Cabbage Key

Cabbage Key is a 100-acre island about twenty miles northwest of Fort Myers. If you don't have a boat, you'll have to take a water taxi from Pineland Marina on Pine Island. The island is lush with tropical foliage and the Cabbage Key Inn and Restaurant is striking, sitting high atop an Indian shell mound. Built in the 1930s, the Inn has a popular open-air restaurant, with hardwood floors, an old piano and dollar bills covering the ceiling and walls. Cheeseburgers are popular as it is said that Cabbage Key served as inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's hit song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise". The island is intoxicatingly relaxing and has fascinating trails. While you can feel the romance of Cabbage Key on a day trip, you'll feel it times ten if you opt for an overnight stay at one of the seven private cottages.