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Florida beaches road trip: Picturesque Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island State Park
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Boca Grande Banyan Trees
Leaving Siesta Key, the next destination on my Florida beaches road trip was as far south as I could go following my current route without getting in a boat – Gasparilla Island State Park on the southernmost tip of you guessed it - Gasparilla Island. Separated from the mainland by Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound, it was another in the chain of beautiful barrier islands I had been hopping between on the west coast.
Halfway down the island, I came to a charming little town that looked like it was straight out of a movie set. Huge banyan trees, extensive bike paths, beautiful homes, clean streets and residents riding around on golf carts. This beautiful village was Boca Grande, which holds the divergent titles of “winter hideaway for the rich and famous” and “Tarpon fishing capitol of the world”. It is also the home of the current world record holding largest (1,280 pound) hammerhead shark ever caught. Apparently the sharks also enjoy the tarpon fishing in Boca Grande Channel.
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Gasparilla Lighthouse
The beautifully maintained bike path that winds its way through town is part of Florida’s Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, an excellent organization that works with communities throughout the U.S. to preserve unused rail corridors by turning them into hiking and biking trails. After stopping to ogle the trees on Banyan Street and wondering if I would have to sell my car to be able to spend a week at the beautiful Gasparilla Inn, I continued south to the Gasparilla Island State Recreation Area. Located right within the boundary is the Boca Grande rear rangelight. It is still a working navigational aide for vessels passing through the channel on their way into Charlotte Harbor.
The highlights of the park for me were the completely restored Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum and the beautiful beaches. The lighthouse museum does a great job at exploring the island's fishing and railroad heritage, and the lighthouse itself is a working coast guard light, recommissioned in 1986. I found the entire shoreline within the park to be nearly deserted, the water to be crystal clear and the shark teeth (my favorite) in abundance. The beach was the perfect balance between clean soft sugar sand for castle building and scattered shells for beachcombing. I will definitely be returning to this spectacular place, but for now – it is on to Sanibel and the famous shelling I have been hearing so much about.
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