Don Pedro Island
Encyclopedia
Don Pedro Island is a barrier island
in southwest Florida
, in Charlotte County
. It is just north of Little Gasparilla Island
, separated by a thin strip of beach
and mangrove swamp. It lies west of the census-designated place
of Rotonda West, separated by a narrow channel
. It is separated from Stump Pass Beach State Recreation Area and Knight Island
by Stump Pass to the north. It borders the Gulf of Mexico
to the west.
There is no road access to the island, only boat. There are many private residences on the island. There is only one restaurant on Don Pedro, it's located on the north end of the Island. The name of the restaurant is "Rum Bay". The only small general store on the island is located on the first floor directly below the Rum Bay restaurant.
While there is a steady increase in private development, the island continues to have an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty. There are a number of indigenous gopher turtles, snakes and rabbits. There is also quite a variety of birds including osprey
, pelicans, great blue herons, frigate birds, woodpeckers and owls (to name a few).
The beaches are well known for their abundance of shark's teeth and shells.
Don Pedro Island State Park
is located on the north side of the island.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
in southwest Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, in Charlotte County
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
. It is just north of Little Gasparilla Island
Little Gasparilla Island
Little Gasparilla Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida, in Charlotte County. It is just north of Gasparilla Island, separated by Gasparilla Pass. It lies west of the town of Placida, separated by Placida Harbor. It is connected with Don Pedro Island to the north by a thin strip of...
, separated by a thin strip of beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
and mangrove swamp. It lies west of the census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Rotonda West, separated by a narrow channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
. It is separated from Stump Pass Beach State Recreation Area and Knight Island
Knight Island
Knight Island is an island 1.5 nautical miles long, lying 1 nautical mile west of Reeve Island in the Wauwermans Islands, in the Wilhelm Archipelago. The island was shown on an Argentine government chart of 1950. It was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1958 after...
by Stump Pass to the north. It borders the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to the west.
There is no road access to the island, only boat. There are many private residences on the island. There is only one restaurant on Don Pedro, it's located on the north end of the Island. The name of the restaurant is "Rum Bay". The only small general store on the island is located on the first floor directly below the Rum Bay restaurant.
While there is a steady increase in private development, the island continues to have an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty. There are a number of indigenous gopher turtles, snakes and rabbits. There is also quite a variety of birds including osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, pelicans, great blue herons, frigate birds, woodpeckers and owls (to name a few).
The beaches are well known for their abundance of shark's teeth and shells.
Don Pedro Island State Park
Don Pedro Island State Park
Don Pedro Island State Recreation Area is a State Park in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located on a stretch of Don Pedro Island, a barrier island lying across the Intracoastal Waterway from Cape Haze in Charlotte County, between Knight Island and Little Gasparilla Island. The park has mangrove...
is located on the north side of the island.