Whether you're dreaming of a secluded vacation getaway and fun in the sun, or some salt water antics and some casual lounging on a white sandy beach, three Florida islands can fulfill your wishes--and two of them can only be reached by boat. They range from rustic to elegant, kid-free to family friendly, and are so secluded they could be the vacation havens of presidents and other high-profile celebrities.
Cabbage Key is so removed from the everyday that it can only be reached by boat. It's located at Channel Marker 60 in the West Central Florida Intracoastal Waterway, north of Sanibel and Captiva Islands and 20 miles northwest of Ft. Myers.
Developed in the 1930s by relatives of novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart, the island is old Florida at its best and rumored to have been the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's famous song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise". According to the "Miami Examiner", Buffet still puts in an appearance at Cabbage Key from time to time.
The small island has a charming bar and restaurant, both papered in thousands of autographed dollar bills taped to the walls and ceilings by previous visitors. Accommodations at the Cabbage Key Inn include six unique rooms in the main building and seven nearby waterfront cottages. Cayo Costa, a pristine barrier island less than half a mile to the west, has six miles of undeveloped and uninhabited beach, perfect for a secluded picnic.
Cabbage Key can be reached by charter boat from nearby Pine Island or Captiva Island.
Cabbage Key
P.O. Box 200
Pine Island Sound, FL 33945
239- 283-2278
cabbagekey.com
Little Palm Island Resort lies three miles out to sea, off the Florida keys coastline. Its white sandy beaches and coconut palms can only be reached by boat or sea plane. The five-acre island is ringed with 30 oceanfront suites with thatched roofs; the island is also home to rare, miniature Florida deer. Dining choices on the island include a gourmet candlelit dining room as well as tables casually strewn along the beach. An Indonesian-inspired spa and a dive shop can be found on the island.
Activities are plentiful, and water sports include the ability to become a certified SCUBA diver during your stay. Daily trips to Looe Key Reef, a protected barrier reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, provide outstanding snorkeling and diving opportunities. Complimentary motor yacht shuttles run hourly to and from the mainland, and Key West is approximately 30 miles southwest. A couples oriented resort, children under 16 are not permitted.
Little Palm Island received fourth place in "Travel + Leisure's" 2010 World's Best Inns.
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa
28500 Overseas Highway
Mile Marker 28.5
Little Torch Key, FL 33042
800-343-8567
littlepalmisland.com
Captiva Island is an unspoiled, protected wildlife preserve on the Gulf of Mexico, 32 miles northwest of Ft. Myers. Occupying most of the island, South Seas offers an impressive array of accommodations from guestrooms to secluded villas, cottages and homes.
Many facilities in this 320-acre preserve are just steps from the Gulf of Mexico. The expansive beach is more than two miles of shell-strewn white sand. "Parents" magazine named the resort one of the top 10 beach resorts for families in 2008. Due to its location on the Gulf coast, Captiva Island, like Cayo Costa, is renowned for its shelling.
Virtually rebuilt after Hurricane Charlie devastated the resort in 2004, the refurbishing of 465 guestrooms cost upward of $140 million. Activities include golf, tennis, diving, fishing, sea kayaking, jet skiing, parasailing and even a sailing school. A luncheon cruise to Cabbage Key is among several charters available at the South Seas marina.
South Seas Island Resort
5400 Plantation Rd.
Captiva Island, FL 33924
866-565-5089
southseas.com
