| The city of Punta
Gorda is a historic town that lies along
beautiful Charlotte Harbor. Streets are lined
with huge royal palms, beautifully restored
period homes with wide verandas, brick lanes,
street lamps and benches that leave an almost
tangible old-Florida atmosphere. Nearly
everything is waterfront here from hotels and
shopping to parks and fine dining. Punta Gorda
enjoys a climate characterized as sub-tropic
where extremes of temperature in both summer and
winter are tempered by the influence of the Gulf
of Mexico. Prevailing winds are an easterly
average of 12 to 18 mph. The mild winter season
lasts from January to March.
Take a historic walking tour to learn how
Punta Gorda evolved from cowtown, to winter
resort, to the colorful riverfront city it is
today. Next, head over to Fishermen’s Village,
the site of former fish packing houses that were
the lifeblood of the early community. Boutiques
offer clothing, jewelry, artwork and eclectic
collectibles. Seven restaurants offer a variety
of dining options from sidewalk cafés to
waterfront fare. Check out the newly designated
South Florida Birding Trail site, Charlotte
Harbor Environmental Center’s Alligator Creek
facility on Burnt Store Road just south of Punta
Gorda. Look to the right as you enter, and you
may see a nesting pair of bald eagles that has
set up home there. There are also four miles of
trails to hike. For baseball fans, Charlotte
County's $46 million rebuilt and expanded sports
arena, which is the Tampa Bay Rays'
spring training home, is just minutes
away.
Punta Gorda is composed of the area south of
Charlotte Harbor though some areas north of the
harbor, including Deep Creek and Harbour
Heights, are generally considered suburbs of
Punta Gorda and have Punta Gorda addresses.
Punta Gorda is home to five public schools
operated by Charlotte County Public Schools. As
of the census of 2000, there were 14,344 people,
7,165 households, and 5,187 families residing in
the city.
Punta Gorda is
located where the Peace River
meets Charlotte
Harbor.
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