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For more than 4,000 years prior to the arrival of Europeans in Florida, a series of Native American fishing cultures thrived in the Charlotte Harbor area. Cayo Costa State Park, meaning ‘Key by the Coast’ or barrier island, is home to several of their historic shell mounds. In the early 1800s, Spanish fishermen from Cuba established ‘fishing ranchos’ on islands along Florida’s west coast.

The fishermen would catch and dry fish, then transport them to Cuban markets. As immigration increased in the late 1800s, a quarantine station was set up on the northern end of Cayo Costa for those entering the country through Boca Grande Pass.

By the early 1900s, about 20 fishing families resided on Cayo Costa, where they built a school, a post office, and a grocery store. The island’s history is deeply rooted in its fishing community.

During the summer months, Cayo Costa becomes a haven for hundreds of nesting sea turtles that journey here to lay their eggs. Park rangers work diligently, especially in the early morning hours, to mark and protect these nests, ensuring the preservation of this species for generations to come.

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