Cedar Key is an island town on the Nature Coast of North Central Florida.
Get in
Cedar Key is located on a small island on the west coast of Florida accessible by a single road. There is a small dirt strip airfield.
Get around
Although roads provide access throughout the island, the entire island can be walked in well under one hour.
See
A concrete pier hosts a number of wonderful seafood restaurants.
Atsena Otie Key is accessible by boat tour, or rentable boats or kayaks. It is the original town site for Cedar Key, before it was decimated by a severe hurricane in the 1890s.
- 1 Cedar Key Historical Society Museum, 609 2nd St, ☏ 1-352 543-5549, ✉[email protected]. 1PM to 4PM Sunday through Friday, 11AM to 5PM Saturday. $3.
- 2 Cedar Key State Museum, 12231 S.W. 166 Court, ☏ 1-352 543-5350. 9AM to 5PM Thursday through Monday. A Florida State Park. It includes the St. Clair Whitman house. The house depicts life in Cedar Key circa 1920 - 1930 and focuses on the life of St. Clair Whitman and his collections of sea shells and Indian artifacts. In addition to the museum, there is a short nature trail. Among the wildlife of the park are gray squirrels, doves, mockingbirds, Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and green tree frogs. $2.
Do
A sleepy, relaxing location, the main activities include dining on seafood, enjoying the beautiful Gulf view, and drifting around the few shops. The Cedar Key Arts Festival is in March. The Fourth of July is celebrated as "Clamerica Festival" to celebrate the local clam growing industry. The Seafood Festival is held in mid-October every year.
- Birdwatching (list of birds)
- Kayak Cedar Keys, ☏ 1 352 543-9447. Ocean kayaking.
- 1 Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve. A Florida State Park six miles (10 km) northeast of Cedar Key on State Road 24, and has a picnic shelter, tables, and grills. The scrub is dominated by species such as sand live oak, myrtle oak, and Chapman's oak, along with rusty lyonia, and saw palmetto. Hikers and off-road bicyclists who want to experience a mosaic of Florida habitats will find it on the miles of trails that wind through the park. The shallow waters and numerous creeks near the salt marshes are ideal for canoeing and kayaking. Rental canoes and kayaks are available in the city of Cedar Key.
Buy
There are some art and tourist shops, but no major stores.
Eat
Seafood, seafood, seafood. Many choices on the concrete pier opposite the town park and beach.
- 1 Tony's Seafood Restaurant, 597 2nd Street (On the other side of SR 24 from the Cedar Key Historical Museum), ☏ 1-352 543-0022. 11AM to 8PM Sunday through Thursday, 11AM to 9PM Friday and Saturday. Fresh seafood. Also clam chowder that won the Annual Great Chowder Cook-off three years in a row.
Drink
- Black Dog Bar & Tables (BDBT), Dock St. 3-close. The Black Dog Bar & Tables is the coolest drinking establishment in Cedar Key. Meet your host - Otis Edge, a Black Labradoodle. No food, just good drinks and the most interesting company. $.
Sleep
There are a number of guest houses. The Island Hotel is the most famous place on the island to stay.
- 1 Island Hotel & Restaurant, 373 2nd St, ☏ 1 352 543-5111, toll-free: 1-800-432-4640. Check-in: 2 PM, check-out: 11 AM. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. $80-$135.
- Serenity, 11 Old Mill Dr, ☏ 1 706-485-7586. Waterfront 2/2 vacation rental condo overlooking Waccassassa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, leased by owner.
- Tranquility on the Water, 11 Old Mill Dr. Vacation rental condo with a great view.
- Island Place, 550 1st St, ☏ 1 352-543-5307, ✉[email protected].
Go next
Nothing after sundown but the bars on the pier.