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Matlacha FL: 6 reasons to love this delightful Gulf spot

Note: Hurricane Ian destroyed many of the cottages and businesses in Matlacha. The small community is in the midst of rebuilding and not ready for visitors. The following story was written before Hurricane Ian.

Perhaps if Matlacha and Pine Island had had beaches, they would be ruined and look like everywhere else.

Fortunately, this out-of-the-way little bit of Old Florida west of Fort Myers avoided the scourge of look-alike commercial development and high rises.

Today every day is throwback Thursday at this colorful, art- and nature-filled area.

Matlacha: Leoma Lovegrove’s Gallery and Garden captures the island's flavor.
Matlacha: Leoma Lovegrove’s Gallery and Garden captures the island’s flavor. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Here are six reasons we fell in love with Matlacha:

  1. The little wooden houses painted vivid topical colors.
  2. The waterways where dolphin always seem to be patrolling.
  3. The informal seafood restaurants.
  4. The saltwater kayaking around the mangrove islands in Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve.
  5. The unstuffy art galleries that are fun to visit.
  6. The nearby Calusa Heritage Trail.

Matlacha, Florida, history

Matlacha (pronounced mat-la-SHAY) was a fishing village until 1992, when gill-nets were banned, putting most fishermen out of business.

Those funky little wooden cabins in Matlacha predate the fishermen, though. The oldest wood buildings were built by Matlacha’s original residents: Squatters who began to occupy the island that was created when Matlacha Pass was dredged in the 1920s.

A colorful shop in Matlacha.
A colorful shop in Matlacha, FL. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

When commercial fishing ended, artists started to move into the historic wooden buildings. Today, there are a dozen galleries and studios in the three-block-long town, along with a few shops and a half dozen restaurants.

The atmosphere is quirky, reminiscent of the Florida Keys. For years, it was an out-of-the-way and remote location that attracted people for exactly that.

The single highway through the center of Matlacha FL is lined with small wooden cottages in bright colors.
The single highway through the center of Matlacha FL is lined with small wooden cottages in bright colors. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Matlacha still has no stop lights and a single two-lane road passing through it, connecting Cape Coral and Pine Island.

Pine Island is geographically bigger – 17 miles long and two miles wide –  with several communities: Bokeelia and Pineland on the northern tip, St. James City on the southern end. But it is largely residential with a number of mango orchards and tree nurseries.

Kayaking near Matlacha FL.
Kayaking near Matlacha FL. (Photo: David Blasco)

West of Pine Island across sparkling blue waters are the barrier islands that collect all the sand and thus have spectacular beaches. At the southern end of this string of islands are Sanibel and Captiva. The northern island is Cayo Costa, which is mostly occupied by a state park accessible only by boat. (The ferry to Cayo Costa leaves from the northern tip of Pine Island.)

Kayaking from Matlacha puts you in a natural world where dolphins, eagles and marine life are frequent sights.
Kayaking from Matlacha puts you in a natural world where dolphins, eagles and marine life are frequent sights. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Kayaking near Matlacha FL

The Great Calusa Blueway, an outstanding network of 190 miles of kayaking trails, marks several kayak routes along Pine Island.

A marker for the Great Calusa Blueway near Matlacha FL.
A marker for the Great Calusa Blueway near Matlacha. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

It’s all scenic – blue skies, placid water, plentiful bird and marine life, lots of mangrove islands – but there are no particular sights to see. (You have to admit: All mangrove islands pretty much look alike.)

But kayaking here, you put yourself in a premier location to experience nature. There’s no guarantee, but if you paddle around here, there’s enough wildlife, you may have a memorable encounter.

Our group brought a canoe and also rented a kayak from helpful folks at Gulf Coast Kayaking in Matlacha. From there, we paddled into the Matlacha Pass Preserve.

Launching kayaks in Matlacha from Gulf Coast Kayak.
Launching kayaks in Matlacha from Gulf Coast Kayak. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

What did we see?

Fisherman trying to land a small bonnethead shark.

A hawk stalking a least tern and eventually catching the poor bird mid-air and carrying it off into the mangroves.

Dolphins in the near distance over and over.

The tips of a ray’s wings rhythmically poking out of the water as it flapped by.

Mullets jumping.

An American bald eagle overhead.

Ospreys, herons, egrets and ibis. It was bliss.

An osprey on its next at sunset at the pier in Bokeelia on Pine Island, about a 20-minute drive from Matlacha.
An osprey on its next at sunset at the pier in Bokeelia on Pine Island, about a 20 minute drive from Matlacha. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Kayaking here is sunny with some open water and there are few places to get out and stretch. Gulf Coast Kayaking loaned us an excellent map and suggested a loop around a few islands that would take us three or four hours and minimized crossing the channel with its powerboats.

You also can put in kayaks at Matlacha Park and Boat Ramp which has restrooms and picnic tables.

Consult the maps from the Great Calusa Blueway about possible routes.

Sunset at the pier in Bokeelia, near Matlacha.
Sunset at the pier in Bokeelia, near Matlacha FL. (Photo: Erin Blasco)

Kayak put in locations: near Matlacha:

Gulf Coast Kayaks
4120 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha
239-283-1125
If you don’t rent kayaks from them, there is a charge.

Matlacha Park and Boat Ramp
4577 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha,
239-283-4110
You must pay for parking here.

The Calusa Blueway maps list several other area locations if you prefer to start from Bokeelia or Cape Coral.

More things to do in Matlacha FL

Leoma Lovegrove’s Gallery and Garden in Matlacha.
The garden at Leoma Lovegrove’s Gallery in Matlacha is a visual delight. (Photo: Erin Blasco)

Art galleries in Matlacha are fun to visit – unstuffy and full of Matlacha color and flavor.

We particularly like the artists’ cooperative WildChild Art Gallery, 4625 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha, 239-283-6006, and, next door, Leoma Lovegrove’s Gallery and Garden, 4637 Pine Island Road, 239-283-6453.

Wild Child Gallery : One of the art galleries that gives Matlacha color.
Wild Child Gallery : One of the art galleries that gives Matlacha color. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Both galleries have delightful gardens in the back that face a canal. Leoma Lovegrove’s entire garden, with its walls and sculptures made out of recycled blue bottles and its colorful sculptures and objects, could be considered a work of art in its own right.

Once you leave Matlacha to explore Pine Island, we recommend walking the Calusa Heritage Trail at the Randell Research Center, 13810 Waterfront Drove, Bokeelia, 239-283-2157.

The trail introduces visitors to what was once a large and thriving Calusa Indian community. The towering shell mounds were built by a people who dug and engineered canals and supported a population of 50,000 throughout Southwest Florida by fishing and harvesting the bounty of these coastal waters. When the Spanish arrived, they considered the Calusa a fierce tribe. By the late 1700s, however, the Calusa were gone – victims of disease or captured and enslaved.

The Calusa Heritage Trail On Pine Island offers excellent signage and information about the Calusa Islands who had a large settlement here. It's about 15 minutes from Matlacha.
The Calusa Heritage Trail On Pine Island offers excellent signage and information about the Calusa Islands who had a large settlement here. It’s about 15 minutes from Matlacha. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

We learned a lot of surprising facts about the Calusa on our walk through this facility. (Archeologists found the Calusa had papayas and chili peppers – rare in early Florida – and they used shark liver oil as a mosquito repellent, for example.)

The information on the signage and trail maps is clear, informative and fascinating.

Admission is by donation. They suggest $7.

At the end of the island in Bokeelia there’s a fishing pier and access to the first half is free. It’s a grand place to watch the sunset. (Watch where you park: A gruff staff member from a nearby restaurant barked at us when we stopped in the wrong place.)

Here’s a Florida Rambler guide to Pine Island.

Matlacha cottages, hotels and lodging

The Bridgewater Inn in Matlacha is built on a dock.
The Bridgewater Inn in Matlacha is built on a dock and every room has a great view. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

We loved our stay at the Bridgewater Inn, 4331 Pine Island Road, Matlacha, (239-283-2423) a 100-year-old fishing lodge built on a dock and overlooking the draw bridge. Each room has a waterfront view and we always saw dolphin when we sat by the water for sunset or with morning coffee. You can fish right from outside your room. Rates start at $150 off season; there is a two-night minimum.

The Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island in the community of Pineland has a magnificent location on the water. It's about 20 minutes from Matlacha.
The Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island in the community of Pineland has a magnificent location on the water. It’s about 20 minutes from Matlacha. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

We stopped by to tour the Tarpon Lodge on Pine Island, 13771 Waterfront Drive, Bokeelia, 239-283-3999, which is next to the Calusa Heritage Trail. A 90-year-old private home has been transformed and expanded into a beautiful waterfront lodge with an elegant dining room and spectacular views. Rates start at $135. The property has been lovingly restored after extensive hurricane damage in 2004 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

At the northern tip of the island, Jug Creek Cottages, 8135/8145 Main St., Bokeelia, 239-283-0015, is operated by the company that runs the ferry to Cayo Costa on property owned by the state park. These are rustic efficiency cabins, very worn and basic and start at $100 a night.

Matlacha cottages: Several of the adorable cottages in Matlacha are available through VRBO.

There are several other motels in Matlacha. None are part of national chains and most look to be Old Florida in style.

Camping:

Matlacha restaurants

The colors at the Olde Fish House Marina are pure Matlacha.
The colors at the Olde Fish House Marina are pure Matlacha. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

For such a small town, there is a good choice of restaurants. There are several seafood spots we’d love to try next time, including the dining room at the Tarpon Lodge.

Here are a few places we dined or were especially recommended:

An Olde Fish House Marina is rustic waterfront restaurant in a building that dates to the 1930s. Featuring fresh local fish, it has fishing boats that unload their catches directly to the kitchen. With outdoor seating, it is the essence of a Matlacha experience.

Blue Dog Bar & Grill, has local craft beers on draft and makes a great mullet sandwich. (In addition to a good choice of fresh fish, we were pleased to find several vegetarian choices.) 4597 Pine Island Road NW, Matlacha, 239-558-4970.

The Perfect Cup, 4548 Pine Island Road, Matlacha, 239-283-4447, is an excellent breakfast or lunch spot.

Micelis, 3930 Pine Island Road, Matlacha, 239-282-8233, has good pizza, a wide-ranging menu of Italian choices and live music most nights.

Guide to best fish shacks.

Places to explore near Matlacha

Places to explore near Naples


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Linda Lee

Monday 3rd of October 2022

Your Pine Island and Matlacha was perfectly written. I lived in Matlacha for over 12 years, your description was delightful. Now that Hurricane Ian struck there, it will be a few years before the old ambiance is renewed starting with replacing the washed out bridge.

Chas

Monday 1st of August 2022

Hi, I don't know if you experienced Matlacha at dawn and dusk, but the noseeums are horrible there.

Phyllis Greene

Thursday 22nd of October 2020

My husband, Dr. Greene, and I traveled many places. My favorite artist, Leoma Lovegrove, lives there and her studio is a great place!

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