Boca Grande, Florida

(This page is about the community in Florida. For the Boston-area Mexican restaurant, see Boca Grande Taqueria)

Boca Grande is a small residential community on Gasparilla Island, southwest Florida. Gasparilla Island is a part of both Charlotte and Lee Counties, while the actual village of Boca Grande, which is home to many seasonal and year-round residents, is entirely in the Lee County portion of the island. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Its name - Spanish for "Big Mouth" - comes from the mouth of the waterway, called Boca Grande Pass, at the southern tip of the island. The pass was used as a busy shipping point for many years as the waters in the pass are naturally deep. Processed phosphate from the Bone Valley region would be loaded onto waiting cargo vessels via. the Seaboard Air Line Railway at the dock located on the southern tip of the island. Shipping business to the island declined when the Port of Tampa was later dredged and phosphate shipping operations moved north to locations along Tampa Bay. Evidence of the island's industrial past can still be seen.

Space is at a premium in the village of Boca Grande, so many local residents use a golf cart as their main mode of transportation. On any given day in Boca Grande, you will see golf carts, as well as automobiles, making their way throughout downtown. A Lee County ordinance designates all but two streets as golf cart paths. Drivers must be 15 years old with a learners permit and accompanied by an adult(21 years of age) with a vaild drivers license to operate a golf cart on these designated streets.

Boca Grande also provided the backdrop for Denzel Washington's movie, Out of Time, where the quiet village was re-named 'Banyan Key' in reference to the banyan trees that populate the island. Scenes for the 2006 film based on Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot were also filmed on the island, which was again re-named for the filming. This time it became Coconut Cove.

Hurricane Charley hit Boca Grande heavily on August 13, 2004, causing some 20 billion US dollars' worth of damage to Southwest Florida. There were no deaths or injuries on the island, but many buildings were damaged and most of the banyan trees were heavily damaged.

Boca is very popular with affluent holiday makers, many of whom keep a second home on the island. There is a degree of animosity between year-round residents and those who come to spend the winter months on the island.

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Boca Grande Beach Rentals Save You Money

Renting a beach vacation home in Boca Grande can save you up to 50% over staying in a hotel. And that's not even including how much you'll save by not having to eat at restaurants for 3 meals/day. Having the space of a kitchen, dining room, and living room compared to a single small hotel room is a huge value! Life is too short and vacations are too few...trade in that small hotel room for a beach vacation rental in Boca Grande.

Families Love Boca Grande Beach Vacation Rentals

The beauty of renting a beach vacation home in Boca Grande is that it saves money *and* works out so much better for the family. The kids get their own bedrooms, and more importantly, bathrooms. There is more space for the family to spread out with a living room and dining room. More privacy, no more noisy hotel room neighbors on the other side of the wall. It's a home away from home, providing a kitchen where you can eat at your own schedule and feed the kids snacks as well as deal with any dietary restrictions you have. Many homes also give you a washer & dryer and have their own pool and allow you to bring your pets. Some are in complexes that have health clubs, cafes, and spas.

And vacation homes in Boca Grande are not just for a couple or small family, they are especially great for family reunions or big groups vacationing together. When you are in a vacation home you are more connected into the local scene where you can get to know the locals better, you also have the chance to get further off the beaten beach path if that's what you're looking for.

Pet Friendly Vacation Rentals in Boca Grande

Why leave your dog at home? Bring your family pet along on vacation - they deserve a break too! What's better than running along the beach with your dog or curling up in a beach vacation rental with your kitty culred up with you? Check out all the pet friendly vacation rentals in Boca Grande.

Boca Grande Vacation Rentals for Smokers or Non-Smokers

Are you a smoker? Having problem finding Beach vacation rentals that allow smoking? Don't be left out of a great beach vacation rental in Boca Grande just because you smoke. Check out all the smoking vacation rentals in Boca Grande. On the other hand, maybe you hate smoke! If that's the case, check out all the smoke-free vacation rentals in Boca Grande.