First Time Tourists Guide in Punta Gorda
SIGHTSEEING
Begin your journey in Punta Gorda by having a sightseeing tour at Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens. This well-maintained garden is located on the banks of the scenic Peace River. It has a 27-acre garden area featuring beautiful botanical collections and world-class sculptures. You can enjoy walking around the river and adore the stunning sculptures.
Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens
DOWNTOWN
The downtown Punta Gorda is located on the shores of beautiful Charlotte Harbor. It's a beautiful area to tour around. In downtown, you will find plenty of unique little shops and restaurants to stop by. There are also art galleries and historical buildings you can spot in downtown. One of the iconic building you can find in downtown is the A.C. Freeman House. It's a historic house that was once used by politician Augustus C. Freeman. The house has been added to the National Register of Historic Landmarks for the significant Queen Anne style architecture. It's now open for the public to tour inside. The house is worth your short visit!
A.C. Freeman House
SHOPPING
No journey in Punta Gorda is complete without visiting the iconic Fishermen's Village. It's a shopping complex located on the bank Charlotte Harbor. Here, you can find plenty of unique shops, boutiques, and restaurants. You can find almost everything you need in daily or souvenirs here. Shop or just stroll around at this scenic waterfront shopping place.
Fishermen's Village
FOOD & DRINK
Try and taste the authentic freshest seafood dish in Punta Gorda. As the city is located right on the shore of Charlotte Harbor, the restaurant in Punta Gorda is likely to serve seafood with fresh ingredients. One of the seafood dishes you should try in Punta Gorda is the steamed crabs' claws. The dish is served perfectly with mustard sauce or melted butter. And for the dessert, you can have a cup of coconut orange ice cream. It's tasty and refreshing!
CULTURE
Spanning along Charlotte Harbor, the city Punta Gorda has an interesting history and culture to explore along the harbor side. They have plenty of museums, theaters, and galleries that will give you an interesting sight of the city. In Punta Gorda, you will find the famous Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is a memorial to remember the people who died during the Vietnam war.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Plan your trip wisely and choose the best time to visit Punta Gorda. Based on the weather conditions, it's best to visit Punta Gorda from mid-October to the end of December. Around the time, Punta Gorda has the most ideal warm weather to travel outside.
HOTEL
Looking for a luxury hotel to stay in Punta Gorda? Four Points By Sheraton Punta Gorda Harborside provides you a bright room with a view of Gorda Harbor's side from the window. Book the upgraded room with the balcony to have the best view of the harbor. They also provide free bike rentals for the guest during their stay in the hotel. But if you want to save your budget for your trip, Knights Inn Punta Gorda can be one of your options to stay in the city. During your stay here, they will serve you continental breakfasts and standard hotel amenities in its simple bright room. This hotel is an ideal choice for travelers.
Four Points By Sheraton Punta Gorda Harborside
Knights Inn Punta Gorda
RESTAURANT
Start your morning by having a tasty breakfast at John Ski's House of Breakfast and Lunch. This beautiful local restaurant has an iconic blue and white color both the building and the furniture. They serve casual American cuisine for your breakfast and dinner. The staff here are super friendly. They will greet you will a warm smile. For dinner, you can have a seafood feast at Peace River Seafood. This seafood serves freshly made seafood from fresh ingredients sourced locally. It's known for the steamed blue crab and oysters cuisines. They also serve tasty key lime pies here. Try it because it's super tasty.
John Ski's House of Breakfast and Lunch
Peace River Seafood
CAFE
The Bean On 41 Coffee Shop is a unique coffee shop in Punta Gorda. This small cafe is nicely decorated with an "American-American" theme. They serve a good cup of coffee and snacks in a patriotic-yet-friendly atmosphere. But if you are looking for a simple cafe in the city, Punta Gorda Coffee & Tea is probably the place that you are looking for. This small cafe offers a wide selection of coffee to roast on-site. If you don't drink coffee, don't worry because they have a good selection of tea as well. Pay attention to the cafe decorations. They put some good quotes on it.
The BEAN on 41 Coffee Shop
Punta Gorda Coffee & Tea
BAR AND NIGHTLIFE
Looking for a local bar to drink in Punta Gorda? Ice House Pub is a cozy English-styled bar in Punta Gorda. This bar offers you plenty of choice of good drinks and bars food. As a local favorite bar, you will find this bar is filled with both locals and travelers. If you enjoy beer the most, this bar offers you a wide selection of international brews and beers. Get mingled with locals here and toast your glass of beer.
Ice House Pub
INTERESTING PLACE
Punta Gorda is blessed for its natural scenery. The city has a number of beautiful natural parks to visit. Ponce De Leon Park is one of the parks that you can visit. This park offers a vast area with various amenities. Here you can enjoy walking on a wooden boardwalk surrounded bu mangrove forest. There is also a sandy beach located near to the mangrove beach where it is popular for sunset watching. Another interesting to explore in the city is the Peace River Wildlife Center. It is a nonprofit rescue and rehabilitation fro wildlife habitants in the city. Here, you can have educational tours around for free. The guide will accompany you and help you to interact with some animals here. The animals here are precious!
Peace River Wildlife Center
Ponce De Leon Park
INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT
Create your memorable journey and capture the beautiful places in Punta Corda. Harborwalk features a charming view of the waterfront. The sidewalk connects Lashley Park to Fisherman's Village. Here you can enjoy a peaceful stroll in sunset time. Turn on your camera and picture the most beautiful sunset here. Another good spot to capture in the city is Punta Gorda Nature Park. It is a city park that features a green forest and wildlife. Here, you can capture the wildlife living freely in the natural habitant. It's best to visit the park for sunrise or sunset, so you can get a balance lighting to your photo. Get lost with nature in this beautiful park!
Harborwalk
Punta Gorda Nature Park
