Cabbage Key - an island hideaway

The best thing to do at Cabbage Key is doing nothing. Located in the intracoastal waterway a short distance from Big Pine Key, Cabbage Key is the way Florida used to be - before the mouse arrived.

Quick Tips:

Cabbage Key is not for everyone and the staff is quick to point this out. If you are looking for non-stop party action then this is not the place for you but if you want a place to get away from it all - you have found it at Cabbage Key. On my next trip to Cabbage Key I will take the resort's boat back and forth to the mainland instead of arranging transportation myself. On our last trip I had booked a trip with a charter boat captain to take us across at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Traffic caused us to arrive at the marina about 20 minutes late and our charter boat was already gone. I had to pay twice the amount for another boat to take us to the island but the captain did give us a nice sightseeing cruise on the way back.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are only three ways to get to the island - boat, seaplane and helicopter and there is only one way to get around the island and that is by foot.

The inn has six air-conditioned guest rooms with each decorated in its own old Florida style. All have private baths and some have fireplaces. T he one we stayed in had its own private porch. None of the rooms are equipped with radios, televisions or phones - just like it was in the old days.
There are two televisions in the bar and there is a pay phone on the boat dock by the gift shop.
The unique thing about Cabbage Key is the rates are the same year-round - $89.00 per night.
There are also several cottages for rent on the island. The ones without kitchens are $145.99 per night and the ones with kitchens are $189.00 per night.

If seafood is what you like then you will have come to the right place when you come to the Cabbage Key Resort Restaurant.

It is the only restaurant on the island but it draws patrons from not only the resort but also from the surrounding islands. A special boat arrives at lunch time every day bringing patrons from Sanibel Island.

The restaurant draws its share of parrotheads (Jimmy Buffet fans) to try the cheeseburger. The owner of the resort says Jimmy wrote the song 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' about his restaurant's cheeseburger.

Jimmy has been known to stop by for a visit when he is in the area. This restaurant is not only known for its cheeseburger but also its seafood dishes. Articles about the resort's food have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world.

If you ever wanted to know what it would be like to be on a deserted island, then you have to make the short trip to Cayo Costa.

Located a short distance from Cabbage Key, Terry, the dockmaster at Cabbage Key, will be glad to rent you a boat for the trip and give you directions. Don't worry about getting lost - each boat comes complete with a radio. The kitchen crew will also be glad to pack you a picnic lunch for your trip.

Locals say the island is even better for hunting shells than Sanibel Island. You will defintely find a lot less people on Cayo Costa. Terry says he has seen days when there might be just one couple on the entire island.

While the resort furnishes beach mats and umbrellas, it is up to you to supply the sunscreen - a very needed item on this sun drenched island.

The island features a nature trail where visitors can get up close with the flora and fauna of the island, however, as a word of warning, even though we were there in December the mosquitoes were everywhere. I am told they are even worse in the summer so beware when you head off on the nature trail. However, armed with a good can of repellant, the nature trail is worth doing since signs have been erected to point out the various trees and flowers one will see along the way.

No matter what time of the year one visits it is still a good idea to put on insect repellant before heading down the trail.

After walking the trail, climb up the island's water tower for a 360 degree view of the 100 acre island. This is also a great place to watch the sunset.

The bar at Cabbage Key is the gathering place for guests, who are staying in the inn and cottages, but also those who are staying on their boats in the marina. The bar attracts patrons from all walks of life, from the rich and famous to the locals. It is not unusual to find yourself sitting next to a celebrity during your visit. The walls of the bar, as well as the walls of the main dining room, are covered with autographed dollar bills, patrons have left behind. The tradition reportedly started when a local fisherman put a bill on the wall to be available for his next visit. As the dollar bills fall off the walls, the staff picks them up and donates them to local charities.

This article is not complete I discovered Cabbage Key quite by accident. My wife and I were planning a trip to Florida over the Christmas holidays last year and I was looking for something a little different than just a trip to a theme park.

It was while surfing the web that I came across a story about Cabbage Key.

As I read the account of this person's visit, I knew this was a place we had to visit.

Finding out about Cabbage Key is easy today because they have a brand new web site - www.cabbage-key.com but last year I had to search the web and look through guidebooks seeking more information.

It was not easy to find out about Cabbage Key although I later found out much has been written about it and there is even a very popular song that refers to the island.

It is said that Jimmy Buffett was so impressed by the cheeseburger he had in the island’s restaurant that he composed Cheeseburger in Paradise to share his experience with all of his Parrothead friends.

After a trip to my local Books a Million where I found a reference to Cabbage Key and a phone number, I called to find out more.

The friendly voice on the other end of the phone said they had a room for the nights we wanted to visit but she wanted to warn me that Cabbage Key is not for everyone.

If your idea of paradise is drinks by the pool, dancing to midnight, or riding a jet ski, then Cabbage Key is not for you.

But if you are looking for a place you can come to and forget all your cares while reading a good book then Cabbage Key is the place for you.

The only way to reach the island is by boat , sea plane or helicopter. The resort does offer a pickup service with their boat daily at or you can make your own arrangements with one of the many charter boats captains in the area.

We made plans to ride over with one captain but when we arrived at the marina we found that he had gone without us, although we were only ten minutes late.

However, Captain Tom of Reliable Towing and Salvage, came to our rescue and said he would not only carry us over but would return us for when our stay was over. To contact Capt. Tom call 941-283-6060 or 941-282-FISH.

Arriving at the island, we were met by one of the staff, who helped us to carry our luggage up the hill to the inn.

The resort is located on one of the highest spots in Florida, a 38 foot high hill composed of oyster shells.

Upon checking in we found we were to be the only guests in the inn that night, although there were some others staying in one of the cottages.

The inn has ?? rooms all with private baths. The rooms are decorated in the manner they would have been back in the 1930’s when the inn was the home of ?????, the son of ?????, a famous mystery writer of that period.

While there is some speculation as to whether Mrs. Rinehart had a hand in designing the house, it is known she did visit since her own house was located on another island nearby.

The inn was turned into a resort when the present owner, who had been a teacher, visited the island and fell in love with it and bought it.

During our visit I learned the resort does not do any advertising, although it does now have a web site.

The resort has been written about numerous times with articles appearing in newspapers and magazines. Many of the national food magazines have done articles on the resort’s restaurant and after you eat there you will know why.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

After checking in we were shown to one room, which was really nice, but after exploring the inn, and finding we were the only guests, I inquired about changing to a room that featured its own private screened in porch.

700

No problem at all I was told.

There are no televisions, radios or telephones in the rooms. The only televisions are in the bar and the only public telephone is located on the boat dock, next to the gift shop.

Having arrived in mid-afternoon and with a couple of hours to go before dinner, and not having eaten since breakfast, we were rather hungry.

We soon found ourselves digging into a plate of freshly boiled shrimp, which was just enough to tide us over until dinner time.

The resort offers a wide variety of entrees for dinner with the main emphasis, as one would expect, on seafood.

But if you have your heart set on your seafood delicacy being fried, forget it. No fried items are offered due to the fire hazards that might occur while cooking.

Being on an island, there is very limited fire fighting equipment so every precaution is taken to avoid a fire.

After eating, we carried our coffee outside and enjoyed the peacefulness of a beautiful night sky.

Before going to bed, one of the staff showed my wife how to make coffee the next morning if she happened to awake before any of the staff arrived.