Slice of hidden Florida
Come to where both the tarpon and the tourist hang out – Boca Grande, Florida
From the Calusa Indians to modern day presidents - Gasparilla Island and Boca Grande welcome all with a special island lifestyle.
Take your beverage of choice from the bar at South Beach, cross the sand dune, sit down and delight as dolphins gracefully arc in and out of the turquoise Gulf waters. Congratulations – you have discovered the good life!
Situated midway between Sarasota and Ft Myers, and on scenic Gasparilla Island – Boca Grande offers more than just beaches. Head for Banyan Street where unique shops and restaurants await. Gator bites, anyone? Feel the need for communing with nature? Peddle the bike paths past mangrove groves as iguanas scurry along. Or wait until the spring and early summer when thousands of Silver King tarpon swirl through the Boca Grande Pass.
How do you catch the wily Silver King?
Best thing is to hook up early with a seasoned guide. The price is about $ 400 for a three-hour minimum. The guides, most with generations of tarpon fishing in their blood, know how to locate the major sport fish in the Pass, Charlotte Harbor, along the inlets or by running the beach.
Want more than tarpon? The new world’s record for a hammerhead shark was set in 2006, with the capture of a 1,230 lb female. Other favorites include snook, redfish and grouper.
More into shelling than sharking? Seven miles of white sand beach, starting at Gasparilla Island State Park guarantees a conch or two, especially in winter. Don’t miss the historic Lighthouse Museum, which details the island’s ever- changing history from the arrival of the Calusa Indians to the present day beach escape of George W. Bush.
Presidents aren’t the only VIPS coming to Boca Grande. Hollywood has also appreciated the town’s charm and quaintness through the movies, “Hoot” and ”Out of Time”.
Just remember – once you’ve been Boca-nized – you’ll never be the same!
Quick links:
www.bocabeacon.com
www.bocagrandechamber.com
