We all know the famous landmarks of
Gasparilla Island – the Rear Range Light,
the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, Banyan
Street and the Boca Grande Community Center.
There are places, though, that many people aren’t as
aware of ... places where you can duck into peace and
quiet, learn a little more of our history and take in the
beauty that many visitors pass right by.
This is just a small collection of some of the favorite
places we have found to seek out if you have the time
and inclination.
This rather monolithic group of old pilings was once a fishing pier. It was built by Joe Spadero, the man
who built the Boca Grande Hotel that was once located just south of 1st Street, in the early 1930s as a
fishing pier for his guests, and later became a public fishing pier (there are some who say there used to be
a bait shack at the end of the pier).
In 1960 Hurricane Donna took out a large section of the pier, but people were still fishing on the landward
side for years after. Eventually, though, the wooden walkway that once covered the pier completely
disintegrated, leaving only the pilings you see today.