One of the great things about launching the boat at Bradenton Beach, as mentioned last blog, is some of the territory it makes available. And one of the coolest destinations is the fishing village of Cortez, just a mile to the north.
Fishing was the center of Cortez for 130+ years, not counting many hundreds of years that Native Americans probably fished there. And there were dozens of villages like Cortez all around Florida before regulation, overfishing, and waterfront development pressure squeezed them all out.
Somehow Cortez has hung on (read more about Cortez here) and not been paved over or overshadowed by high-rise condos. There are several restaurants on the waterfront, a marina, a boatyard, and yes, still some commercial fishing boats.
Here, sun sets over some of the fleet.
Fishing shacks like this used to be all over. When nets were made of cotton, they had to be properly spread-out, dried, repaired, and stored, and these shacks were where it was done. Modern nets are tougher and more rot resistant. But this shack right near Cortez has been preserved. (The sign says, "Boiled Peanuts.")
Cortez is a heckuva place -- and just a few minutes from our home in Sarasota!
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