About Boca Grande Florida
Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island (just a short 15 minutes south of Englewood) and is home to the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament. Boca Grande means BIG MOUTH in Spanish and comes from the waterway at the southern tip of the island called Boca Grande Pass which is found along the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. Boca Grande is a quiet island town, rich in history and is a permanent home for some, but is traditionally an island getaway unspoiled by heavy commercialization. When not fishing for the famous Tarpon also known as Silver King, many other sport fish can be found such as snook, redfish, grouper, king fish, and trout in the backwaters of Charlotte Harbor, Gasparilla Sound, or just off shore in the Gulf of Mexico. Boca Grande also boasts its own golf course and is a short drive from several off-island golf courses. If fishing and golfing are not your things, you will surely find enjoyment in the miles of peaceful white sandy beaches, boutique shops in the quiet downtown district, or even a spa getaway right on the beach.
Some of the historical sites you may pass by while driving the seven mile Island are the Range Light which was built in 1881 and used in Lewes, Delaware, and was decommissioned in 1918. The structure was moved by rail to Miami and finally to Boca Grande and reassembled in 1927. It was relit in 1932 and continues to remain in service guiding vessels into Charlotte Harbor via the Boca Grande Channel. There is presently a Lighthouse at the tip of the Island that was built in 1890 and marks the entrance to Charlotte Harbor and is the oldest building on Gasparilla Island. It is a functioning lighthouse and houses a museum that is open to the public. In 1980 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Second Street, commonly known as Banyan Street, is lined with Banyan Trees planted in the early 1900s and is one of the most photographed spots on Gasparilla Island. You would need to see the street for yourself – its beauty is indescribable.