by Tonia Hooper

Created on: March 02, 2010

Are you searching for a relaxing and slower pace atmosphere for your next vacation?  Try Cedar Key, Florida and experience “old Florida” charm.  Cedar Key, which is one of the oldest ports in Florida, is a small fishing village located in the heart of Nature Coast Florida, approximately 50 miles southwest of Gainesville; 135 miles north of Tampa.  This quaint, small-town village seems to have almost untouched by time and progress.  Cedar Key offers a host of activities such as fishing, bird-watching, relaxing, walking nature trails; bike riding, and enjoying world-class seafood caught locally. 

You will not see a mall or movie theatre or even a traffic light in Cedar Key, but you will see many smiling faces and people who treat you like you are part of the family and welcome you with open arms making you feel at home immediately.  There are many choices of lodging, ranging from cottages to condos, in Cedar Key, all wonderful, clean, reasonably priced and homey.  In our recent visit we stayed at the Island Place in a waterfront condominium.  This one bedroom condo overlooking the bay and docks offers a breathtaking sunset view and you can even watch the dolphins playing in the water. 

Here are a few of the wonderful attractions and activities you may experience in Cedar Key: 

Cedar Key Museum State Park- Established in 1962 featuring exhibits of Timucuan Indian artifacts, antique glassware, old bottles, wide variety of seashells and photographs of Old Cedar Key. Cedar Key Scrub State Park- Beautiful scrub habitat offering walking and bird watching trails. Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge- This amazing group of restricted islands include a seabird rookery and a lighthouse dating back to the 1850’s.  You may rent a boat on the mainland to explore these outer islands. Manatee Springs State Park- One of Florida’s many beautiful state parks offering scuba diving, swimming, picnicking, boat ramp, canoe rentals and a boardwalk which meanders through old cypress wetlands into the Suwannee River. Shell Mound Park- This park features a ancient Indian mound and a nature trail, boat ramp, camping and picnicking, which is located off Highway 347 on County Road 326 just outside of Cedar Key. Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge- This new 40,000 acre refuge offers plenty of nature driving and hiking trails, which abound in wildlife and photographic opportunities. Waccassassa Bay State Preserve-

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