Yachting & Sailing

Besides the magnificent weather, enjoy some of the finest sailing and power boating in North America. SAIL magazine, which is the largest circulation sailing magazine in the world, in its June 2004 article titled "Heavenly Harbors," prominently displays Charlotte Harbor and elaborates on why Punta Gorda and the Charlotte County area, located halfway between Sarasota and Naples on the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast, is considered such a top-notch destination.

“Indecisive sailors may want to avoid Charlotte Harbor,” the article says. “Twenty miles long and 10 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, it provides cruising options galore.”

“Lined with mangrove forests and protected by barrier islands, the harbor offers wide-open sailing areas, limited boat traffic, an abundance of anchorages, and (unusual for some parts of Florida) a lack of bridges.”

The article goes on to highlight Gasparilla Island, Punta Gorda, and Cayo Costa State Park on Pelican Bay, as three of the area’s “cruising hot spots.”

Also, Southwest Florida has been rated as the number one charter destination in the U.S. and the number three in the entire world by CRUISING WORLD Magazine.