Cabbage Key: Deserted Island, Dolphins, Dollars & Bromeliads

Cabbage Key in Florida

Imagine landing boats on the island pier only twice a day and unloading a handful of passengers spending a few hours on the island - that's like the rush hour between 11.00 and 14.00. Before and after, it is quiet on Cabbage Key, a small island in the Gulf of Mexico west of Cape Coral and north of Sanibel Island. Cabbage Key is one of the barrier islands on the west coast of Florida and can only be reached by boat. Nevertheless, people live here all year round, albeit few.

Arrival by boat: Cabbage Key – quiet island in the Gulf of Mexico

We are a far cry from the Florida of the super-rich in Fort Lauderdale, the young and beautiful in Miami, and the shell collectors on Sanibel Island. Those who come here seek peace and quiet and closeness to nature. This small island offers plenty of that. There is no supermarket, no roads, and very few houses on the island. We are aboard the Lady Chadwick We came here from Captiva Island, a small tour boat that visits the island daily.

Dolphins in front of bow waves – an animal delight

We leisurely chug through the islands north of Sanibel Island. We're accompanied by a group of dolphins, who delight in riding the bow waves of our boat. This seems to be a daily occurrence for the animals, because as soon as the boat sets off and picks up speed, they surface beside us. Encouraged by the shouts of the passengers, they leap out of the water in twos, threes, and even fours, seemingly watching us just as we are watching them.

Pure nature: Experience pelicans, ospreys & co. up close

The wildlife on this boat trip is not shy at all. We see pelicans diving into the water like arrows, hunting for fish. A cormorant stretches its feathers to dry in the sun and warm breeze, and an osprey slowly circles above our heads.

After a good hour, we finally dock on Cabbage Key, where only a few people disembark with us. The selection of activities we can do here isn't extensive—a path leads from the boat dock up to the main house, which boasts several famous residents. It was built in the 1930s by Mary Roberts Rhinehart, a successful American writer and journalist. She wrote numerous crime novels and was one of the highest-paid authors of her time.

The Cabbage Key Inn: Cheeseburgers, Famous People & Dollars on the Wall

Today, their house houses the Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant, which offers the "best cheeseburgers on the island" - in other words, the only ones. Legend has it that Jimmy Buffett got the inspiration for his hit song "Cheeseburger in Paradise" here. Buffet himself says he was there, but he says the inspiration came from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, not Cabbage Key. But we don't go to the restaurant for the food (although we do indulge in that) or for Jimmy Buffet. We want to see the 70000 dollar bills that guests have left behind over the years. And indeed, the restaurant is more like a stalactite cave than an inn. About 10.000 dollars is donated annually to charity.

70000 dollar bills: The bizarre tradition in the restaurant

Dollar bills hang and stick everywhere: from the ceiling, on the walls, above the windows, and on the pillars. This tradition was started by a fisherman who wanted to ensure he would be served his cheeseburger on his next visit. Numerous imitators followed, including such famous figures as Buffet, Julia Roberts, John F. Kennedy Jr., Kevin Costner, and George W. Bush's family. We were able to locate Jimmy Buffet's dollar bill among the tens of thousands that adorn the walls here.

Well-fortified after our cheeseburger, we set out to explore the island. A family of ducks fetch their lunch from a tin trough in front of the restaurant. Just beyond the inn stands an observation tower that offers a good overview of the island and its surroundings.

Bromeliads, Spanish moss & bald cypresses: Florida's vegetation splendor

The Wells family has operated the island since 1976 and has preserved its "Old Florida" style. The place remains quiet and car-free. Cabbage Key has no beaches or nightlife, approximately 112 acres, and offers vegetation, trails, an observation tower, an inn, and a bar. The island itself is densely covered with native Florida vegetation: bald cypress trees with bromeliads clinging to their branches, palm trees and palmettos, and Spanish moss, which lends the dense vegetation an unreal appearance.

Calusa Shell Mounds: One of Florida's highest elevations

We descend sandy paths from the island's highest point: a shell mound belonging to the Calusa Indians who once lived here. We're told this is also one of the highest points in Florida—just a few meters above sea level. The further we move away from the main house, the quieter it becomes. Here, we hear only the buzzing of insects and the cry of the osprey above our heads—pure nature.

Back through dolphins: The return journey as a quiet farewell experience

But time flies and we have to get back to the jetty so as not to miss our ship. Once again dolphins accompany us on our way back Captiva Island, almost as if they were waiting for us. A trip to Cabbage Key is definitely a trip to another world, away from the hustle and bustle of modern technology, to a time when the clocks ticked even slower.

Practical tips for your trip to Cabbage Key

Captiva Cruises
Captiva Island, Florida 33924
(239) 472-5300
(239) 472-6405 FAX
Email: ppgad@pucrs.br

To ensure that you get a place on the crossing, you can, for example, Book via GetYourGuide* (Advertisement).

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Accomodation

Accommodation on Sanibel Island * (advertisement) you can book here, for example.

Do you know this?

• Captiva Island
• Sanibel Island, Florida
• Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale attractions

Further Slow Travel Destinations you can also find here.

Source: Own on-site research. Kindly supported by The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel. However, our opinions remain our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline