CHART 16
Marco to Fort Myers Beach
CHART 18
Pine Island Sound
CHART 19
Venice to Anna Maria
CHART 20 S
Skyway to Tampa
CHART 20 N
Clearwater to
Tarpon Springs
Cruising Florida's SUN COAST
Past Goodland, which is a treat for, among other reasons, being the home of the dance called the Buzzard's Lope, we'll wend our way up to Marco Island, a great place to visit, then on to Naples, a city fairly described as "beautiful." Watch the water depth on the way up to Fort Myers Beach. When we near the Sanibel Causeway we're forced with another "no-lose" choice ... go up the Caloosahatchee to Fort Myers, or cruise Pine Island Sound and Sanibel, Captiva (and more) Islands.
Mile Marker 0 of the Gulf ICW is at the entrance to the River. Let's go into Fort Myers and check out the Okeechobee Waterway (which takes us back to Staurt on the East Coast). Fort Myers is another city with the welcome mat out for boats, as are the towns across the river which include Cape Coral and North Fort Myers. There are many marinas, boatyards and services available here.
Back in Pine Island Sound to continue to the north, we find a cornucopia of fine cruisng. Small town charm abounds and marinas and resorts cater to every whim ... Even the most glamorous keep the "beach/boaty" feeling.
Another opportunity for a side trip presents itself - Charlotte Harbor - and from there, the Myakka and Peace Rivers.
Back along the Gulf ICW we'll find Boca Grande, Englewood, Venice - all with fine marine facilities available, and finally, another of our big cities, Sarasota, on the East side of Sarasota Bay, with long skinny Longboat Key on the western side. The lovely town of Bradenton is up the Manatee River - with the city of Palmetto just across on the north side. Both are worth visiting.
From there it's north to the metropolitan Tampa Bay area ... with St. Petersburg on the peninsula on the west, Tampa itself to the east with more marine facilities south at Apollo Beach and Ruskin, and Clearwater, Dunedin and Tarpon Springs back on the Gulf side. The beach/islands in the area are beautiful and there are more marine facilites with everything - and more!