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Punta Gorda, Florida Vacation Rentals by Owner Beach Houses and Condos.

Punta Gorda is located on the banks of the Peace River and the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida and can best be described as the "heart-beat" of Charlotte County. Punta Gorda is the only incorporated area in Charlotte County, Florida. Punta Gorda has a unique downtown historical district with several sites on the National Register. The City also has a picturesque waterfront area with a harbor and many waterfront publicly accessible parks.

It is these attributes that bring vacationers to Punta Gorda, Florida vacation rentals by owner condos, houses, villas and cottages.

Punta Gorda is about 100 miles south of Tampa on the Gulf Coast between Sarasota and Ft. Myers. The city originally was founded in 1887 on the idea that all the waterfront land would be public parks. That changed when homeowners eventually outvoted the man running the city and changed the course of the town by the harbor.

The name Punta Gorda, which means "fat point" when translated from Spanish, was given to the city because a broad part of the land in Punta Gorda juts into Charlotte Harbor. The harbor itself is somewhat unique, as it is the point where the Peace River meets the ocean.

The city is bounded by the harbor on one side and by rural land on the other. That rural land is home to large tracts of citrus, cattle and swamp with ranchettes that produce meat and fruits. The rural land eventually meets up with the borders of North Fort Myers.

Punta Gorda has street art, water views and 20 murals that enliven the compact, historic downtown district. The beautifully renovated downtown has cobblestone streets and gaslights, and many fine shops and restaurants. Other places to visit in Punta Gorda include the Florida Adventure Museum, the Ponce de Leon Historical Park and Peace River Wildlife Center.

Off the beaten path, just southeast of town, is a wilderness adventure ranch where you can take a 90-minute swamp buggy excursion through a variety of ecosystems. There’s also a three-hour bike tour with bikes and helmets provided.

This diversity of attractions has vacationers looking for Punta Gorda, Florida vacation rentals by owner condos, houses, villas and cottages.