Since we’re still getting to know our boat, we wanted our first solo trip to be somewhere relatively close, but we also wanted to make a weekend of it. So, to christen our new life with Adventure Crews, we took her to the beautiful, historical Egmont Key.
What—and where—is Egmont Key?
Only accessible by boat, Egmont Key sits close to where the Manatee River empties into Tampa Bay, a dot on the map between Anna Maria Island and Fort DeSoto Park. It’s a national wildlife refuge and a state park, with a rich history dating back to the 1700s.
The key is mainly unpopulated and only open to visitors during the day. Apart from the wildlife, it’s home to one state park employee and a handful of pilot boat workers who guide the large ships in and out of Tampa Bay.
Our maiden voyage
We wanted to get off the dock early that Saturday morning, but the weather had other ideas. Our somewhat-reluctant first mate—our Australian Shepherd, Dixie—didn’t know what to think about it all. But we were excited; taking the boat out for the first time by ourselves felt like a big deal.
Finally, at 1:30, the weather cleared, and our first test arrived: get the boat out of the slip, and out of the marina, without hitting anything.
We can confirm no boats were harmed during this adventure, and we breathed a little easier as we headed out along the Manatee River. Since our sails were down for maintenance, we motored the whole way.
Thirty miles northwest of where the river meets the bay, we reached Egmont Key. We dropped anchor right off the beach, just south of the pilot house, and took our dinghy to the shore.
Exploring the island
Wildlife habitat is pretty accurate. Although there are restroom facilities, this island is not a tourist trap; there are no stores or restaurants, no places to fill up water bottles or buy snacks. We made sure to bring all our own food.
So what does Egmont Key have to offer, if not fish tacos and refreshing drinks?
Birds, and lots of them. Florida’s beautiful array of bird species, both native and migratory, are living their best life on this little piece of paradise. The pristine beach, scrub grass, and clear water are the perfect places for these species to breed, hunt, and raise their young.
The birds aren’t the only creatures ruling the island. We saw tarpon shoot out of the water, catching baitfish in one swallow. We spotted a tortoise, watched a snake hunt a lizard, and nearly bumped a manatee with our dinghy.
It’s an incredible space for Florida’s native species to thrive, but like in most beautiful places, humans have also left their mark.
History of Egmont Key
People have been on the barrier island since the Spanish conquistadors sailed the area. It’s home to the remnants of Fort Dade, a military barracks active from 1898’s Spanish-American war until 1923. The mile-long island was also once used by the Union Army during the Civil War, and before that, it was a holding for Seminoles during the Third Seminole War.
Today, a ranger station and lighthouse sit at the northernmost tip. We met the friendly ranger, Gage, who explained this lighthouse is not the original one built in 1848—a hurricane destroyed it a few months after it was built. Later, Congress agreed to fund a more robust lighthouse and keeper’s residence, and so the second lighthouse was built in 1858.
The island also has a small cluster of houses, where those who run the pilot boats stay while they’re working. Not to mention, it’s also a great place to have a photoshoot!
Egmont souvenirs
We got more than just a history lesson on Egmont Key; we made some new friends. Seriously, there’s something about the boat life that makes it easier to talk to strangers. We met a fellow boating couple from Seattle who had sailed their boat to Florida by way of the Panama Canal and they now live in Bradenton.
Visiting new places is such an enriching experience. The history, the beauty, the people—they pull you away from the stress of everyday life and remind you there’s more to life than just you. They make you feel small, in a good way.
If anything, we left Egmont Key feeling buoyed, and we got a taste of what we’ll be doing full-time. Although it was only a mini-trip, it was significant, like the starting gun for everything to come.
You’ll also love: We dove a very old shipwreck in Bimini, Bahamas.
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