Boca Grande, Florida

Sink into the white sandy beach, become hypnotized by the beautiful turquoise, clear waters and check out the huge fish brought ashore daily by sports anglers. Boca Grande is a little bit of paradise right there in Florida. Don't miss out—book a FlipKey vacation rental today.

About Boca Grande

Rather appropriately, Boca Grande, on Florida's Gasparilla Island, is Spanish for Big Mouth. This small town has a very large and extremely deep pass at the island's southern tip.

This—together with the Gulf of Mexico itself—attracts a huge number of fish. In fact, throughout the centuries, fishing has been one of the major attractions of Boca Grande to settlers, including the original Indians, then the Spanish and Cubans—to the extent that five generations on, many families still consider fishing their main trade.

The other big attraction to the town was the discovery of phosphate rock at the beginning of the 20th century. That culminated in a railroad to Boca Grande being built and a mine that would operate for the next 50 years. By its demise, the wealthy were already familiar with the fishing in the area and the town began to steadily build up.

What to do

Go sports fishing for a day on a charter boat. The island is known as the 'Tarpon fishing capital of the world.'

Sunbathe and relax on beautiful Boca Grande Beach. Every now and again get up to stretch your legs and look for unusual shells.

Check out the art exhibits at the Paradise Island Gallery for impressive works by both established and emerging artists.

Take a wander through the five rooms at the Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum, the island's oldest building, dating back to 1890. You'll learn about the history and culture of the island and can pop into the gift shop afterwards.

Take a guided paddleboard tour through shallow mangroves which are filled with wildlife. Finish it relaxing in a beautiful lagoon.

Go kayaking for dolphins in the beautiful calm waters around the island. There are plenty of instructional tours to point out the best locations.

Top travel tips

Thanks to the fact there's no gas stations in the town, residents and tourists all get around via golf carts. Roads are specially designated for them. Anyone over 14 can drive one.

It's a total of $9 to get to Boca Grande beach if travelling by car ($6 for bridge admission and $3 for parking). Fly into Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and get a taxi, shuttle bus or rental car to the bridge.

Come to Boca Grande at any time of the year—it's sunshine all the way through. Just remember to bring sunscreen!

A stunning location, Boca Grande is where many of the rich come on extended stays (the Bush family and Audrey Hepburn had winter homes here), while celebrities marry on the warm soft sands of the beach. Beautiful to look at, filled with wildlife and nature—book your FlipKey vacation rental now.