AllWays Traveller Features
Manisota Key : a desert island experience
Manisota Key forms part of Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Islands, an area of Southwest Florida between Tampa and Naples.
The Key has four stunning beaches including Englewood Beach, the focus of this feature, and one of the purest stretches of shoreline anywhere.
It is a year-round, eco-tourism destination of unspoiled beauty teeming with Florida wildlife.
Sea turtles nest on the beach, osprey, great blue herons and other sea birds thrive here and there is the chance to watch dolphins and spot manatee.
The adjoining Stump Pass State Park has a hiking trail with boating, kayak and paddle boarding that enables visitors to explore the two islands just off of the park's land base.
Manasota Key is not as well-known as some of the other keys on this stretch of the Gulf of Mexico and this means greater peace and tranquillity for those seeking it.
Images : www.floridastateparks.org
A beachcombers life for us
We travel writers will happily produce features that wax lyrical about cities, states, regions and (in the case of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein and San Marino) whole countries.
These are intended to entice the reader to wherever the focus of the feature might be (or on occasions not to).
This feature, in contrast, will be singling out - and singing the praises of - a short but gloriously serene stretch of beach on Florida's Gulf of Mexico.
Englewood Beach, on Manisota Key, is a place where one needs to drop down into lowest gear and the put a foot on the break.
To continue with the motoring metaphors it is a place to charge the batteries.
Getting to know the difference
Pulling up at the delightful WannaB Inn, I just had to dash to its small jetty, which was awash with a dozen brown pelicans and almost equal numbers of anhinga.
Or, as I was soon to learn, anhinga and cormorants, two very similar looking yet distinct water bird species.
The trick in telling them apart is to look at the bill which, on the cormorant is long and curved with a sharp hook, and on the anhinga pointed.
Not loved by all
My enthusiasm for this feathered gathering was not shared, however, by a couple of guys who were fishing.
"They're a damn nuisance. Just waiting to make a grab for anything we catch".
I made what I hope was a valiant attempt at sympathy, while secretly pledging my allegiance to the birds.
Praise where it's due
While you may well be impressed at my ornithological knowledge, but praise here is due to Bobbie, the general manager at the Inn.
Realising my excited interest in the birds she told me how to tell an anhinga from a cormorant and then gave me a copy of Florida's Living Beaches – a Guide for the Curious Beachcomer.
Written by Blair and Dawn Witherington, and fully illustrated, it is a tremendous guide to the bird's, fish, animals and shells to be found or spoted in the state, as well as offering a fascinating insight into their lives.
This presented an obvious challenge. How many different birds and other creatures could we spot during our stay here?
And for the next three days we were invariably to be found on the beach.
Ann got hooked on searching for shells and fossilised sharks teeth at the waters edge and I was gripped by noting the different species of bird I saw.
An evening command performance
As the sun went down on our first evening here we sat on the beach gazing at the Gulf and witnessing a veritable cabaret of performances by the birds.
It began with brown pelicans gliding serenely just inches above the water or crashing violently into it from a height to stun and then catch a fish supper.
And did you know the pelican can hold more fish in its bill than in its belly.
This was followed by a quartet of white ibis prancing through the rolling waves along the shoreline, then an appearance by white egrets and dozens of delightful little plovers and sandpipers.
My particular favourite these little birds endlessly scamper into that part of the sand made wet by one wave to dip their beaks into it for whatever food they find there.
As the next wave hits they scampering away to the dry sand before repeating what might seem a monotonous process. Not a bit. I was transfixed by their antics.
Then it was the turn of the turn of a graceful great blue heron to fly in and pose, within feet of us, for some fifteen minutes.
Needless to say there were gulls galore, and also caspian and royal tern standing in groups and facing the breeze with their bright orange beaks a splash of colour among the white of their feathers.
The star of the show
But as always, the star of the show was the osprey.
These magnificent birds are rare in the UK and, while breeding throughout Florida, spotting one is always one of those stop and stare moments.
And witnessing an osprey catching fish is something else again. Plunging in the water to pluck their catch from it before turning it, face forward, between its claws.
Best of all, the osprey will then fly several circuits with the fish before finding a tall tree to eat its prey.
Always more to come
If that first evening was memorable there was more to come.
The next morning, with us again on the beach and the sea smooth as flowing silk, a large pod of dolphins swam leisurely by.
The word got out and guests of the Inn left their rooms to enjoy.
And I am sure these intelligent creatures realised they were the centre of attraction, for they really took their time passing.
Stump Pass State Park
At the top end, and taking in the peninsular of, Englewood Beach is the 254 acre Stump Pass State Park.
In addition to the strip of beach, the park incorporates an inland hiking trail and the two mangrove islands of Whidden Key and Peterson.
The park provides habitat for many more species of wildlife.
Hop on board
The very best way to experience the warm, shallow waters of the park is to paddleboard through them.
We did this with Paige Bakhaus, who runs Hooked on SUP (stand up paddle), and it was exhilarating.
Ann and I had both kayaked before but this was our first time on a paddleboard. But it would be OK.
The images I have seen show all ages enjoying this relatively new pursuit, with some even taking their dog on board.
And Paige and her friend and colleague Dawn were real experts and really good teachers.
As with all of the Hooked team they are PaddleFit Level 1, 2 and 3 certified, which is the highest rating possible.
They took us through the technique for kneeling on the board before standing with confidence and paddling away.
On my first attempt I did not get to the standing stage before tipping into the water. The second and third times I was up and paddling before the shakes took over and I was back in the drink.
At least it was warm and shallow enough to easily get back on board. And I did give Ann, Paige and Dawn a good laugh at my expense.
I have to say Ann did not have the same problem.
From then on, though, I got the idea and all was well.
One gradually loses the need to concentrate too much and that's when being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the area takes over as we moved gently through the mangroves with a pair of dolphins joining us briefly.
And by the end we had made friends for life with two great ladies.
We could also have tried snorkelling but decided one new activity was enough. That's for next time.
(See While in the area for more information on Hooked on SUP)
Hooked on SUP
Hooked on SUP offer guided paddleboard mangrove tunnel, sunset and night light tours and beach picnics.
In addition to paddle boarding, Hooked on SUP also offers snorkelling and kayak and bike rental.
Idling our time away
And so we idled our time away on and around Englewood Beach with no desire do more.
The song Busy doing nothing comes to mind in this respect and so appropriate.
Saving the best for last
On the morning we pulled out, it was cloudy with light rain, but this was not going to stop us going on the beach one last time.
Strolling down to the shoreline someone shouted, "you're not going in the water?"
We looked and basking some fifty feet off shore was a twelve foot American alligator. Now how amazing is that.
"A real big brute', said an elderly gentleman who was fishing. "I have been coming here for years".
And so we left Manisota Key with me recording one of the less frequent visitors to Englewood Beach.
And our grateful thanks to
I am also grateful to have spotted, in no particular order, spider and hermit crabs; sea stars; a gopher tortoise; umpteen lizards; turkey vultures and fish crows.
A place to stay : Weston's WannaB Inn
Sitting on five acres with Lemon Bay on one side the Gulf of Mexico on the other and a minutes stroll from Stump Pass, Weston's WannaB Inn is just about the perfect place laid back stay.
Many of its guests are old friends returning again and again and again.
The first person I met on the beach told me was 'heading headlong' toward was eighty, had been coming to the Inn since the 60s was hoping to get another twenty visits in.
The Inn, with 80 units each offering fully self-contained accommodation, has been completely refurbished in recent years, while meticulously retaining the feel of an 'old Florida' resort in the very best sense.
Bobbie and her team in reception offer a wonderful welcome, and lucky shark's teeth for those who have not been lucky enough to find them on the beach.
The rooms are bright, spacious and spotless with a fully equipped kitchen area. The 24 hour M supermarket, just a mile down the road, has all one needs to get it stocked for the visit.
The WannaB Inn is a real home from home, in the very best sense of the term.
Somewhere to dine
Flounders Restaurant and Tikki Bar
Flounders fits the casual personified feel of Manisota Key.
From the WannaB Inn it is a gentle 30 minute stroll along the beach and, arriving just as it was getting dark the bright coloured lights and sound of live music is most welcoming.
The food is good, the wining and dining al fresco, recommended and there is live entertainment every evening.
For a change two other bar restaurants, the Lock and Key and White Elephant are nearby.
While in the area
The beaches
The beaches and parks of Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands, which line 28 miles of the Gulf coast, are mostly easy to access while also being relatively remote and quiet.
Like Englewood Beach they attract an abundance of birds, dolphins, sea turtles and other wildlife.
Don Pedro Island State Park
The most secluded of Manitota Key's beaches, the Don Pedro Island State Park can only be reached by ferry service or private boat.
The island has one mile of white sandy beach and the Cape Haze Peninsula, a 100-acre land base with a fishing dock, kayak launch, nature trails and a picnic shelter.
A trip there offers the chance to spot manatees, bald eagles and gopher tortoises.
www.floridastateparks.org/park/Don-Pedro-Island
Port Charlotte Beach Park
Port Charlotte Beach Park offers families and the more active a heated swimming pool, basketball, tennis, beach volleyball and horseshoe courts.
There is also a playground, picnic shelters and a fishing pier.
Stump Pass Beach State Park
Stump Pass Beach State Park offers wide open coastlines and nature trails for viewing wildlife and native plants.
It is good for shelling.
Natural beauty
Blueway Trails
The Charlotte Harbor Blueway Trails are part of the Florida Greenways and Trails System.
They comprise 53 trails covering a total of 197.8 miles, which are mapped for kayakers and rated for access, difficulty and scenic value.
With a guide, one might see hundreds of birds flying home to roost, wild boar, otters, Manta rays and horseshoe crabs.
At least five outfitter/guides offer wilderness trips, photographic forays and tailored tours for beginner to expert, perhaps accompanied by manatees or dolphins.
A Blueway Trails guide highlights the local history, trailhead access points, habitat information.
www.charlottecountyfl.com/CommunityServices/blueway
The Old Datsun Trail Babcock/Webb Wildlife Area
The Old Datsun Trail Babcock/Webb Wildlife Area encompasses 79,013 acres or 124 square miles and is the largest undisturbed pine flatwoods in SW Florida.
It forms part of the Great Florid Birding and Wildlife Trail, a 2,000-mile, self-guided highway trail that connects 515 birding and wildlife viewing sites throughout the State.
Visit : www.floridabirdingtrail.com
Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Charlotte Harbor's fishing and birding experience is bolstered by the vast protection of Harbor upland and marine sanctuaries including Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
It was established as a preserve and breeding ground for native bird in 1908, by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Located in a vast complex of mangrove islands and brackish waters, the Island Bay Refuge consists of six undeveloped, roadless tracts of land totaling 20 acres occupying the higher portions of several islands and their mangrove shorelines.
Island Bay is one of four coastal marine wilderness areas in the United States.
More information
AllWays more Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Shores : Punta Gorda
Leaving Manisota Key, and before departing Charlotte Harbour & the Gulf Shores itself, we spent a day at Punta Gorda, the largest city in the area.
It has streets lined with royal palms, old Florida-era tin-roofed homes with wide verandas and brick paved lanes.
The murals
The city also has a unique collection of 28 larger-than-life murals painted on buildings throughout downtown.
The initiative is managed and developed by the Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society, which has produced a self-guided tour of the murals that is available online.
The Main Street area of the city also stages regular events at weekends and you can well find live music, a street fair, sidewalk sales, the farmer's market or a gallery show.
Fisherman's Village
Near the Punta Gorda historic district is Fishermen's Village, a waterfront retail and leisure complex of specialty shops, restaurants, a military heritage museum and a 98-slip marina.
A good way to get here is to cycle along the Harborwalk, which takes you past the city's many historic homes and Hurricane Charley's.
Hurricane Charley's
Hurricane Charley's waterfront bar and grill, which is located within the Punta Gorda Waterfront Hotel on Charlotte Harbor, is one of the places for casual lunch and dinner.
It gets its name from the hurricane that devastated the Charlotte Harbor area in 2004 and its walls tell the story of a community effort to recover and triumph from the storm.
This is also the place for tremendous live music every evening and wonderful sunsets.
King Fisher Fleet
The King Fisher fleet of boats, which sail from Fisherman's Village, offer a range sightseeing cruises to the out-islands, eco-tours, full and half day cruises, sunset cruises and harbour tours.
There are also fishing excursions for sea anglers.
We took a sunset cruise on an evening when stormy clouds forced the 'cancellation' of the sun setting. Well at least from us on board witnessing it.
However, the experience of being on the water, still as a mill pond, to experience the dramatic colours that clouds, sea and hidden setting sun created was as memorable as any I have known.
Muscle Car City
Muscle Car City displays Rick Treworgy's collection of more than 200 high-performance GM vehicles.
Harborwalk Scoops & Bites
And finally, when in Punta Gorda, the Harborwalk Scoops & Bites has been named the Best Ice Cream Shop in the United States by TripAdvisor.
www.scoopsandbites.com
The facts
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London, United Kingdom
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