Punta Gorda, Florida Gulf Coast

Peace, baby.


It's the Peace River, Punta Gorda, Florida, the land of sunshine.


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Punta Gorda is in Charlotte County where the Peace River meets Charlotte Harbor, down on the gulf coast side of Florida ,100 miles south of Tampa, below Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice Beach. This is not a beach town; this is a fishing town, a quaint cobblestone & palm tree kind of town, a "let's walk across the bridge" kind of town.
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The walk (or jog) across the bridge is a favorite of the locals & since we have relatives that live there, we felt this included us. So one morning after Christmas, we put down our eating utensils and headed out for a little exercise.
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The walk was fantastic. We parked somewhere along the Retta Esplanade, which runs alongside the river, another great walk, and leads to the Fisherman's Wharf. The bridge walk is deliciously breezy and provides an energetic amount of exercise due to its little slope. If you go over and back, it might be a three mile walk, maybe a little less. Stop and watch the boaters, pelicans or fishers, plan out your day, clear cobwebs from your brain, whatever.
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Eva didn't exert much energy, as you can see.
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For nature lovers, the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center offers some guided nature walks and you can take a swamp buggy tour through Telegraph Cypress Swamp & the Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center is a nice visit. For people who like to fish, there are some charter options to get out on the water. The specialty in the local bay area is trout, sheepshead or snook & if you get out into the gulf, your catches will include grouper, mackerel, snapper or tarpon. Check website schedules, several fishing tournaments are held here throughout the year. And remember, you are on the gulf, so of course there is plenty of golf and bingo.


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Walking along the espalande is another great walk where you can find some picnic tables & a great playground for some quality family time.

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Keep walking and you'll come to the docks and
Fisherman's Village. Fisherman's Village is an up & coming boardwalk of cute gift shops and gimmicky restaurants.

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Punta Gorda isn't exactly a vacation destination, but if you are visiting the Gulf Coast beaches, Punta Gorda is a great day trip, especially if you're gonna go out on a fishing charter boat, but even if you're not, it's a'right.

Venice Beach

Anna Maria Island
Lido Key Beaches (Uncle Pete's faves! )