wildlife, Recreation, Staycation, Tarpon Lodge

Islands in the Sun: 80 miles and a world away from Sarasota!

Over the past 10 years and dozens of articles, this weekend staycation was among the most memorable.  It’s not for what it had, it’s more about what it didn’t have.   It’s about a weekend that got better by the hour—but not for the usual reasons.

We drove south from Sarasota on Interstate 75 and began angling toward the coast just after Punta Gorda, arriving about an hour later.   We checked into a place called Tarpon Lodge, a quaint Old Florida resort on the banks of Pine Island Sound.

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Active Travel on Pine Island

Posted on October 21, 2019
By Fred Mays, myitchytravelfeet.com
Cabbage Key, Fishing & Boating, Nature & Wildlife, Tarpon Lodge

Florida has long been known as one of the country’s most popular vacation destinations. Whether it’s the cool vibes of South Beach, the oodles of family fun that can be found in Orlando or the wild wetlands of the Everglades, there really is something in Florida for everyone.

But, for those looking to get off the beaten path just a little bit, Pine Island is the place to be. Today’s guest contributor, Fred Mays from North Texas Active Life, is here with some great recommendations for finding active travel on Pine Island. From fishing to kayaking to just taking it easy, this is the spot to be!
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In Fort Myers area, Mother Nature is the best salesperson

Posted on March 25, 2019
By Holly V. Kapherr, Travel Weekly
Cabbage Key, Captiva, Fort Myers, Nature & Wildlife, Sanibel

A shell-strewn strand of beach on Captiva Island. Photo Credit: Holly V. Kapherr

Ever since my childhood best friend brought a sand dollar she found on the beach on Sanibel to show-and-tell, it has been my dream to find one myself.  I recently visited the Fort Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Island area on a media tour with the Lee County Visitors and Convention Bureau and triumphantly toted home three beautiful sand dollars. Mission accomplished.

On the trip, my group saw an incredible amount of wildlife: giant gopher tortoises named for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; blue crabs winding their way through the mangrove roots; a couple of adorable marsh hares with their signature tiny ears; an enormous great blue heron who dared us to come closer while he eyed a fisherman’s chum bucket; and some live “pink gold,” the large, pink gulf shrimp that originally brought riches to the region.

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Cabbage Key Featured in National Geographic: 10 Reasons to Visit Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida

Posted on August 20, 2016
By Gillian Kendall, National Geographic
Cabbage Key Inn Reviews, Cayo Costa, Fishing & Boating, Fort Myers, Nature & Wildlife, Pine Island, Sanibel, Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant Reviews

For a beach lover, the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel are a dream destination.

Sunset at Bowman's Beach.

A man walks at sunset down Bowman’s Beach on Sanibel Island, Florida. PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL GOZANSKY, ALAMY

Trouble in paradise: I’m at the tollbooth on the causeway that crosses to Sanibel Island from Fort Myers, Florida. There’s a six-dollar charge, and they don’t take credit cards. After fumbling through pockets, purse, and beach bag, I come up with only four crumpled one-dollar bills. But the tan booth attendant offers an authentic smile. “If you don’t have it, it’s OK,” she says, waving me through. “Someone ahead of you just paid it forward.”

Receiving a favor from a stranger is an unexpected welcome to the islands west of Fort Myers. But it’s just one of many things that make the area unusual.

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