Posted on May 31, 2022
By Olivia Young, Thrillist
Cabbage Key, Cayo Costa, Fort Myers, Pine Island, Sanibel
When you strip away the omnipresent Disney and admittedly-pretty-funny Florida Man stereotypes that plague the Sunshine State, you just might see America’s southeasternmost extremity for what it really is: a subtropical-to-tropical paradise. Here you’ll find 1,350 miles of convivial coastline, an effervescent ecosystem teeming with nature not found anywhere else in the States, and a melting pot of (not all gray-headed) thalassophiles blissed out on the salt life.
Posted on October 20, 2020
By Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent - Boston Globe
Cabbage Key, Captiva, Sanibel, Staycation
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel are offering secluded cottage rentals for a “bubbled” vacation on the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva.
Looking for a family beach getaway that minimizes your COVID concerns? The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel are offering secluded cottage rentals for a “bubbled” vacation on the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva. Visitors can bird watch at J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, comb the beach for seashells, or bike along 25 miles of trails while staying at a diverse selection of cottage rentals.
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.
Posted on July 31, 2018
By Tracey Teo, Special to Nashville Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE
Cabbage Key, Restaurant Reviews, Sanibel
Diners on the patio of the Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant in Florida.
Cabbage Key in southwest Florida is a long way to go for a cheeseburger, but this isn’t just any cheeseburger — it’s a “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Legend has it that musician Jimmy Buffett wrote his classic hit at the historic Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, practically the only evidence of human life on this roadless, 100-acre island that is accessible only by boat.
With just eight rental cottages at the inn, the island is usually a tranquil oasis, but at lunch time, it teems with hungry day-trippers, like me.
Posted on June 29, 2018
By Tom Keer, Matador Network
Cabbage Key, Fishing & Boating, Fort Myers, Pine Island, Sanibel, Tarpon Lodge
Photo: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel
There are so many reasons to visit Florida’s lower Gulf Coast — all those beaches, the calm, warm water, the sailing, power boating, kayaking, diving, SUPing…. But hey, my linebacker legs don’t do well on SUPs. No, all those things are well and good, but I come here for one reason: to fish.
Posted on March 22, 2018
By Natasha Mekhail, WestJet Magazine
Cabbage Key, Captiva, Fort Myers, Local Attractions, Sanibel
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, photo by Susan Rydberg/Thinkstock
Close your eyes. You’re reclined in a beach chair on a long stretch of powdery white sand. Out in the water before you, a pod of wild dolphins turns somersaults in the waves. You rise, walk to the ocean’s edge and dip your fingers in, only to catch a sand dollar in your outstretched hand. Around you, thousands of seashells tinkle in the tide like a giant wind chime. Relaxed yet? This isn’t a guided meditation—it’s real life on Sanibel and Captiva islands, just across the bridge from Fort Myers. Explore these unspoiled isles tip-to-tip by bike, spot resident manatees from trailside lookouts and roam the shell-strewn beaches.
Here are the top things to do.
Read More
Posted on July 10, 2017
By Michael Fitzpatrick, Manchester Evening News
Cabbage Key, Captiva, Fort Myers, Reviews, Sanibel
The burger at Cabbage Key restaurant
On a food and drink tour of Florida you might think enjoying a burger isn’t very adventurous. There are countless joints here in Manchester to get your beef-fix – but this was no ordinary burger.
Before sinking my teeth into this American classic I’d enjoyed a boat trip across the south west Florida ocean, accompanied by family of dolphins for part of the hour-long cruise, before docking at an island that despite its unassuming name, can only be described as paradise.
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.
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.
Our staff is standing by to help you book your stay and answer any questions you may have about your relaxing island getaway. (239) 283-2278
