Boating | Tarpon Lodge

Dock & dine in style: Discover Fort Myers’ best waterfront restaurants

Posted on October 6, 2023
By Travelweek
Boating, Cabbage Key, Dining, Fort Myers, Tarpon Lodge

Inhale those fresh Gulf breezes and feel the warmth of the sun on your face as the day unfolds before you.

All throughout Fort Myers’ islands, beaches, and neighborhoods, you can go straight from an exhilarating boat ride to an amazing meal while overlooking the water.

You’re invited to experience a local legend. Cabbage Key Inn sits on its own 100-acre island and has been feeding guests for decades. Hop aboard a charter or book your own private boat to reach this remote restaurant famed for its cheeseburgers, fresh seafood and frozen Key lime pie. Its defining feature is the thousands of dollar bills taped to the restaurant’s ceilings and walls, and you’ll likely spot tortoises and other wildlife roaming the walkways outside.

Feel the charm of an Old Florida landmark at the Tarpon Lodge & Restaurant in Bokeelia on Pine Island. This historical 1926 house overlooks Pine Island Sound and is surrounded by a restored boathouse, bungalow-style cottage and comfortable Island House. Enjoy a leisurely lunch or exquisite evening meal at Tarpon Lodge Restaurant, where you can dine on the catch of the day, prized Gulf pink shrimp or other locally sourced favourites.


This is an excerpt from an article originally published by Travelweek.


Tarpon Lodge and Cabbage Key

Posted on December 27, 2019
By Ray Collins, Family Beautiful
Boating, Cabbage Key, Nature & Wildlife, Staycation, Tarpon Lodge

Islands in the Sun: 80 miles and a world away from Sarasota!

Over the past 10 years and dozens of articles, this weekend staycation was among the most memorable.  It’s not for what it had, it’s more about what it didn’t have.   It’s about a weekend that got better by the hour—but not for the usual reasons.

We drove south from Sarasota on Interstate 75 and began angling toward the coast just after Punta Gorda, arriving about an hour later.   We checked into a place called Tarpon Lodge, a quaint Old Florida resort on the banks of Pine Island Sound.

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Inn-to-Inn: Around Pine Island, Florida

Posted on August 3, 2017
By Lisa Ballard, DIY Fishing / Photos by Jack & Lisa Ballard
Fishing, Kayaking, Pine Island, Tarpon Lodge

Silhouetted Lisa Ballard casts her fishing line from her kayak into Pine Island Sound at sunset.

MY HUSBAND, JACK, desperately wanted to hook a big snook, which was the motivation behind our three-night DIY kayak-fishing trip around Pine Island, the largest landmass in the archipelago which includes southwest Florida’s seaside resorts of Sanibel and Captiva. There was only one problem, as far as we knew an inn-to-inn paddle-trip in that area had never been done before. It wasn’t exactly a heroic off-the-grid adventure. During the day we’d weave in and out of mangroves and across shallow bays, then come ashore at dinnertime, check in to a waterfront lodge, then paddle and fish again the next day.

“I think it’ll work,” Jack said, after researching some nautical charts and regional websites. “We’ll need to paddle about eight miles each day, which should leave us plenty of time to fish.”

Eight miles in the ocean? What if we got lost? What if the sun scorched our pale northern hides? But we might catch snook! A month later, we launched our boats at Tarpon Lodge on the west side of Pine Island.

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Captain Chuck Koucky: Perfecting the Art of Smooth Sailing

Posted on October 30, 2016
By The Wells Family, Tarpon Lodge, Pineland, Florida
Boating, Pine Island, Recreation, Sailing

At our dock at Tarpon Lodge, amid an array of motorboats small and large, guests will notice the sleek outline and billowing sails of the Alondra, a fine, museum-quality 47-foot classic wooden sailboat designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff. One look at this beauty, and you know there’s a good story here.

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The classically elegant Alondra designed by renowned naval architect L. Francis Herreshoff

The story begins with Captain Charles (Chuck) Koucky a well-known area artist and a captain for more than 30 years. With three sailboats in his fleet, Chuck has a special place in his heart for the Alondra, a meticulously-crafted vessel launched in Michigan in 1985, and purchased by Chuck about five years ago.

Sailing since the age of 10, Chuck spends the winter months taking clients out for sightseeing or sunset tours, plus offering sailing instruction. During the summer, he sails on the Alondra with the Boy Scouts of America high adventure tours out of Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

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