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As soon as we hopped off the boat and onto the island, we began to melt rapidly – it was a very hot day and no breeze to be found.Īfter melting on Cabbage Key for a couple of hours, we decided to track up to Cayo Costa State Park dock for a look, and then back down to the southernmost tip of that barrier island for a beach break and a swim at Pejuan Point beach. We were tempted but had very firm instructions not to venture that way…Īs we approached Cabbage Key, we were greeted by a very friendly helper named Jonathan who helped us dock on the island and also volunteered some information about the place and the gopher tortoises. Don’t attempt to get too close, as it is pretty shallow that way. Keep an eye out for the historic fishing shacks on stilts which you will pass on the eastern side of the intracoastal when cruising up to Cabbage Key. Truly an amazing and unforgettable experience. We had hardly pulled out of the marina when we spotted the first dolphins, and we saw more of them virtually all day long. We would have considered ourselves lucky to have seen one, but at the end of the day we must have seen several dozens including mothers with young calves. And we live to tell the tale!Īlso, there are dolphins everywhere. I only saw the ground (and freaked out) once, and even got to steer the boat for a bit. Turns out there was really just a paddle… At first, I thought the nice man in the marina was joking when I asked about the depth finder, and he said “no electronics, but there is a paddle for that”. I must admit that at first I was a tad concerned about cruising in a little boat with no depth finder bar a paddle, and no GPS whatsoever. Thanks to a handy chart provided by Tween Waters boat rental, however, we did get to Cabbage Key in one piece. The boat trip was a bit “adventurous” since we had never been boating in the area and Pine Island Sound has some notorious shallows. However, if you don’t want to rent your own boat you can reach the island via various ferry services from Pine Island and Captiva. We decided to rent a boat on Captiva and try to get to Cabbage Key that way, wanting to do our own thing in our own time rather than do the “tourist thing” and potentially being rushed.
#SHELL KEY SHUTTLE HOW TO#
The restaurant and former Rinehart winter residence How to get there? The Rhineharts intended to use the island as their winter retreat and started building their estate on the island, with the main house right on top of a big Calusa shell midden. Cabbage Key was undeveloped at that time and said to have been occupied by one squatter, some wild pigs, and the usual Florida critters. Fast forward to more recent times, the Rineharts (Alan and Gratia) purchased Cabbage Key – then known as Palmetto Key – in 1934. Captiva and Sanibel are the perfect starting points for such a boat trip.įirst, a little bit of Cabbage Key history:Īrchaeologists have found evidence, in particular shell middens, that suggest Cabbage Key was occupied by Calusa Indians since 100 BC until the 1700’s AD. Wouldn’t you agree?Ĭabbage Key is one of the many keys and islands located in Pine Island Sound on the south-west coast of Florida, and can be reached via ferry and cruise companies on Pine Island and Captiva, or – by far the best option if you dare – by private boat. 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. Miss Pass-A-Grille | 801 Pass-A-Grille Way | St.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. Call and reserve the entire boat for your next company party, church outing, or family reunion.įish Cleaning service and soft drinks available. Parking Passes are available inside the bait shop. We supply the Rod, Reel, Bait, Tackle and Fishing License. We fish for Red Grouper, Gag Grouper,Triggerfish, Sea Bass, Mangrove Snapper, and Gray Snapper. Miss Pass-A-Grille is a 51' Twin Diesel with an A/C cabin for everyone. SHELL KEY SHUTTLE FROM THE same DOCK - Eco-tour with low impact on unspoiled Shell Key Wednesdays and saturdays at 8:00am and returns at 4:00pm The afternoon trip leaves at 1:00pm and returns at 5:00pm The morning trip leaves at 8:00am and returns at 12:00pm Monday, tuesday, thursday, friday, and sunday