Little Gasparilla Island

 
 

One of the last Bridgeless Barrier islands

Little Gasparilla Island is halfway between Sarasota and Ft. Myers. It has no bridges and is reachable only by private boat or the area's water taxi.  There are no paved roads, just sandy pathways that meander through the sea grapes and Australian pines.  Golf carts or walking are the usual mode of transportation. At its widest part, the island is only about 1/4 mile wide, so it is a very easy walk from the dock to your home and/or the beach. While the boat ride from the mainland is only 10 minutes, Little Gasparilla is a world apart. From the moment you arrive, you'll feel your stresses slip away with the tide as you truly unplug and reconnect with your family or friends.

BEACH + WILDLIFE

The beach is wide and sandy and the waters are mostly calm on the Gulf of Mexico though occasionally there are periods of bigger waves during storms.  The beach is often nearly deserted since you can only access the island by boat.  Many days you can walk the beach for hours and not see another soul.  Instead, you may spot shorebirds and ghost crabs and giant sea turtles which come here every year to lay their eggs.  Porpoises can be spotted offshore cruising up and down the beachfront. Fat manatees drift beneath the docks and float offshore near the sandbar.  Osprey circle above looking for fish.  Eagles and hawks, herons and egret abound.

RESTAURANTS + Stores

There are no stores on Little Gasparilla Island.  The only commercial establishment is the golf cart rental shop and a tiny gift shop near the north end of the island.  All groceries must be brought to the island with you on the water taxi, or you can use a local grocery delivery service.

There are several restaurants accessible by boat or on the mainland.

What Is There To Do On The Island?

  • Snorkel on the sandbar and look for sand dollars

  • Collect coconuts and paint them

  • Rent a stand up paddle board and explore the mangroves on the bay or look for manatees out by the sandbar

  • Try out skim boarding

  • Look for ghost crabs on the beach after dark

  • Count up how many species of shorebirds you spot during your stay

  • Rent a wave runner or jet ski for the day

  • Walk up the beach to Rum Bay Restaurant for lunch and then walk off your lunch calories on the way back down!

  • Float on a raft in the gentle waves

  • Reconnect with your family by unplugging from technology for a week!

  • Cook delicious family meals together after a day at the beach

  • Take pictures of shorebirds and our spectacular island sunsets

  • Drink tropical cocktails in the sun or under an umbrella

  • Collect driftwood and shells and create a mobile with fishing line

  • Collect shells or shark's teeth

  • Search for gopher tortoise burrows

  • Take an afternoon nap under the beach umbrella

  • Read a good book..... or two or three!

  • Kayak in the bay or up the beach

  • Grab a boogie board and ride the waves

  • Build sand castles on the beach

  • Make shell mirrors and shell picture frames (just bring your glue gun and glue sticks!)

  • Fish off the dock or the beach

  • Jog to the south end of the island to the see the pass and views of Boca Grande

  • Look for osprey nests on the island

 

View a Bird's Eye Tour of Little Gasparilla Island

 

Is Little Gasparilla Island For You?

Little Gasparilla Island has no bridge, stores, or paved roads, which keeps the beaches private and uncrowded. But island living is isolated and may not be for everyone. If you are expecting a polished “resort” atmosphere, Little Gasparilla is decidedly more rustic. There are no maintenance men on staff, no one we can call at 10 pm if the AC goes out and no front desk to bring you more ice! We have prepared the following check-list to help you determine if a barrier island vacation is for you — and to help you test your island compatibility. Ask yourself how many of the circumstances below would absolutely ruin your vacation:

  • WiFi speed slower than at home, streaming is often difficult, there are frequent outages and many homes offer no wi-fi at all

  • Rain blocking the satellite TV signal temporarily

  • Rust on the grill, appliances, beach chairs, etc. or deferred maintenance (worse because of Covid)

  • Large mosquitoes, scorpions (usually in wood piles) and sugar ants

  • Thunderstorms every afternoon during the summer months

  • Temporary power outages (When this happens, it can take longer to fix due to being a bridge-less barrier island)

  • You can't run to the store for that last minute item you forgot or more beer ( grocery delivery service might be able to help in this case!)

  • Water taxi doesn't run in thunderstorms or high winds to take you back to the mainland

  • No bars, restaurants, shopping malls, miniature golf or video arcades…just the sound of the waves

  • Itchy bites from sand gnats or midges,( "noseeums" as the locals call them) —invisible mosquito-like insects that can actually come right through screens and bite you while you sleep!

  • During periods of heavy rain or tropical storms, pathways are often flooded and you might have to walk through puddles of ankle deep water to get from the dock to the house

  • Golf cart rentals are often not available, and carts will break down frequently

 

If any of the above are deal breakers for you,

island living may not be the best fit for your vacation.

The perfect guests are those looking for a unique, relaxed, un-plugged vacation away from the mainland stress, in a well-appointed, comfortable island home with beautiful surroundings and lots of peace and privacy. A go-with-the-flow attitude is essential to dealing with the inconveniences of island living. Visitors looking for a fancy resort with attentive staff, lots of nightlife, luxurious accommodations, or those who prefer to eat every meal in a restaurant and don’t want to cook on vacation, would probably be happier on the mainland.