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Enjoying a Day in Punta Gorda!
By Sue Randall
There are so many activities to enjoy in Punta Gorda, whether it be activities on the water, cycling or just enjoying the beautiful views whilst dining at the many independent restaurants.
I love to start my day at the Village Fish Market and Restaurant in beautiful Fishermen’s Village, sipping down a mimosa and eating delicious Eggs Benedict whilst enjoying the views over Charlotte Harbor. There are often dolphins playing, numerous fish jumping and of course lots of birds, there are often boats coming and going too.
A trip to the Peace River Wildlife Center is a regular haunt of mine, you can visit the owls; Luna, Bella and Orion who are permanent residents, or many of the rehabilitated animals and birds. The center takes in over 2,500 animals and birds per year, some become permanent residents but most are rehabilitated and returned to the wild. To keep the wildlife theme I would head over to Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary and visit the many unwanted and often previously abused animals that are now lovingly cared for by a team of volunteers. This not-for-profit does an amazing job; they actually need 500 pounds of raw meat and more than 100 pounds of fresh produce per day to feed the many different animals. You can see bears, lions, leopards, reptiles, birds and many more.
As the day draws to a close it’s time to relax and watch the sunset, a great place to do this is at TT’s Tiki Bar, what better than a drink in the hand and feet in the sand!
Stay longer in Punta Gorda and you can spend a day at Fishermen’s Village enjoying the many independent stores and restaurants, watch the boats at the marina, dine at one of the many restaurants and even rent a boat from Holidaze or go on a boat trip with King Fisher Fleet, you could even do a fishing charter. My favorite is the back bay fishing charter, spend a few hours fishing the waters of Peace River and Charlotte Harbor and then have your catch cooked at the Village Fish Market. It doesn’t get better than that!
A great asset to our city is the bicycle loaner program, you can rent a bicycle free of charge, and cycle around Punta Gorda on our bike friendly paths. A lovely place to stop and enjoy the views is the Perch 360 rooftop bar at the Wyvern Hotel.
