Located on Lemon Bay in Cape Haze Florida, Palm Island is is a special kind of island.  With seven miles of pristine beach on the Gulf of Mexico, you will find many species of birds, turtles, fish calling this place home.  For those unfamiliar with this less developed part of southwest Florida, we are just a few minutes from Boca Grande with the closest "city" being Englewood, Florida.

What really differentiates Palm Island from other Florida islands, is that it has no land bridge.  The only way to get on the island is by private boat or ferry.  The Palm Island ferry runs continuously from early morning to late evening, and it only takes a few minutes to cross the Intra-coastal waterway, but it is just enough of an inconvenience to keep the island exclusive and lightly populated.

At the north end of the island you will find Palm Island Resort.  Palm Island Resort is unique.  Guests stay in two and three bedroom beach villas and beach cottages. Every unit faces the beach and most enjoy spectacular views of the ever changing beach.  Each small cluster of villas has its own pool, so even during the busy winter season, you often have the pool almost to yourselves. A jacuzzi grilling area is also in the vicinity of each pool. Tennis courts are also available.

The most common mode of transportation on the shell roads of Palm Island Resort is by foot or bicycle, but many guests also own or rent golf carts from the resort so that exploring the islands secret spots is a bit easier. Bell service is also available to take you around the resort in the big golf cart, to drop you off at Rum Bay restaurant, or take you to Stump Pass.

Rum Bay Restaurant and its small general store and bar is the only commercial establishment on the island.  The Rum Bay menu is island casual and reasonably priced. Daily early bird specials include two-for-one pork ribs that are out of this world. My favorite lunch at Rum Bay restaurant is the Grouper sandwich.  The Key Lime pie is in the traditional Florida tradition.

For those who enjoy fishing, you can fish from any of several docks on the intra-coastal waterway, or fish in the surf directly in front of your condo.  My favorite spot is at the tip of the island at Stump Pass where you will usually find porpoise playing in the water, Manatee slowly cruising along, Osprey high on a perch, and Great Blue Herons waiting for a handout from the fishermen. Stump Pass is a great place to idle away hours.  Here, where the waters of Lemon Bay empty into the Gulf of Mexico, the tides are quite evident.  Bait follows the tides, and game fish follow the bait. Cast a live shrimp or artificial lure into the pass, and you never know what might end up on the line.

For most, spending time on Palm Island is a rotation between walking the beach, cooling off in the pool, and occasional bicycle rides, and fishing excursions.

At the other end of the island lies Don Pedro State park beach which is only accessible by private boat. 

In between Palm Island Resort and the Ferry, lies several miles of roads that meander around the lagoons which are flow into the intra-coastal waterway.  These private vacation rental homes do not offer the resort amenities of Palm Island Resort, but do offer the peace and tranquility of island living.  Here you will find several hundred homes, some with beach front and some with lagoon frontage.  A few even both beach front and backwater frontage. 

If you are seeking a secret place to find your inner beach, this is it.  MyCapeHaze.com  has a number of private beach and lagoon homes in its vacation rental portfolio.  One of our favorites is known as The Beach Place.  "The Beach Place" is a group of 13 private residences on Palm Island that have access to the pool, the beach and a dock. For those who a happy to be within a few minutes from the beach, we have "Wahoo House on Kettle Lagoon" , where you can dock your boat or enjoy the use of the owners canoes.  At the high end, we have a "Here Comes the Sun "  which features 3600 square feet of luxury home with both beach front  and boat dock.  This spacious million dollar beach front home is a rare find for the discriminating vacation rental community.

We occasionally have private residences available for those who wish to stay on Palm Island Resort. Call for details 440-457-7209.


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