A tour, according to various dictionaries, is “a journey for pleasure, often involving a series of stops and ending at the starting point,” while a tourist is “one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture.”
Pleasure being the common word, if yours is exploring the outdoors, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is the place for you!
Trail Mix
Instead of nuts and chocolate and seeds, our brand of trail mix consists of bike trails, walking and hiking paths, paddling corridors, and even horseback riding routes (BYOH).
Come for the nature and wildlife, stay for the peace and quiet and the fresh air and sunshine. You can still bring your snacks, but we recommend following the old adage, "Leave nothing but prints, take nothing but pictures."
Biking
Biking is the perfect way to explore, with many bike trails and places to ride all across the area.
The city of Punta Gorda even offers free bicycle loaners, so you won't be stuck if you don't bring your own wheels.
If you prefer a nice walk—with or without your pup—most trails are multi-use and leashed-dog friendly.
Parks Galore
The three state parks in Charlotte County all provide amazing scenery and wildlife as well as great hiking experiences.
Explore four miles of trails at Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center - Alligator Creek in the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, for true peace and quiet, or gett out on the water with a great SUP tour launched from the land side of Don Pedro Island State Park.
Please note: the island of Don Pedro and our third state park, Stump Pass Beach State Park, are both closed to the public for the time being.
Blueways
We love that our waterways also qualify as trails. Visit our Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP page to find all kinds of water experiences and view and download the Blueway Trails Guide (PDF) to get started experiencing this beautiful area by watercraft.
Birding
Birding is big in the area, with seven sections of the Great Florida Birding Trail—a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites throughout the State of Florida—in our area.
Cedar Point Environmental Park is a great place to see bald eagles and migrating waterfowl, while Tippecanoe Environmental Park in Port Charlotte is home to a vast array of native wildlife.
If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the Florida Scrub-Jay at one of these spots, or in the Prairie Creek Preserve. This endangered species is the only bird unique to Florida.
All of the Above
The Fred C. Babcock/Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area is a one-stop spot for hiking, biking, scenic driving, birding and wildlife viewing, camping, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding (BYOH).
Follow a well-worn trail through four different eco systems in comfort with Babcock Ranch Eco-Tours. Your guide will be funny, the views will be gorgeous, and the food, if you eat at the onsite Gator Shack, will be tasty!
Head over to Peace River Charters for airboating, an amazing wildlife experience, and horseback riding (horse provided).
