Monday, March 13, 2017

Destination Touring: Cayo Costa State Park

The words 'isolated retreat' don't apply to many things in the modern times but they fit well for Cayo Costa State Park in Florida.  (Tampa Bay Times:  Cayo Costa State Park is an isolated retreat)

Florida is one of the last places I would look for any 'isolated retreat' but that's where Cayo Costa is located:


Note:  if you're in the St Petersburg area, don't miss a splendid Dali museum up there.  Until I saw his work in front of me, I didn't fully appreciate the size of his paintings (i.e. enormous).  Here's likely my favorite from him and it's even apropos.


"The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus" - Salvador Dali  (WIKI:  The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus)

Yes, this piece is on display in St Petersburg and may even be ten feet tall.


Even more surprising for Florida, it looks like staying at Cayo Costa is inexpensive.

Isolated from the mainland by Pine Island Sound and reachable only by boat, Cayo Costa is an island the 21st century left behind.

Accommodations consist of tent camping or rustic cabins without electricity, running water or private bathrooms. (There are shared bathrooms, cold showers and potable water spigots centrally located.) While the cabins have mats for padding, plan on bringing sleeping bags and pillows.

Sleeping among the mosquitoes and sandflies without air conditioning may sound like a bad deal, but after gazing at the brilliant night sky unimpeded by light pollution, and waking up to a stroll on Cayo Costa's white sand beaches and lapping turquoise waters, you're likely to change your mind. It doesn't hurt that with taxes and fees, a private cabin costs a modest $46.70.

- TBT


Maybe it looks pissy to post an article such as this one after Lotho and I have commented back and forth regarding the tremendous accessibility enjoyed by alternative vehicles (i.e. anything but cars).  Now this article appears and, neener, neener, your bus can't get to this place.

Yah, maybe it looks like that way but it isn't what happened.  I saw Florida and isolation in the same context and didn't believe it so I looked into it more and discovered Cayo Costa.


While use of ferries isn't so big around America, they're used extensively around Europe and you may need to see a ferry to grok their size since a ferry can easily carry a bus.  In fact, a ferry can carry many of them.

The perspective is opposite in America since people can drive practically anywhere they want to go except for Hawaii.  Conversely, you can't even get out of England without using a ferry for your vehicle.

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