Causeway leads to island retreat

Upon crossing the causeway at the county line between Charlotte and Lee visitors will enter a world of bright aqua water, beautiful sandy beaches and a small-town atmosphere that can hardly be found anywhere else. Welcome to Gasparilla Island. Crossing from the mainland to the Boca Grande Causeway, travelers in two-axle vehicles pay $4 to cross the swing bridge, an engineering marvel and one of only nine swing bridges left in the state. It also is the second longest at 213 feet. Traveling the causeway onto the island is a breathtaking sight, with numerous ospreys, pelicans and other sea birds in flight against a deep blue sky and startling blue-green waters. What started as a large Calusa Indian settlement turned into a booming fishing village in the early 1900s, with a rail line running through to export the fish as well as phosphate, which was mined there. One of the first landmarks visitors see as they travel down the main road toward town is the Boca Grande Resort (formerly Uncle Henry’s Marina), which stands on the site of an old Calusa camp, and, later on, the hub of the fishing industry on the island. Since, it has evolved into a paradise for vacationers and snowbirds such as the DuPonts, the Crowninshields, Rockefellers and, more recently, the Bushs. Gasparilla Island and the village of Boca Grande has become a winter retreat for the wealthy who wish to escape the cold of the north. Beautiful accommodations, including the unrivaled glamour of the Gasparilla Inn, await those who wish to spend a winter rubbing elbows with some of the richest people in the world. Boca Grande has grown about as much as it’s going to grow. Preservation of both historic structures and the island’s natural history has culminated in groups such as the Boca Grande Historical Society, the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, the Barrier Island Parks Society and a community panel, dedicated to keeping the sedate, laid-back pace of island living a staple of Gasparilla for years to come. No fast food restaurants, chain stores or gas stations can be found on Boca Grande, just small, quaint specialty stores with inventories that range from tourist chic to high-end Rodeo Drive as well as dining opportunities of all kinds. Sights to see Another highlight for many visitors is Banyan Street. Planted by a wealthy entrepreneur almost 100 years ago, these huge trees line the block, and formed a perfect shady canopy before Hurricane Charley hit in 2004. Currently the canopy has almost grown back, and many visitors stop and linger to see the old carvings from days long ago, and admire the amazing root systems and sprawling branches of these magnificent trees. Gasparilla Island beaches are maintained by the Florida Park Service, and encompass five separate beach and parking areas - Lighthouse Beach at the south end of the island, Seawall parking area, Dunes parking area near historic Amory Chapel, and the Rangelight parking area near an historic rangelight maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Entrance fees to these parking areas are $2. For more information on any of these sights, or for accommodations in Boca Grande, contact Craig at the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce, (941) 964-0568.