Punta Gorda 

Charming and historic, Punta Gorda is South-west Florida’s hidden gem. A rich combination of cultures and age groups, this beautiful city of around 17,000 enjoys a glorious climate and a marvelous mix of recreational and cultural opportunities. World-class fishing, sailing, boating, and other water sports, some of the nation’s best golfing, stunning parks and scenic natural preserves, and a vibrant cultural and entertainment scene make Punta Gorda a fabulous place to live, work and play. 

Location
About 100 miles south of Tampa on the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda lies on the southern shore of Charlotte Harbor, on the estuary of the Peace River. Interstate 75 runs for 22 miles through Charlotte County, while U.S. 17 ends in Punta Gorda and U.S. 41, the Tamiami Trail, is the main highway running north/south. 

Geography/Terrain
Punta Gorda is situated on the shores of Charlotte Harbor. The surrounding land is rural with swamps, citrus orchards, other fruit producers, and cattle ranches.  

Distance to 3 closest major cities
Punta Gorda is 22 miles from Fort Myers, 43 Miles from Sarasota, and 69 miles from St Petersburg. 

Jobs
As a major holiday and retirement destination and center for a significant agricultural region, Punta Gorda enjoys unemployment rates that are almost half of the national average. The city has created 2,200 jobs over the past two years. Winter residents increase the city’s population by 30%, bringing strong seasonal employment in retail and tourist-related areas. Other major employers are in health and related services, agriculture, and construction services.

Housing
Punta Gorda’s older residential areas feature many brick streets lined with huge old royal palms and many old Florida-era tin-roofed homes with wide verandas. The area is consistently named as one of the best places to live in the US because of its great recreational opportunities, low crime rates, good health care and outstanding climate.
Housing options also include waterfront homes in Punta Gorda Isles, the exclusive waterfront and golfing community of Burnt Store Isles, and a big range of newer and historic single family homes, condos and villas, many on a stunning canal system with direct deep-water access to the Gulf of Mexico. Prices are lower than many other waterfront areas in the State; the median price for single family homes in March 2006 was $224,700. Three-bedroom waterfront homes start at around $450,000. 

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Punta Gorda’s climate and its marvelous marinas, waterways and nearby beaches provide every opportunity to enjoy the relaxed outdoor Gulf lifestyle. Gardening is a popular pastime, and Charlotte Harbor, with its easy access to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, offers world-class sailing, boating, and fishing while white sand beaches in nearby Englewood attract swimmers and sunbathers.  

With approximately 82 acres in 15 public parks, Punta Gorda has plenty of places for exercise and relaxation. Park amenities include playgrounds and picnic tables, decorative fountains, tennis and basketball courts, boat ramps, piers, observation decks, nature walks, wetlands, beaches, and beautiful tropical gardens, so that residents and visitors can play, stroll, fish and swim, or just relax and watch the sunset. 

Less than five miles from the city, the 79,013-acre Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area is among the last undeveloped expanses of wet pine flatwoods in southwest Florida. This natural wonderland offers quail hunting and bird dog field trials, excellent bluegill fishing, and trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding as well as a stunning array of resident and migratory birds, wildflowers, and other wildlife. 

Chosen by Golf Magazine as the 3rd best golfing community in the nation, Punta Gorda is a golfers’ heaven. The nine-hole public Chip Shot Par 3 course, is easy to walk and its narrow fairways and undulating greens provide great short game practice. Going upmarket, the three executive 9-hole courses at the Burnt Store Marina and Country Club are played in three 18-hole combinations and offer challenging golf in beautifully scenic conditions with all the amenities of an upscale resort. Most courses have been designed to suit all levels of golfing ability and are on terrain that is easy to walk.  

Special Attractions/Events 

Punta Gorda boasts a picturesque downtown historical district with cobblestone streets and several buildings on the National Register. Sullivan Street is a charming red brick street whose historic century-old buildings, have been painted in distinctive bright colors, creating an exotic environment for specialty shops offering handcrafted art and sculpture, upscale fashion clothing and accessories, and other attractive wares. There are plenty of interesting art galleries, and an eclectic mix of excellent restaurants to choose from. 

Fishermen’s Village, on Punta Gorda’s waterfront, has become known as SW Florida’s most interesting and exciting vacation complex. As well as vacation villas and a huge marina with cruise boats and fishing boats, there are all kinds of exclusive shops and boutiques, superb restaurants, and terrific nightlife, with visiting acts that change daily. The facility also offers daily organized activities and events for visitors, a heated swimming pool and speed boats, jet skis and bicycles available for rental.

On river-boat tours from Punta Gorda visitors experience the magic of cruising silently through pristine mangrove and cypress swamps, with alligators, manatees, eagles, ospreys, and other beautiful and exotic wildlife close at hand. For the more adventurous swamp buggy expeditions offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see panthers, Florida cracker cattle, white tailed deer, rare swamp birds, and dozens of wild alligators close at hand.  

The stunning 90,000 acre Babcock Ranch offers a glimpse into South-West Florida’s fascinating past. Specially-built swamp buggies carry visitors through lovely pinewoods, fresh water marshland, and sections of the hauntingly beautiful Telegraph Cypress Swamp while a professional tour guide provides an informative commentary on the wildlife, ranch activities, and history of the area. The ranch also offers hunting safaris for hogs, alligators, turkeys and quail. 

Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places 

The history of the city of Punta Gorda, began in 1884 when Col. Isaac Trabue of Louisville, Ky., bought 30 acres on the south shore of Charlotte Harbor. Two years later the Florida Southern Railway, seeking a connection to the steamship trade between New Orleans and Cuba, extended its narrow-gauge line from Bartow, making its Punta Gorda terminal the southernmost in the country. The railroad company also built a mile-long jetty into the harbor to reach a channel deep enough for the side-wheel ships that serviced the Cuba trade and a large resort hotel for wealthy winter visitors. 

The first railroad depot was a one-room frame building, but in 1928 the Atlantic Coast Line, successor to Florida Southern, built a beautiful new Spanish-style depot which served until ACL ceased operations in 1971. This building has been renovated and now operates as an antiques mall, where over 25 vendors sell fascinating memorabilia and antique collectibles to crowds of modern visitors. 

Another interesting connection between Punta Gorda and Cuba can be found at the new Heritage Park, where buildings of historical interest are being saved from demolition and restored. The first building to be preserved is a small wooden cottage which originally housed workers for the El Palmetto Cigar Manufacturing Company. This company operated in Punta Gorda from 1891, when the cottage was built, until 1901, making cigars from tobacco leaf imported from Cuba and shipping them to northern cities from the railroad depot.
 

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