Cabbage Key & Cayo Costa – A Southwest Florida Must See

Where is Cabbage Key? How do you get there? What do you do there? And what is the Cabbage Creeper? Hop into our boat, you’re about to find out!

While we jump down to the Caribbean every chance we get, we try really hard to not take for granted the coastal paradise that we call home. Living in Fort Myers, Florida gives us not only fantastic beaches, but some of the best boating in all of Florida.

How is that you might ask?

Because there are a collection of barrier islands that line the coast forming shallow bays and sounds with hundreds of smaller islands throughout. Those barrier islands are Lovers Key, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva, and Cayo Costa. And when we get the itch for some island fun, we jump in a boat and go explore!

One of our favorite areas to explore is North Pine Island Sound, which is around Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa. In fact, I proposed to Crystal on Cayo Costa and got married on Captiva! You can see the proposal video here. She thought we were making a drink video!

But all that boating and beaching can make a castaway hungry, so when that happens, we pull up anchor and head to Cabbage Key. Cabbage Key is a small island in north Pine Island Sound and is home to the famous Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant. Boaters from near and far descend on the island for lunch and dinner. There is even a ferry boat that you can take from Captiva if you want to grab a bite to eat.

If you want to see what Cabbage Key is all about and what a day on the water with us looks like, then take a look at this video!

What To Order at Cabbage Key Restaurant

There are whispers that Cabbage Key is the place that inspired Jimmy Buffett’s Cheeseburger in Paradise song, so everyone seems to order cheeseburgers. However, I’ve heard a dozen places make this claim, so it’s hard to tell what’s true and what’s folklore now. But they also have delicious Mahi Mahi, Salmon, Shrimp, Chicken sandwich and Stone Crab.

Another thing everyone orders is the famous Cabbage Creeper. This is a delicious adult beverage made with Pina Colada Mix, Rum, and a Coffee Liqueur floater. Is it good? Oh yeah, it’s good. You have to try one. Oh, and their Key Lime Pie is to die for!

Things To Do

The little Cabbage Key island has a couple trails that take you back into the lush Florida bush. You’ll probably see Gopher Tortoises, a bunch of different birds, and some other critters. Surrounding the island the wildlife gets even better. Chance are you’ll see dolphins swimming about looking for lunch and gentle manatees meandering around.

There is also a wooden water tower you can climb (steps) to get a birds eye view of the island.

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It really is a great place and we highly recommend a visit!

Another great places to visit that’s not too far from Cabbage Key is Boca Grande. You can drive there or arrive by boat. We spend a day there and absolutely loved it. You can read more about the best things to do on Boca Grande here.

If you’ve been or have questions, hit us up on Instagram and send us a Direct Message. We would love to know what you thought or happy to answer any questions.

Cheers!

RumShopRyan