Hello, Garrett (& Bill) -

We didn't respond to Garrett''s first question because philosophy is a hard sell, but this one made us curious and this is what we found.

We are partially in agreement with Bill as far as Boca Grande being the closest Gulf Beach, but only if you are travelling by boat to Boca Grande Pass and turning either south to the beach on Cayo Costa (highly recommended) or north to one of the public areas on Gasparilla Island (interspersed between privately-owned waterfront once you are north of the State Park at the southern tip). One-way, this is about a fifteen mile cruise.

A bit of background, we reside in Punta Gorda Isles and consider this to be our private beach. The island is six miles long with some private residences at the south end, not accessible by car, and you can always find your own personal quarter-mile.

Back to the question at hand -

If travelling by car, the closest Gulf Beach is Fort Myers Beach. Its about 32 miles down Burnt Store Road, through Cape Coral, across a toll bridge over the Caloosahatchee River and then south to and across the bridge to Estero Island.

The next closest Gulf Beach is Englewood Beach, just under 40 miles, requiring travel north through Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, west on Hwy 776 to Beach Road and then across some bridges (including over the InterCoastal Waterway) to Manasota Key.

Getting to the southern tip of Boca Grande is a longer by about 6 miles, but to be fair, during the last 4-5 miles of that trip you will pass a number of small "public accesses" that are technically public Gulf Beaches.

After all this, if you end up in Harbor Towers and keep your boat in the Marina, welcome to "our" beach.

Regards,

Ken & Karen

Garrett,

Your question is a good one and one that serious home buyers that appreciate an occasional visit to the Gulf Beaches value. The waters of Burnt Store, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda are excellent for boating but fall short for beach goers.

The residents of these locations find themselves 35 to 45 minutes from the popular beaches. This alone is a criteria that causes many buyers to consider alternative locations. Probably the closest desirable beach to these locations would be in Boca Grande.

We would be happy to entertain additional questions if necessary.

Good luck,
Bill Eckler
Michael Saunders & Company
billeckler@michaelsaunders.com
941-408-5363