Punta Gorda is a picturesque city located along the south-central coast of Florida, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico where you will find several great beaches. Along with a beautifully restored historic district, the city is home to several natural attractions, as well as plenty of opportunities for leisurely scenic strolls and waterside shopping at the Fisherman’s Village and the Harborwalk. Punta Gorda features brick lanes, old era tin-roofed houses, huge royal palms, and benches and street lamps that give off an old-Florida atmosphere.
Fishermen's Village
The Fishermen's Village can be found along the Charlotte Harbor and is only a short drive away from Venice and Sarasota in Florida. This pristine area features waterfront restaurants, a variety of specialty and boutique shopping, and an array of outdoor recreation activities, such as kayak and boat rentals at the marina, daily sunset cruises, island sightseeing cruises, and fishing charters. Tours are also available at the Military Heritage Museum. The Fishermen’s Village also hosts many different family-friendly and holiday-themed events, as well as live music during the week at Harpoon Harry’s or the Village Center Court.
1200 W Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-639-8721
Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary And Rehabilitation Center
The Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary And Rehabilitation Center is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in the city of Punta Gorda, Florida for abandoned wildlife. The mission of the wildlife sanctuary is providing a safe place for zoo-type exotic animals, offering them a home to live out the rest of their life in a loving, clean, stress-free, and healthy environment. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary And Rehabilitation Center and say hello to its wildlife residents.
41660 Horseshoe Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33982
Peace River Wildlife Center
The Peace River Wildlife Center is located in the Ponce de Leon Park, situated amongst mangroves and overlooks the Charlotte Harbor. This non-profit wildlife facility specializes in rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing native Florida wildlife, around two thousand small animals and birds every year. The wildlife center also gives a home to almost two hundred animals who are unable to be released back into their native habitats. Visitors can meet an array of different birds, including songbirds, pelicans, ospreys, owls, sandhill cranes, and eagles, as well as a variety of small animals.
Peace River Wildlife Center, 3400 Ponce de Leon Parkway, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950, Phone: 941-637-3830
Harborwalk
The Harborwalk extends approximately 2.5 miles along the shoreline of the picturesque Charlotte Harbor, connecting the Fishermen’s Village to Bayfront Health. Featuring Gilchrist Park, Laishley Park, historical sites, waterfront dining, a variety of shops, sweeping views, and mangrove forests, the Harborwalk offers a lot to do and see along the vibrant pathway. Highlights along the scenic and interesting walkway include A.C. Freeman House, a fishing pier, Trabue Park, Gilchrist Park, the Spirit of Punta Gorda, the Veteran’s Park Memorial Garden, an interactive fountain, the Laishley Park Municipal Marina, the Military Heritage Museum, and numerous hotels, shops, and restaurants.
Peace River Botanicals & Sculpture Gardens
The Peace River Botanicals & Sculpture Gardens is a nearly thirty-acre oasis along the waterfront of the Peace River, encompassing the wide diversity of five different ecosystems. These habitats include a tidal basin, uplands, mangroves, wetlands, and marshlands. The botanical garden also features an island amphitheater. The Peace River Botanical Gardens is home to flowering plants and trees that bloom throughout all seasons of the year. Over fifteen thousand square feet of docks and boardwalks offer optimal viewing of the massive sculptures, created by several international artists. The Peace River Botanicals and Sculpture Gardens are open Tuesday to Sunday.
5827 Riverside Dr, Punta Gorda, FL 33982, Phone: 941-621-8299
Military Heritage Museum
The Military Heritage Museum is located only a few steps from Punta Gorda’s famous Fishermen’s Village and features more than seventeen square feet of activity areas and exhibits. Visitors can learn about the relationship between them and the service branches of the United States in a wide variety of ways, from displays of all manner of military items to extensive libraries to movies and lectures to even a hands-on flight simulator. Guests can take a stroll through history as they explore three galleries on the first floor, starting with the American Revolution up to the conflicts of modern day.
900 W. Marion Ave, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-575-9002
Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area
The Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area is the oldest wildlife management area in the state of Florida, protecting more than eighty thousand acres just to the east and south of Punta Gorda. Spread across both Lee County and Charlotte County, the wildlife area offers a number of outdoor recreational activities, including camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting. There’s a shooting range near the entrance and hunting opportunities including feral hog, mourning dove, Northern bobwhite, and white-tailed deer. The almost 400-acre Webb Lake offers anglers a chance for fishing, as well as several ponds throughout the wildlife management area.
29200 Tuckers Grade, Punta Gorda, FL 33955, Phone: 863-648-3200
Punta Gorda Train Depot
The Punta Gorda Train Depot was constructed back in 1928 and is the only remaining train depot of the six built in the Mediterranean Revival style by the Atlantic Coast Line. Listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, the building was designed primarily for handling freight, with a small portion of the depot used as a passenger area. Owned and operated today by the Punta Gorda Historical Society, the Punta Gorda Train Depot now houses the Antique Mall in the spacious freight room, featuring more than twenty independent vendors. Income from the mall ise used for maintaing the building.
1009 Taylor St, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-639-6774
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church has been the primary Catholic presence in the city of Punta Gorda since the year 1929 and boasts a motto of “it’s not the building, it’s the people.” Before the establishment of the Sacred Heart parish, priests would come from Arcadia, Sebring, and Tampa to minister to the Catholic residents of Punta Gorda, and among these were Fathers John O’Dowd, P.J. O’Donahue, and Lawrence J. Flynn. The first Mass of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church was held on the morning of Christmas Day in 1929. Sacred Heart was established as an official parish in 1954.
211 W Charlotte Ave, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-639-3957
A. C. Freeman House
Constructed back in the early twentieth century in the year 1903, the A. C. Freeman House offers a fine example of the area’s Victorian-era architecture. The house is noted on the country’s National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and has been carefully restored as the only Victoria house in Charlotte County. The City of Punta Gorda now owns the A.C. Freeman House and is used as the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce and a local history museum.
311 W Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-639-2222
The Ice House Pub
The Ice House Pub in the heart of beautiful Punta Gorda, Florida is an English-style pub that offers twenty-six beers on tap from all over the world behind its almost 40-foot long mahogany bar, including many favorites like Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Yuengling, Kronenburg 1664, Stella Artois, Boddington’s, Harp, and Guiness. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, the Ice House Pub is also a great place for a meal, serving a menu featuring both British and American pub staples like bangers and mash, cottage pie, and fish ‘n chips, as well as steak sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
408 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-575-0866
Captain's Table
The Captain's Table is located within the historic Punta Gorda’s waterfront mall of Fisherman’s Village. Guests can take in the gorgeous views of the Charlotte Harbor while they dine one hand-cut steak, some of the freshest seafood from the Gulf of Mexico around, and daily specials prepared by an award-winning chef. The lunch menu at the Captain’s Table features specials that change every day, fresh seafood dishes, sandwiches, and fresh entree-sized salads.
1200 W Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, Phone: 941-637-1177
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park
Covering more than 45,000 acres and 100 miles of shoreline, the Charlotte Harbor Preserve offers a wealth of recreational opportunities for nature lovers to explore. The park can be explored in a number of ways including on foot along the hiking trails or by canoe and kayak along the extensive waterways. All the hiking trails are also possible to explore by bike, unless otherwise stated. Fishing and boating is also allowed throughout the park and those seeking solitude will find large un-touched back-country wilderness areas to explore. There are a few canoe launching areas, restrooms and picnic tables, but no camping facilities.
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, 12301 Burnt Store Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33955, 941 575 5816
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center
Since 1987 the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center has been playing a pivotal role in educating locals and visitors about conservation and the natural environmental issues in the Charlotte Harbor area. The non-profit center is responsible for maintaining more than 8 miles of hiking trails and hosts a range of interesting educational programs for adults and children. Lectures and programs are divided between Alligator Creek and Cedar Point and some of the interesting activities include moonlight hikes and Sea-grass wading trips. Both centers are home to animal ambassadors for you to meet and other guided activities are offered from time to time.
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center , 10941 Burnt Store Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33955, 941 575 5435
Babcock Ranch Preserve
Covering nearly 68,000 acres of land in southeast Charlotte County, the Babcock Ranch Preserve protects a wide range of habitats, water resources and beautiful landscapes from exploitation by developers. The preserve also provides a wonderful recreational playground for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. Here you can enjoy extensive hiking and biking trails, bird and wildlife watching, fishing, hunting and horseback riding. The preserve provides a sanctuary for several rare or endangered species of birds and reptiles and offers visitors a guided 90-minute eco-tour of the Telegraph Swamp area of the preserve, where you can see a traditional Florida cattle ranch.
Babcock Ranch Preserve, Punta Gorda, FL 33982, 888 404 3922
