I visit my parents in Fort Myers, Florida a few times a year, and we’ve taken a lot of amazing boat rides around the area! On my last trip, we rented a boat from Pine Island and did some sightseeing around Pine Island and North Captiva Island before heading to Cabbage Key (if you don’t want to rent a boat, there is a ferry that will take you to Cabbage Key). The man we rented the boat from was very excited to tell us all about what to see on Cabbage Key since it’s a bit of a hidden gem in the Gulf Coast, and if you want to check out some islands while you’re in Florida, Cabbage Key is a great one to visit!
Boat ride to Cabbage Key
You can see some pretty places on the way to Cabbage Key! We saw a lot of neat houses and stopped at North Captiva for some ice cream. We also saw lots of dolphins! Every time I visit Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, I see TONS of dolphins, even just right along the shore on the beach. I haven’t seen one jump completely out of the water yet, but they get pretty close to the boat and show off some tricks.
Tour of Cabbage Key
If you’ve heard of Cabbage Key, you may have heard that that’s where Jimmy Buffett wrote “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” There isn’t any evidence to that, but it’s the locals’ claim to fame. Not many people live on Cabbage Key, and you can see a lot of the houses on the nature trail.
Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant is the only inn and restaurant on the island, and it’s been run by the same family since the 1970s. We went there for lunch, and they had some pretty great shrimp! We also got their frozen key lime pie, but it didn’t have a graham cracker crust, which I prefer with key lime pie.
There is a small water tower on the island, and you can climb it for some pretty views! It probably takes only a minute to climb, so it isn’t a strenuous climb, don’t worry. There are also some tortoises right near the water tower. We were there in the middle of the day on a hot day, so all the tortoises were hanging out in the shade, but one of them did poke his head out to watch people passing by!
Past the water tower, you can walk along a nature trail. There are a few houses along the way and lots of different flowers and plants to check out. The island isn’t very big, so it won’t take you long to walk around and take in the sights.
If you’re looking for a hidden gem in Florida, Cabbage Key is a great place to explore for a day! Plus, the views of the islands and dolphins on the boat ride are great 🙂
I need to get over there and check this out. I’ve actually never been to Ft. Myers either, just through it. Living in Orlando, it isn’t too far away. Thanks for sharing this lesser known gem!
I hope you can go! Fort Myers is a beautiful part of Florida! 🙂
How cool that you saw dolphins!!! This place looks so dreamy! Such gorgeous flowers! And the water!
It’s paradise in Florida! 🙂
I spent a couple of weeks in the Keys and I’m not sure if got here or not! This is such a great area and I would love to go back for more time!
There’s so much to see there! 🙂
Cabbage Key looks like a gorgeous holiday spot! I actually hadn’t heard of it before reading this post! It’s always so magical seeing wildlife in their natural habitat – especially sealife I love it! Thanks for this post really informative, it’s been a few years since I last visited Florida albeit for Disney but I do hope to return to the US one day.
I hope you can see some wildlife the next time you’re in Florida! There’s so much to see there! 🙂
Really lovely little spot, I visit Florida and the keys almost every year and I always go to the same place so I think next visit I’ll mix it up and try for Cabbage Key! Would love to spot some dolphins, that always makes for a fun day, hahaha!
Seeing dolphins in person is amazing! I definitely recommend visiting Fort Myers and Cabbage Key one year! 🙂
I need to go here to see the dolphins! This looks absolutely amazing thanks for sharing!
It’s so cool to see the dolphins jumping around right next to you!
So refreshing!
Thanks! 🙂
Seeing a turtle must have been pretty cool! Looks like a nice get away.
It’s the perfect spot for a getaway!
Looks beautiful! Love the bit of rumored Jimmy Buffet lore too 😉
It’s an amazing place!!
Looks amazing! How nice that you were able to visit a few time this year so far!
It’s a fun place to get to visit!