Orlando, Miami and Tampa may get a lot of the glory when it comes to Florida travel destinations, but there are plenty of under-the-radar towns where you can still enjoy fun in the sun. Punta Gorda, Florida, located in Charlotte County on Florida’s Southwest coast, is one of those towns. Here are some of the things you’ll want to see and do during your next visit to Punta Gorda.
First, A Little Punta Gorda History
Punta Gorda was established in 1884, and the early founders designated parks at every waterfront block. That’s led to a legacy of public parks that culminate in the 2.5-mile Harborwalk, still used today.
Even in the 1880s, visitors were drawn to Punta Gorda for winter sunshine, water fun, and commercial fishing. The growth of the railroad contributed to the growth of Punta Gorda, as it did for many Florida towns.
Through the early 20th century, Punta Gorda had a couple of milestones, including use of its airfield during World War II to train aircrews.
In Spanish, Punta Gorda means “fat point.” It got that name as it literally sticks out as a “fat point” in Charlotte Harbor, one of the largest natural harbors in the U.S., according to the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce. The Peace River, along with the Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers, feed into the harbor.
Punta Gorda is located south of Sarasota but north of Fort Myers, so it’s an ideal location if you’re along the Southwest coast and looking for an easy, peaceful day trip or weekend getaway.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Sunseeker Resort
Technically, Sunseeker Resort has a mailing address of Charlotte Harbor. However, it’s just over the bridge from Punta Gorda, so we’re including it here.
Allegiant Airlines owns the 785-room Sunseeker Resort, located right along the Charlotte Harbor. It opened in late 2023 and cost $720 million to build. It has a food hall with 11 food “experiences” (in addition to seven restaurants), two pools (including a rooftop pool that is adults only), and a lovely walking path right on the water that ends at Bayshore Live Oak Park–so you can extend your stroll a little further to check out the park’s peaceful view.
We haven’t stayed overnight yet, but more than 1,000 online reviewers give the hotel 4.2 stars. We liked the vibrancy of the food court, and the walk along the harbor was beautiful. You can get a day pass to visit ($50) so long as it’s not on a holiday or the weekend. However, as we discovered, they can decline a day pass if they are at capacity–thankfully, we hadn’t paid just yet. The resort is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area as it’s the biggest hotel of that level in the Punta Gorda area.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Peace River Wildlife Center and Octabon Wildlife Sanctuary
The nonprofit Peace River Wildlife Center serves as a home for animals that cannot return to the wild due to injuries. It helps rehab animals and has about 120 permanent residents. Since its beginning in 1982, it has rehabbed 50,000 birds and small mammals. Although Peace River Wildlife Center is free, it welcomes donations.
A visit to the Peace River Wildlife Center, located inside Ponce de Leon Park (see below) comes with a greeting by friendly volunteers. Perhaps we just got lucky or because we were the first visitor that day, a volunteer gave us a personal tour through the center. We learned a lot about the owls, hawks, pelicans, and many other animals that call the center home. We were amused to watch a pelican strut in front of a mirror, believing that he was looking at another bird. The center obviously puts a lot of time and care into helping its residents live happy lives.
Although we didn’t make it to Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, also located in Punta Gorda, it was recommended to us by a volunteer at the Peace River Wildlife Center. It serves as a home for animals like tigers, lions, bobcats, bears, and others that need special care. It’s open to the public by guided tours online, so make sure to book online versus just showing up.
Tours are $20 for adults and $10 for children. They seem to fill up quickly, so make sure to book in advance.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Ponce de Leon Park
Juan Ponce de Leon is considered the founder of “La Florida” (not including the Native people who were already here, of course). So, you’ll find a lot of places around the state named for him. Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda is one of those places; it’s a 16-acre park on Charlotte Harbor.
Visitors come to the park to fish, launch their boats, play on the playground, and to visit the Peace River Wildlife Center. There’s also a small beach area. On the very hot day that we were there, we took a brief walk around and watched storm clouds roll in from afar.
The park also has a couple of symbolic statues of Juan Ponce de Leon that you might enjoy posing with. It added a somewhat cheesy but fun feel to the park, not unlike certain things you see in St. Augustine–where’s there’s also a lot of Juan Ponce de Leon memorabilia.
Ponce de Leon Park is free to visit.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Fishermen’s Village
Ironically, Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda isn’t the place to go if you’re ready to cast your line into the water and see what you catch. It’s actually an outdoor mall with retail shops and restaurants, a marina, and hotel rooms. Fishermen’s Village is probably one of the better known tourist attractions in Punta Gorda.
Although small, Fishermen’s Village has some unique shops if you’re in the mood for retail therapy, like the Spice & Tea Exchange and Naples Soap Co. (here’s a link to a map of Fishermen’s Village). Onsite restaurants include Harpoon Harry’s, Village Brewhouse, and a few others. The marina makes for a scenic walk right on Charlotte Harbor.
Here’s where you can find more info about staying at The Suites at Fishermen’s Village.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Nearby Beaches
Technically, the beaches in Punta Gorda are not actually in Punta Gorda. Yet they’re close enough that you definitely can include them in a visit there. Plus, with the many parks abutting Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, you still may be able to find a mini-beach experience right in town, like the one at Ponce de Leon Park.
Some nearby beaches within a short driving distance include:
—Englewood Beach in Englewood
—Blind Pass Beach in Englewood
—Stump Pass Beach State Park on Manasota Key
—Don Pedro Island State Park in Cape Haze
—Gasparilla Island State Park in Boca Grande (find out more about beautiful Boca Grande in our article here)
Some of these beaches are a little more secluded, which means fewer people. They also tend to be more family-oriented. Keep your eyes open for shark teeth that wash along the shores. The beaches offer white sand and light blue waters along the Gulf of Mexico.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Harborwalk
You can really get to know Punta Gorda by taking a walk along the 2.3-mile Harborwalk. Harborwalk connects a variety of destinations in town, including the Laishley Park Marina, the Military Heritage Museum, Gilchrist Park, and more. It makes for a great stroll or bike ride.
Things to Do in Punta Gorda: Military Heritage Museum
We still have to make it to the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda, but it earns 4.8 stars on Google Reviews and definitely seems like a place worthy of a visit. It has more than 20,000 artifacts from military history as well as 1,000+ historical docuents. There’s a Hall of Heroes to honor vets that includes recipients of Florida’s Medal of Honor and galleries that focus on military history from a variety of wars.
The museum also has hands-on, interactive activities, including flight simulators and virtual reality experiences.
Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for vets, and $9 for those age 14 and under. It’s open on Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is located near Fishermen’s Village and in fact, if you park at the village, there’s a free shuttle that will take you to the museum.
