Why Boca Grande is the Most Beautiful Florida Island You Can Visit

Boca Grande, Florida

Take Interstate 75 to mile marker 71, and you’ll find Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island, a peaceful escape.

After crossing the Gasparilla Road causeway, you’ll discover this seven-mile stretch of island paradise. Since 1885, this place has been famous for its phosphate industry, a 44-foot lighthouse, and thousands of anglers who come here to catch tarpon.

While other Florida beaches get crowded with tourists, Boca Grande keeps its small-town charm with touches of luxury. Here are 11 reasons why you’ll wanna keep coming back.

The Silver King’s Paradise

Right in the middle of Boca Grande Pass (4,600-foot), you’ll find some of the world’s best tarpon fishing.

Weighing 90 to 130 pounds typically, sometimes 200 pounds, tarpon inhabit these waters from April through July, feeding day and night as they prepare for offshore spawning.

While some folks come for the $100,000 prize at the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, others simply enjoy renting boats from Boca Grande Marina. Find everything here, from simple 22-foot boats to fancy 36-foot fishing vessels.

Guardian of History

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, built in 1890 for $35,000, stands tall at the southern tip of Gasparilla Island.

Inside, you’ll find artifacts from the phosphate shipping days, including logs and photos showing how the island has changed.

Climb the iron stairs for a view that stretches 12 nautical miles into the Gulf of Mexico. On a full moon, small groups tour the lighthouse at sunset.

Some hear stories about the terrifying after effects of the 1921 hurricane. Outside, the 4.5-acre grounds showcase 23 types of local plants.

Pete Dye’s Golf Dream

The Gasparilla Inn Golf Course measuring 6,811 yards offers multiple tee boxes for golfers of all skill levels. It got an expensive makeover by Pete and Alice Dye in the early 2000s.

While golfing, you’ll see Charlotte Harbor in the corner and ospreys flying overhead. The challenging design (like the 15th hole) makes golfers hit their ball yards above water while dealing with strong afternoon winds.

You can buy special golf gear in the big pro shop or take lessons from PGA professionals who utilize state-of-the-art technology, such as TrackMan, to get that perfect swing.

The Living Cathedral

21 huge banyan trees create a canopy over the streets, just south of the Downtown Boca Grande.

Planted in 1915 by employees of Boca Grande Land Company, Boca Grande Historical Society hosts guided tours every Tuesday and Thursday from November through April, sharing stories about the old houses, including a 1927 mansion where people secretly sold rum during Prohibition.

The natural light filtering through the leaves in Banyan Allée makes this spot perfect for photos, especially between 3 and 5 PM.

Books and Gardens

Founded by Roger and Louise Amory in 1950, Johann Fust Community Library now holds over 21,000 books. It features a loggia that was often used to broadcast the Metropolitan Opera radio programs.

The library houses rare manuscripts and first editions, including works by Ernest Hemingway and original pages from the Book of the Dead. Spooky readings at best.

There’s even a garden (maintained by the Johann Fust Library Foundation) that leads you to 47 different plants.

FYI, Shakespeare wrote about it in his plays.

Turtle Watch

From May through October, leatherback, loggerhead, and green sea turtles come to lay eggs on Boca Grande’s protected beaches.

Visitors can join guided walks to learn how these amazing creatures use Earth’s magnetic field to navigate the waters.

Since 1989, the park monitored every nest. The Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex also encourages volunteers to keep track of the hatchlings.

Wine Treasure Room

The Pink Elephant’s wine cellar holds 4,372 bottles worth over $1.2 million in a special cool room. The room’s walls were built using wood saved from the island’s old 1911 dock.

Jean-Marc Sauboua, the wine expert, teaches small groups about rare wines in a cozy room lined with bottles from 1947.

The collection includes special French and California wines, including every bottle of Screaming Eagle made since 1992.

Secret Beaches

Unlike most Florida beaches, Boca Grande has 14 walking paths to the sand, each one different from the others.

At 1st Street, you can see rare limestone rocks and tide pools filled with unusual marine life (some say they’ve seen sea urchins and Caribbean starfish floating about).

From December to February, the westward-facing beach allows for uninterrupted views of the sun, as it sinks right into the Gulf waters.

The Old Docks

The Gasparilla Island Lighthouse tells stories of Boca Grande’s shipping past around Charlotte Harbor in the 1970s. It’s a reminder of when 22,000 tons of phosphate moved shores.

The Quarantine House still stands, which once quarantined laborers against Yellow Fever. History claims, the harbor pilots would travel about 5 miles into the Gulf before anchorage.

Today, people come here to catch fish, take pictures at sundown, and see the old train tracks in the concrete.

Wild Island Life

Mangrove islands span 30 acres near mile marker 3, home to native birds and marine animals. You can spot brown pelicans and pink spoonbills from half a mile away, especially in winter.

Small groups (5 to 6) can paddle kayaks around the islands, as long as you stay 50 feet away from the animals.

In the shallow waters of Gasparilla Sound, you can see seven types of underwater grass where giant (and adorable) manatees like to gather.