Pine Island (in Lee County) is the largest island (17 miles long and 2 miles wide) on the west coast of Florida, just 15 minutes from Cape Coral, 30 minutes from Ft. Myers and one hour from Southwest Florida International Airport. Pine Island's secluded, quaint and "country waterfront" atmosphere is a huge part of its charm. Fringed with mangroves rather than white sand beaches, Pine Island has escaped the concrete, blacktop and skyscrapers found in most touristy, beachy communities. Current legislation prohibits high density, high-rise development in the foreseeable future . . . designed to preserve our unique, rural island heritage for generations to come . . . 

Site Directory

This suite of pages is quite comprehensive. To assist you in navigating through our "waters", we suggest that you use the buttons below. Just click on each one to "cruise" the site and remember to use your browser's "back" button to return here. Enjoy your "visit". (If you like what you see and read about our little country island, just "get real . . . come on down and browse around"!) 
 

	Historical		Communities
	Fishing & Boating		Nature & Wildlife
	What Is There To Do?		Real Estate Offerings
	More Information		Business Directory, Part 1 Accommodations through Electric Utilities
			Business Directory, Part 2 Florists through Veterinarians

HISTORICAL

Florida and Pine Island rose from the receding seas some 24 million years ago. While it is not known when man first arrived on our island, skeletal remains have been unearthed dating back some 6,000 years. 

The Calusa Indian civilization had its cultural center in Southwest Florida, with many shell mounds discovered on Pine Island. Other mound sites were located in the Charlotte Harbor area to the North and extending down to the Ten Thousand Islands near the Everglades. An important, periodically-worked, archeological site is located in Pineland on the northwest edge of Pine Island. 

It is likely that the Calusas inhabited Pine Island until 1513 when it is believed that Ponce de Leon landed on the west side of the island. The Spanish skirmished with the Calusas and imported serious, European diseases to which the natives had little immunity. By 1750, the Calusa culture had vanished, leaving behind only shell mounds and empty villages. Except for occasional pirates or fishermen, Pine Island was basically uninhabited until 1873 when a Russian sailor named John Smith arrived. Other settlers followed and they, too, lived off the substantial bounty of the sea, while beginning to develop the beautiful, island paradise that we now enjoy. 

When you come to Pine Island, be sure to visit our Museum of The Islands Historical Society (MOTI) where you will find a wealth of information on the Calusas and our early pioneers. You will also get the lowdown on that Russian chap named Smith! 

COMMUNITIES

Pine Island consists of Matlacha (Mat-la-shay), Pine Island Center, Bokeelia (Bo-keel-ya), Pineland and St. James City. Each settlement treasures its own distinctive ambiance. 

Matlacha looks like an "old Florida" fishing community (Matlacha Spoken Here). Its drawbridge is known as the "Fishingest Bridge in the World," with anglers customarily fishing the bridge, night and day, in all kinds of weather (mostly sunny). 

Pineland, one of the main sites of Calusa Indian mounds, boasts one of the country's smallest Post Office buildings and provides us with the island's only golf course. It is also site of Mattson Marine at Pineland, a full-service marina. 

St. James City is Pine Island's most developed area with about two thirds of the island's population. Most of its homes are located on canals with direct access to Pine Island Sound, San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. 

Bokeelia is homeport for many of the island's fishermen and the site of several historic buildings. The full-service Four Winds Marina is located here and is port of embarkation for the "Tropic Star" cruiseboat with daily trips to outer islands. Jug Creek Marina also offers water taxi service to Cabbage Key, Cayo Costa North Captiva and Boca Grande. Their new ferry service to Cayo Costa Island State Park is now in operation. In addition, the Useppa Island Shoreport operates out of the Bocilla Island Club Marina.

Bokeelia is also the primary location of many of Pine Island's thriving, subtropical agribusinesses featuring mangoes, pineapples, citrus, row crops and a wide variety of exotic tropical fruits including the carambola, longan, papaya, lychee and loquat. 

Pine Island Center is the only completely off-water community and the hub of the island's commercial activity. It "harbors" the main shopping center, a community park with pool, lighted tennis courts and ballfields, Pine Island Elementary School, the museum, a modern library, medical and dental offices and the island's main fire station, complete with EMS rescue and medical services. 

FISHING AND BOATING

Pine Island's fishing heritage has supported generations of island families. Sport fishermen long ago, also discovered the abundance of finny creatures in Pine Island Sound, San Carlos Bay, Matlacha Pass, Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. 

The sport of tarpon fishing originated in Pine Island Sound in the late 1880s and Boca Grande Pass (just 10 minutes across Pine Island Sound from Bokeelia) is considered the "Tarpon Capital of the World." Other popular game fish are snook, redfish, seatrout, grouper, snapper, cobia, mackerel, barracuda, blacktip shark, sheepshead, seabass and many others. 

Until you know Pine Island's estuaries and the feeding preferences and habits of our local fish population, you might want to consider doing a few charter trips with a fishing guide. Choose half-day or all-day, offshore, inshore, back-bay (even saltwater fly) fishing. Catching fish is guaranteed! If you like "Fish'nTrips", you'll love Pine Island! By the way, summertime "fishin' is easy" and there's more of it to enjoy, mainly because of the many windy days of downtime that occur from December into March during winter season. So come on down for a less crowded and less costly vacation or fishing happening. (See MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU at the end of these DISCOVER PINE ISLAND Community Pages.) 

While Pine Island beaches are limited to minimal, young-children-oriented, wading beaches, "the scenic boat ride to an outer island beach" is considered by many to be, "the most glorious 15 to 30 minutes of the day!" From either end of the island, St. James City or Bokeelia, that's all it takes to reach the renowned beaches of our barrier islands: Sanibel, Captiva, North Captiva and Cayo Costa (a Florida State Park). No waiting in long lines of traffic, no parking fees, no crowds . . . and the passing parade of seabirds and graceful dolphins is unsurpassed! You may use your own boat, one of many water-taxi services, or a tour or cruiseboat to accomplish your mission, be it fishing, beaching, shelling, sealife and seabird watching, nature loving or just enjoyable, relaxing or refreshing transportation. 

Because the subject of boating encompasses sailing and cruising, we feel we would be remiss if we did not leave you with a favorite excerpt from Claiborne Young's Cruising Guide to Southwest Florida: "You could literally spend weeks exploring Pine Island Sound alone and still not exhaust all the possibilities. Secluded anchorages, good marinas, historic inns with fabulous dining, deserted, white sand beaches, beautiful state parks . . . well, the list could go on and on, but perhaps you are beginning to get the idea. There is no other portion of the Western Florida coastline that combines, in such delightful measure, the fortunate qualities of ready accessibility and fabulous, often unpopulated cruising grounds as does the stretch between the Caloosahatchee River and Gasparilla Island! Get ready for a genuine cruising treat!" 

Pine Island is truly a Fishing and Boating Paradise! 

NATURE AND WILDLIFE

Pine Island's remote and natural environment is home to many varieties of exotic and tropical wildlife. More than seven known nesting pairs of American bald eagles soar through Pine Island's sunny (360 days a year) skies. Other island birds include the osprey, heron, roseate spoonbill, endangered wood stork, egret, brown and white pelicans, pileated woodpecker, ibis plus the usual array of hawks, owls and songbirds. 

Area waterways hold endangered manatees (the gentle giants also known as sea-cows), sea otters, sea turtles and the rolling dolphins, often seen "surfing" our many canals in search of their daily supply of sushi. 

WHAT IS THERE TO DO?

While Pine Island automatically provides for superb, passive enjoyment and relaxation, it is also a great place for interactivity and exploring. Enjoy kayaking in the sheltered waters of the Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve. Maneuver (or womaneuver) your own canoe through Jug Creek. Camp out at several island facilities or head for those across the sound at Cayo Costa Island State Park (accessible only by boat). Fish off the Matlacha Drawbridge. Hire a fishing guide and let him or her "do the driving" and find you some nice, fresh fish! Enjoy an invigorating trip on one of the many water-taxis, or cruise/tourboats to the islands of Useppa and Cayo Costa. Stop for luncheon at the islands of Cabbage Key, Captiva, Sanibel or North Captiva. On Pine Island, check out the local shops, dine and relax at a number of local, waterfront or off-water eateries and restaurants, specializing in fresh seafood, served up with a casual, low-key, islandish atmosphere. 

REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS IN THE PINE ISLAND AREA 

We are now proud to be displaying an enlarged and comprehensive array of nearly all Pine Island real estate properties in the relatively new PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE. Since Pine Island is such a uniquely limited and geographically-confined business area, we are able to show you and other world-wide viewers, most of our entire, categorized, real estate inventory from this most convenient, one-stop, multi-realtor, real estate supermarket! (It sure beats trying to find and wade through a bunch of smaller, individual real estate firms' websites and their sometimes limited offerings, don't you think?). If you see something of interest in the Showcase, please remember to include the Property Code when you inquire about any specific listing.

There are several new real estate subdivisions "in bloom" on our idyllic and bucolic island. Among them are Tranquility Bay in Bokeelia and three others which are south of Pine Island Center in the larger community of St. James City. These developments are Island Acres, Hidden Lake and The Villages of Pine Island, a "clothing optional" concept that is planning a 480-unit complex of attached villas and townhomes on a 122-acre site. Other embryonic, island developments or projects include a second Pine Island golf-course and community near the Tropical Homesites subdivision.

In addition, we invite you to check out a sampling of various, multi-realtor listings of other local area properties, all with full-color photos and descriptive text, on the SOUTHWEST FLORIDA INTERNET REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE. This SHOWCASE has listings in other nearby, Lee County communities, including Ft. Myers, North Ft. Myers, Ft. Myers Beach, Cape Coral, Sanibel/Captiva, North Captiva Island and others. 

MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU

To learn more about our nature-based, UNDERTOURISTED PINE ISLAND PARADISE and to receive a complete information packet (with the Real Estate Guide and Pine Island map), please mail check or MO for $4.75 (US funds) for S & H (First Class Mail) to GREATER PINE ISLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Matlacha FL 33993-0525. (Tel. 941-283-0888) 

To receive only a FREE copy . . . poste haste . . . of the latest issue of PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE GUIDE, please send your request to PINE ISLAND PUBLISHERS, St. James City FL 33956-0650 (Tel. 941-283-0345) or send your email request to teddsy (see below). Be sure to give us your "mostly postal" address. 

For more information about planning for a customized PINE ISLAND VACATION or FISHING PACKAGE (including accommodations, camping, fishing guides, charters, boat rentals, kayaking, sightseeing, tour or cruiseboat trips, or many other options) you may write to FISH PINE ISLAND (VFP) St James City FL 33956-0650 or send e-mail to: teddsy@cyberstreet.com 

For more "fishinformation", other questions, please send e-mail. 

For a great look at the surrounding region including Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers Beach, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, Boca Grande, Sanibel/Captiva, North Captiva and the outer islands, check out the LEE ISLAND COAST web site presented by the Lee Island Coast Visitor and Convention Bureau. (Remember to use your browser's "Back" button to return to DISCOVER PINE ISLAND, or look for our link on their pages about Pine Island).

DISCOVER PINE ISLAND Community Pages and PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE, HTML Copyright 1997 Pine Island Publishers and Tedd C. Lincoln. All rights reserved. 

PHOTO CREDITS: Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, Lee Island Coast, Pine Island Publishers, Mike Shevlin and Dr. John Flower 

INTERESTED IN WORLD WIDE WEB ADVERTISING FOR YOUR BUSINESS? 
The new PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE?
Send e-mail to: teddsy@cyberstreet.com 

COMING SOON
We are now working on translations of this site into German and Spanish, to be implemented in that order. (Please behr mit us, und gracias, amigos!) 

NEW ADDITIONS to the PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE will be the categories for displaying Commercial Lots and Acreage. 

Finally, due to popular demand, we are planning to include soon, Real Estate properties that are For Sale by Owner in the PINE ISLAND REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE.
We will not be soliciting those who have seller or buyer agency relationships with licensed real estate brokers or agents. In fact, we stongly encourage those who have property to sell, to list it with a professional who has the know-how and the expertise to expedite and facilitate the sale of real estate.