City of Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda is the best small city in Florida.  The waterfront city of approximately 20,000 residents is located one mile from interstate 75 and situated on beautiful Charlotte Harbor.  This gem on the Gulf of Mexico's eastern shore has evolved from its fishing-village roots to a model of small-city charm. Today, it marries heritage with sound, modern design that preserves and sustains the region's unique natural setting.
More attractions ring the city center. Waterfront parks, rustic nature trails, and a fish and wildlife filled estuary are all found within minutes of downtown. Visitors can walk, drive or bicycle -- no need to bring your own because the city has a free loaner-bicycle program -- over red-bricked streets that wind through neighborhoods of charming Old Florida homes, complete with cool verandas and gardens bursting with blossoms of every size and hue.