In Florida travel guides, Cedar Key usually gets a nod on a page near the back of the book. Surrounded by protected natural habitats, this tiny town on a tiny island sits in the Big Bend area of Florida, where the panhandle meets the pan. An increase in tourism is occurring as artists, nature lovers and those seeking a more laid-back coastal experience are discovering this former railroad outpost.

In the late 1800s, Cedar Key was a booming port town because of the cedar-hungry pencil industry and the railroad line that once had its terminus at present-day Dock Street. The devastating hurricane of 1896 and the lack of a deep water harbor helped bring the boom to an end, turning Cedar Key into a sleepy fishing and clamming village, and a well-kept tourist secret.

Today the Dock Street waterfront is home to art galleries, bars, seafood restaurants and a new town pier. Just as in the more popular Florida Keys farther south, you won't find long, wide expanses of natural sandy beach on Cedar Key where waves crash ashore. What you will find is a place resembling what those other Keys must have been like before they became overrun with tourism.

A Cedar Key Christmas

Nov. 26 -- Dec. 11

The weather is usually mild enough to allow for outdoor events during this annual Christmas celebration. Things get started the day after Thanksgiving with the tree lighting ceremony at City Park. The Jingle Bell Hop street dance takes place on Saturday, Nov. 27, with a deejay playing danceable holiday tunes and '50s sock-hop music. Many shops and restaurants offer special holiday discounts. The celebration culminates Dec. 11 with a lighted boat parade. Locals illuminate their boats and escort Santa -- dressed in a clam outfit -- to shore, where he then sits down for a traditional lap session with the kids. A large community potluck dinner takes place afterward. Visitors are welcome, even if they don't bring a dish.

Kayaking

The waters around Cedar Key are relatively shallow and wave action is minimal, making for some good sightseeing and bird watching via kayak. For the more adventurous, kayaking the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge offers an unparalleled experience. The refuge includes a number of small, uninhabited islands a couple of miles off Cedar Key that experienced paddlers can loop around on a day-trip. Only the beach areas are open to the public on most islands, with the inland sections being off-limits (and also highly populated with cottonmouth snakes). Atsena Otie Key a mile off Cedar Key is fully accessible, has a pier, toilet facilities and a walking trail leading to historic ruins and a cemetery. www.fws.gov/cedarkeys

Boat tours

If paddling isn't your style, take a guided boat tour with a local operator. Captain Doug's Tidewater Tours and Cedar Key Island Hopper both have a variety of tours, including island, marsh, birding and sunset cruises. The guides are knowledgeable about the islands, wildlife and history of the area. You can also take a trip into the nearby Lower Suwanee National Wildlife Refuge, where the fabled Suwanee River and its large estuary system empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Dolphins are frequently spotted by those on boat tours around Cedar Key, as are a multitude of migratory and nesting birds including bald eagles, osprey, terns, herons, pelicans and many other species.

Captain Doug's Tidewater Tours. www.tidewatertours.com

Cedar Key Island Hopper. www.cedarkeyislandhopper.com

Cedar Key Museum State Park

Located in a woodsy residential neighborhood a couple of miles from the main business district, this park's museum building looks like a 1970s-era grade school and features informative historical displays about Cedar Key. More interesting are the grounds, which include a nature trail and the circa-1890s St. Clair Whitman House, set up to resemble what home life on the island was like in the 1920s.

www.floridastateparks.org/cedarkeymuseum

If you go: Cedar Key is a 6 1/2-hour drive south from Atlanta via I-75 and Fla. 24.

Stay: Cedar Key Bed and Breakfast. B&B with rooms, suites and cottages in a residential neighborhood within walking distance of Dock Street. Rates start at $99. 810 Third St., Cedar Key. 352-543-9000, www.cedarkeybandb.com

Faraway Inn. Rooms and cottages across the street from the water, with complimentary canoes, kayaks and bicycles for guests. Pet friendly. Rates start at $75 for rooms, $140 for cottages. 847 Third St., Cedar Key. 888-543-5330, www.farawayinn.com

Eat: The Island Room. Waterside restaurant serving pasta dishes and fresh seafood specials daily. Entrees start at $10.95. 192 Second St., Cedar Key. 352-543-6520, www.islandroom.com

Kona Joe's Island Cafe. Breakfast, lunch, dessert and coffee shop on Dock Street. All regular menu items are under $6. 490 Dock St., Cedar Key. 352-543-9898, www.konajoesislandcafe.com

Tourism info: Cedar Key Area Chamber of Commerce. 618 Second St., Cedar Key. 352-543-5600, www.cedarkey.org