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Exploring Punta Gorda
Hailed as where Ponce De Leon made landfall in 1513 before a Calusa arrow shortened his conquistador career, Punta Gorda is where the Peace River broadens into Charlotte Harbor.
Its name means “Fat Point” in Spanish, and that fat point happens to have some mangrove-tangled waterfront along the harbor.
Founded in 1884, the city retains a very Victorian feel in its residential blocks west of its timeless Old Florida downtown, with a rich collection of historic homes in nearly 50 blocks.
Along the harborfront, the Harborwalk ties together a series of waterfront parks that stretch between Trabue Park and Fishermen’s Village, a distance of 2.2 miles.
With a surprisingly rich and colorful collection of original homes built between 1884 and 1930, the residential district southwest of downtown is bisected by Linear Park.
Although the Harborwalk and Linear Park bring nature to the city, vast open spaces are primarily along the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor and its tributaries.
