Charmante maison à Punta Gorda, Floride

Charming 3/2 home in Punta Gorda where pets are welcome. The yard gives them room to roam; we just ask that you clean up after them and keep them off the furniture. A pet fee may apply.

The location is ideal. Close to historic Downtown Punta Gorda and Punta Gorda Airport, one of the easiest airports in Southwest Florida, is just eight minutes from the door. Port Charlotte is ten minutes one way, Fishermen's Village ten minutes the other, and I-75 is close by, with Fort Myers and Sarasota about 45 minutes out and Tampa under 90. For beach days, Manasota Beach in Englewood is 30 minutes away and great for shark tooth hunting, while Boca Grande, about 45 minutes west, offers fine dining and shopping with a Key West feel.

Punta Gorda punches above its weight for things to do. It's known as one of the top sport-fishing destinations in the world, with tarpon, cobia, grouper, red drum, and bass all within reach off Charlotte Harbor. Saturday mornings bring the dog-friendly downtown Farmers Market, with over 70 vendors, live music, and fresh local goods. The Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens, a 30-acre waterfront sanctuary, is worth an afternoon, and kayaking, paddleboarding, dolphin tours, and nature hikes are all close by. The city also offers free loaner bikes at Fishermen's Village for exploring downtown on foot, er, wheels.

A few house rules: minimum 2 night stay, no smoking indoors, and please respect the historic nature of the home. Built in 1925, it has weathered decades of Florida hurricanes because craftsmen built things to last back then, and it's still standing strong, full of character, and ready for your next great memory.