Boating
As a waterfront community, boating is probably our biggest leisure activity. Learn more about the boating opportunities that await you here in Punta Gorda.
Charlotte Harbor is the second largest naturally occurring bay on the west coast of Florida with Tampa Bay being the largest. With over 129 square miles of sparkling, protected waters you can spend hours sailing, kayaking, fishing or cruising without ever having to enter the Gulf of Mexico or the intra-coastal. Charlotte Harbor is a large estuary comprised from the outpourings of two rivers, the Peace River to the east and the Myakka River to the northwest. History buffs will remember the phrase "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too". Well Tippecanoe Bay is at the mouth of the Myakka River! Charlotte Harbor and adjacent Gasparilla Sound comprise 80,000 acres of some of the most productive coastal areas in Florida and comprise an incredible network of barrier islands and mangrove forests.
Whether you're new to boating or an old salt, Punta Gorda offers marinas, yacht clubs, boat ramps, sailing schools, yacht and fishing charters, numerous boat and cruising clubs to meet and satisfy everyone's experience level. So, if you are already a boater or want to become a boater, sharpen your sailing or power boating skills, fish and kayak all day long, slowly motor the miles and miles of beautifully maintained canals and admire the incredible waterfront homes or just relax for two hours on a long tack with a steady breeze, Punta Gorda and Charlotte Harbor are the place for you. Best of all, it doesn't matter if your boat is large or small, sail or power, paddled or rowed. We have great boating for all types and sizes.
You've heard of places like Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Boca Grande, Little Gasparilla Island, Cabbage Key, Useppa, Pine Island Sound, Cape Haze, Cayo Costa, Lemon Bay and Redfish Pass. From Punta Gorda, these destinations are all within a short distance from your back door! What could be better than to hop in your boat just 20 feet from your lanai and take a short cruise to the barrier island beaches to sunbathe or go shelling? Better yet, take a day sail to Boca Grande for lunch at the Loose Caboose or the Pink Elephant, stroll through the shops and laugh at the whimsically decorated golf carts that the locals use for island transport and romp in the turquoise waters, then home again to watch the sunset and to sleep peacefully in your own bed. It's truly a boater's paradise!