Recreation | Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant - Part 2

Cabbage Key: Old Florida Island for Kayaking, History, Atmosphere

Posted on February 11, 2020
By Bonnie Gross, Florida Rambler
Cabbage Key, History, Kayak & Canoe, Reviews, Southwest Florida

The Cabbage Key Inn atop a small hill with clear, blue sky in the background

The Cabbage Key Inn was built as a private home in 1937. It was converted into an inn in the 1940s and has been owned by the Wells family since 1976. (Photo by Bonnie Gross)

Cabbage Key, a little island west of Fort Myers reachable only by boat, is famous for a lot of things — its historic Dollar Bill Bar, papered with more than $70,000 in signed dollar bills from patrons; its association with Jimmy Buffett. Cabbage Key is familiar to thousands who visit on a popular luncheon cruise from Pine Island or Captiva and spend perhaps two hours.

But visiting Cabbage Key for a longer period of time, in the quiet mornings before day visitors arrive and in the golden evenings when the iconic bar has only a handful of boaters and fishermen, reveals a different side of Cabbage Key.

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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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Boating To Cabbage Key And Cayo Costa – Dolphins, Old Florida, And Pristine Beaches

Posted on July 14, 2019
Cabbage Key, Cayo Costa, Recreation, Reviews

Is there anything better than combining a day’s boating to a charming “Old Florida” island – Cabbage Key – with swimming at a pristine beach and dolphin watching? Maybe, but this pretty much sums up my perfect day out. If you add no traffic worries (no cars at all on Cabbage Key), lovely lush surroundings, gopher tortoises and a delicious lunch in a historic restaurant, this outing is hard to top. Wouldn’t you agree?
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What to expect at Cabbage Key

Posted on April 11, 2019
By Kita Roberts, Pass The Sushi
Cabbage Key, Recreation, Reviews

Whether you are just coming in for a burger at the infamous Cabbage Key Restaurant or planning to spend a few nights, here’s why you must visit this iconic island in southern Florida.

“A slice of old Florida,” I heard it described by several before I arrived at the small island of Cabbage Key.

Never having been to ‘old’ Florida before, I wasn’t terribly sure what that meant. I had been to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and several other cities in Florida, always for those quick vacations and needed getaways. I have done the theme parks and seen the beaches. With that as my reference, what could ‘old Florida’ truly 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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Florida’s Gulf Coast: Five Wonderful Island Escapes

Posted on January 21, 2019
By Fred Mays, GoNOMAD
Cabbage Key, Recreation, Reviews

Aerial view of Cabbage Key, Florida.

Aerial view of Cabbage Key, Florida. Fred Mays photos.

Florida is a big, very populous state with lots of tourists, and consequently finding a little quiet peace on the beach gets harder all the time.

Yeah, there are over 1,350 miles of coastline, and you would think that’s enough to give everybody their own place on the sand. But no, everybody seems to want to pile in the same spot you picked.

But there are places where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy a little sand dune solitude. Here are my picks for couple’s getaways on Florida’s Gulf Coast where you can find great beaches, fine restaurants, and comfortable hotels.
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A Magical Boat Ride to Cabbage Key

Posted on July 17, 2018
By Olivia Johnson, Baubles to Bubbles
Cabbage Key, Captiva, Recreation

I’m back in Cincinnati after an incredible family vacation on Captiva Island in Florida! We have been vacationing in Captiva since I was a baby, and it’s always a nice weeklong escape when we go.

This year Joe was finally able to come on the trip with us, so it was his first time experiencing the island. In past years, the dates of our vacations unfortunately perfectly lined up with other work/travel obligations Joe had so I was excited this year worked out!

We like to lounge on our beach vacations, so most days we headed straight to the beach. We decided to switch it up one day and rent a boat to take us out to Cabbage Key, an island only accessible by boat.

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7 unforgettable moments you’ll have fishing The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida

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.

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