Thoughts on Punta Gorda, FL?

[PortTobacco II]

My parents have a couple of condo units in Englewood. They like the area and the "Community". They keep two boats down there, a 22' Scout CC and a Maverick 17 HPX-S Flats, skinny water, fishing boat. He says he and his fly fishing friend and guide Al, can get up into the mangroves where the red tide is not. The Red Tide conditions out in the bay affect their use of the Scout more. But they do not spend the summers there yet, either. And they are selling their Lake home here and making the area year round very soon.

Lake Champlain! I went to SUNY Plattsburgh
Thanks for the insight on the SWFL area

 

[PortTobacco II]

The red tide we had this year was the worst since 2006. It does not happen like this every year. That being said there were times I drove through the middle of a bloom and thought I was going to die.... once going between Cayo costa and North Captiva I was certain I had entered into one of the circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno it was so bad!

To your original point ... I like PG quite a bit other than the distance to a “proper” beach. But I’m a bit biased to our island of Sanibel : )

How long would do you think it would take by boat to go from PG to a nice Sanibel beach?

 

[zipper]

Lake Champlain! I went to SUNY Plattsburgh
Thanks for the insight on the SWFL area

Small World, You are welcome. I have family members in different parts of Florida. I met my wife down there when I lived in Orlando, back in the 80's. I know hard to believe comn from 1500mi. away, but it's true. I added a link to his friend Capt. Al's site in my previous post.

 

[n1111z]

It may be picking up after the hot summer and now that the tide's mostly gone...

 

[PortTobacco II]

Punta Gorda is a Great community. Really has something for everyone. Canal houses are 300+ 300 getting you something that going to need upates. Traffic is not as bad in and around PG. as it is in Sarasota or Fort Myers. One draw back is PG is 45 mins ish from a real Beach. 45 by car to englewood beach, Boca Grand or 45 by water to Cayo Costa. I also really like Cape Haze and Placid area. Canal Homes are a little newer for the same money out that way but you’re also 30+ mins from an interstate if that’s important. Also lacking the Downtime area of PG.

I guess 45 mins by boat to a beach is not that bad. Right now on the lower Potomac River it takes us at least 30 mins to what we could consider our best beach at Sharks Tooth Island (of course our best beach would suck in comparison to anything SWFL )

I was looking at the map of Boca Grand and Cayo Costa....the beaches you are saying that take 45 mins by boat are on the Gulf side, correct?
Are there any closer spots on the Harbor side to beach boat and hang out?
How are the conditions on Charlotte Harbor generally? Is mostly calm water or does choppy often?

 

[PortTobacco II]

Punta Gorda is a Great community. Really has something for everyone. Canal houses are 300+ 300 getting you something that going to need upates. Traffic is not as bad in and around PG. as it is in Sarasota or Fort Myers. One draw back is PG is 45 mins ish from a real Beach. 45 by car to englewood beach, Boca Grand or 45 by water to Cayo Costa. I also really like Cape Haze and Placid area. Canal Homes are a little newer for the same money out that way but you’re also 30+ mins from an interstate if that’s important. Also lacking the Downtime area of PG.

Yes being close to an airport (Fort Myers -RSW or PG Airport) and I-75 are important as I travel for work a lot. Employer would be pissed if I am more that 30 or 40 mins from the airport. Plus I want to be able to my in-laws in Naples in at least an hour.

 

[DieselCamel]

Yes being close to an airport (Fort Myers -RSW or PG Airport) and I-75 are important as I travel for work a lot. Employer would be pissed if I am more that 30 or 40 mins from the airport. Plus I want to be able to my in-laws in Naples in at least an hour.

RSW is about 45 mins for me from PGI nice that it has its own exit from I75. and SRQ is a little over an hour depending on traffic. PGD is only allegiant and charter I think.

 

[spatty99]

@PortTobacco II We've only crossed Charlotte Harbor twice, but both times it was pretty rough, not something most families would enjoy. Not sure if we just caught some bad conditions, but it is a huge inlet open to the gulf, so guessing rough more often than not.

 

[Bajd98]

How long would do you think it would take by boat to go from PG to a nice Sanibel beach?

It’s a bit of a haul to Sanibel from PG .... I would guess 145 to 2 hours at 28 mph depending on conditions.... especially the harbor...... more beach time would be spent at Cayo costa I would think. But on nice days it would be a fun trip.

 

[DieselCamel]

I guess 45 mins by boat to a beach is not that bad. Right now on the lower Potomac River it takes us at least 30 mins to what we could consider our best beach at Sharks Tooth Island (of course our best beach would suck in comparison to anything SWFL )

I was looking at the map of Boca Grand and Cayo Costa....the beaches you are saying that take 45 mins by boat are on the Gulf side, correct?
Are there any closer spots on the Harbor side to beach boat and hang out?
How are the conditions on Charlotte Harbor generally? Is mostly calm water or does choppy often?

Yes, beaches are gulf side or in the pass. There is a sandbar on harbor side but same travel distance. Some people also head up the peace river and find a little sandy river bank. But there’s also large swimming reptiles you might be sharing the bank with. So we have not stopped. There aren’t really any other places that I know of. But I’m only going on 2 years here so. Water conditions in Charlotte harbor depend on the wind mostly. Mostly pretty good and on bad days if you still need your boat fix you can still cruise the canals.

 

[n1111z]

If you relocate to Punta or the Cape you will be within 40 minutes by boat of this. These beaches are largely deserted; we just came back from two weeks over new years and the temperature was in the 80's every day. This is Cayo Costa and North Captiva. If you fish, a center of world class big game fishing is in Boca Grande pass at the north end of Cayo Costa.

 

[PortTobacco II]

Yes, beaches are gulf side or in the pass. There is a sandbar on harbor side but same travel distance. Some people also head up the peace river and find a little sandy river bank. But there’s also large swimming reptiles you might be sharing the bank with. So we have not stopped. There aren’t really any other places that I know of. But I’m only going on 2 years here so. Water conditions in Charlotte harbor depend on the wind mostly. Mostly pretty good and on bad days if you still need your boat fix you can still cruise the canals.
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Awesome info! Thanks DieselCamel.

 

[PortTobacco II]

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If you relocate to Punta or the Cape you will be within 40 minutes by boat of this. These beaches are largely deserted; we just came back from two weeks over new years and the temperature was in the 80's every day. This is Cayo Costa and North Captiva. If you fish, a center of world class big game fishing is in Boca Grande pass at the north end of Cayo Costa.

Great Pics! Hope to be there someday!

 

[Britboater]

Hi @PortTobacco II its great that your interested in Punta Gorda, it’s a wonderful town but then I’m partial.
Punta Gorda has a few areas but the main residential area is Punta Gorda Isles (PGI).
We’ve been hear, only as snowbirds, for six years and I can really tell you the community is so welcoming, my wife and I have been welcomed with open arms and are blown away by the personal relationships we have developed over the short time, to an extent some folks came over to the UK, rented a house in our village for four weeks and invited their family over for vacations. My son is getting married in 2020 and a few invites have gone to some friend in PGI!
Isles Yacht club is a nice venue to meet people and if your into golf, St Andrews golf club is available on the Isles.
Pickle Ball is huge he in PGI, so much that we have a Pickle Ball complex being built, due to open at any time. It’s so huge there have been emergency meetings with the city because the courts in Gillcrest Park attracts so many people and the residents in the vincinty are complaining. On the up note, my wife has made so many friends through Pickle Ball we have to decline invitations, we just can’t keep up.

Boating is good, yes the real issue is the distance from the Gulf but if fishing is your game, Peace River I believe is great.
We’re beach people and we often go to Cayo Costa and North Captiva, 45 mins and 55 mins but this is at running speed, which I’d much rather do than at no wake speed, we really do not find it a propblem and once you’ve been to a deserted North Captiva beach you will not want to go anywhere else, just keep it to yourself.

Any other questions please shoot, more than pleased to help, we also know a good Realtor too.

 

[PortTobacco II]

Hi @PortTobacco II its great that your interested in Punta Gorda, it’s a wonderful town but then I’m partial.
Punta Gorda has a few areas but the main residential area is Punta Gorda Isles (PGI).
We’ve been hear, only as snowbirds, for six years and I can really tell you the community is so welcoming, my wife and I have been welcomed with open arms and are blown away by the personal relationships we have developed over the short time, to an extent some folks came over to the UK, rented a house in our village for four weeks and invited their family over for vacations. My son is getting married in 2020 and a few invites have gone to some friend in PGI!
Isles Yacht club is a nice venue to meet people and if your into golf, St Andrews golf club is available on the Isles.
Pickle Ball is huge he in PGI, so much that we have a Pickle Ball complex being built, due to open at any time. It’s so huge there have been emergency meetings with the city because the courts in Gillcrest Park attracts so many people and the residents in the vincinty are complaining. On the up note, my wife has made so many friends through Pickle Ball we have to decline invitations, we just can’t keep up.

Boating is good, yes the real issue is the distance from the Gulf but if fishing is your game, Peace River I believe is great.
We’re beach people and we often go to Cayo Costa and North Captiva, 45 mins and 55 mins but this is at running speed, which I’d much rather do than at no wake speed, we really do not find it a propblem and once you’ve been to a deserted North Captiva beach you will not want to go anywhere else, just keep it to yourself.

Any other questions please shoot, more than pleased to help, we also know a good Realtor too.

Thank you for all the info. I am really starting to think PGI might just be the next place to live for me and the wife.
We decided to try out PGI with a vacation house rental on a canal. I booked what looks to be very nice place for 10 nights in July. I know July is probably not the best time for a trip to SWFL but my wife is a school teacher and she has July off. Plus it is very hot & humid in southern Maryland anyways. The very nice lady I am renting the house from has agree to let me use her boat lift which is huge for me. The other owners of rentals that I talked would not let me put my boat on a their lifts.

So me the wife and two dogs plan to trailer the boat all the way from Maryland to PGI. We are figuring on taking it slow - 2 nights down and 2 nights back. I am already thinking about all the trailer maintenance I should do. This trip will give me a reason to put on the new radial tires I got through the recall. Currently I do very little trailer as I am on the water with a boat lift.

 

[veedubtek]

Thank you for all the info. I am really starting to think PGI might just be the next place to live for me and the wife.
We decided to try out PGI with a vacation house rental on a canal. I booked what looks to be very nice place for 10 nights in July. I know July is probably not the best time for a trip to SWFL but my wife is a school teacher and she has July off. Plus it is very hot & humid in southern Maryland anyways. The very nice lady I am renting the house from has agree to let me use her boat lift which is huge for me. The other owners of rentals that I talked would not let me put my boat on a their lifts.

So me the wife and two dogs plan to trailer the boat all the way from Maryland to PGI. We are figuring on taking it slow - 2 nights down and 2 nights back. I am already thinking about all the trailer maintenance I should do. This trip will give me a reason to put on the new radial tires I got through the recall. Currently I do very little trailer as I am on the water with a boat lift.

You'll need a place to park your trailer, can't do that in PGI. Nor park on the street overnight, lol. You can park the trailer at my house for that 10 days if you'd like, I got plenty of space.

 

[PortTobacco II]

You'll need a place to park your trailer, can't do that in PGI. Nor park on the street overnight, lol. You can park the trailer at my house for that 10 days if you'd like, I got plenty of space.

That would awesome! Thank you very much Walt!

 

[PortTobacco II]

You'll need a place to park your trailer, can't do that in PGI. Nor park on the street overnight, lol. You can park the trailer at my house for that 10 days if you'd like, I got plenty of space.

Hi Walt,
Just wanted to touch base and see if the offer still stands regarding parking my trailer at your place during my 10 day visit to PGI in July?

 

[PortTobacco II]

Hi Walt and the other PGI area members! On this dreary cold day in Southern Maryland, I am looking forward to relocating to PGI.
I submitted my official request to work-at-home in SW Florida and found a RE Agent to sell my current house. If things work out we will be down there in April or May.

I have focused my house searches to homes near the soon to be completed Buckley's pass. I am hoping that Buckley's pass will allow us to get to places like Cay Costa. Any thoughts about Buckley's Pass and Alligator creek/alley? Pros / Cons?

 

[BrentEB]

There are also houses on the canal in Charlotte Park, which is county rather than PGI so not quite so stuffy on trailers, ect. Less $$ and all sizes. Goes into Alligator Creek.