The other day, we told you about a restaurant with some of the best seafood in Florida, the Star Fish Company Market & Restaurant in Cortez. There was just as much curiosity about the town as there was about the restaurant. For anyone who wants to learn more about this tiny town that seems frozen in time, here’s a little more information:
Cortez is a historic fishing village located on Florida's west coast, near Bradenton. The town has fewer than 5,000 residents, and many Floridians have never even heard of it.
Visiting Cortez is like stepping back in time. It's one of the few authentic fishing villages left in Florida, and it was founded in the 1880s by settlers from North Carolina.
The original structures built by these settlers are still standing and selling fresh-caught seafood, and their descendants are still living and working in this historic town.
Why visit? Well, besides the incredible seafood? If you want a glimpse of Florida the way it looked 100 years ago, this tiny town — and its working waterfront — is one of the few places you can do just that.