When: January 20 to 22, 2006
Where: Cayo Costa, Florida
What: camping, seeing wildlife, exploring
by Steve Gregg
Cayo Costa's most valuable treasure lies in its isolation. More than 90 percent of the island’s 2,506 acres is home to Cayo Costa State Park. That leaves little room for the few private residences that remain available for weekend excursions. To truly become familiar with this wild island, avoid their tempting luxuries and reserve a campsite instead. Camping on this barrier island on the southwest gulf coast of Florida is reminiscent of an episode of Survivor or, depending on who’s in your party, an episode of Gilligan’s Island. But one need not think of television here. If a primitive piece of real Florida remains to be found, it’s secretly nestled in the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.

By primitive I mean the island has nearly reverted to the days of the Calusa Indians, Cayo Costa’s first inhabitants some 10,000 years ago. Part of that is due to Hurricane Charley in 2004, which uprooted much of the island’s natural shade. Fortunately, the living facilities survived the winds and rain. The park runs a campground of thirty campsites—with no electric hookups—that can accommodate up to eight people. Twelve cabins contain three bunks each, a picnic table, and screened windows. A few have screened porches. All look cozy, but if the mission is to experience life as an early explorer, reserve a tent site. Site No. 9 is ideal for one camper needing solitude, and Site No. 8 is superb for a couple. Shaded and private, Site No. 11 is perfect for a larger group. Beware, however, of the nearby lagoon just beyond the sand pit. A 14-foot alligator and its babies inhabit the shallow water. Warning signs are posted.

No signs, however, warn about the onslaught of insects which begins just around noon. Some insects could not be identified; others are all too familiar to Floridians. The noseeums will disappear if a steady breeze flows off the gulf, but the mosquitoes will stay through it all. Flying insects traverse the shore and campground alike so protection is necessary even while shelling along the seven miles of pristine beaches. Repellant with at least 25% deet works well. If you have it, use Avon Skin So Soft. No bug will touch it, according to the park ranger, who certainly knew his facts and history about the island. While making the rounds through the campground, he told us a few tales while we cooked dinner around our campfire.

Infamous bloody tales defile Cayo Costa’s history pages, and many of the yarns are best unraveled beside a dancing blaze beneath an orb of pale moonlight. Legends of pirates’ stores of golden treasure can thicken the air in any camp. Consider the intrigue of the mythical pirate Gasparilla. Folks have said he built a fort on the island in the late 1700s and used it as a refuge after he plundered merchant ships sailing from anywhere, including his homeland Spain. While most major historians yell hogwash when they hear that story, many other stories go undisputed. The island was certainly home to slavers, pirates, and prostitutes. In the early 1900s, a brothel appeared at the island’s north end, where the U.S. Navy had already established a quarantine station. After each long day of fishing for tarpon, diseased sailors would spend each long evening inside the closed doors of the busy brothel. The quarantine station also served to inspect immigrants moving through Boca Grande Pass.

But not all of Cayo Costa’s history is painted in such deep shades of murder and sin. During the 1800s, the island served as a nucleus of Spanish fishermen from Cuba, who established fishing ranchos. Caught fish were transported back to the Cuban markets. In the early twentieth century, about 20 families of fishermen made the island their home, complete with a dry goods store, post office, and school. A cemetery smack in the middle of the island is the final resting place for a few of these fishermen. The meager plots of the Coleman family and Captain Peter Nelson are outlined with conch shells, some shaped like the Christian cross. The entire island, however, could be called one large unmarked grave. Evidence suggests the dead were often buried where they fell.

The island’s interior is largely hardwood forests and hammocks comprised of live oaks and sabal palms. However, the interior also includes grasslands and pine forests. Ospreys and eagles make these their home. A mangrove swamp, home to herons and egrets, edges the east coast of the island. The west coast is a shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico that stretches for nine miles. Shell mounds built by island dwellers before the arrival of Columbus contain much tropical vegetation, such as gumbo limbo trees, mastics, and strangler figs.

The island offers seven miles of easy hiking trails, the best way to see all of Cayo Costa’s natural communities. Highlights include the Quarantine Trail, which leads to the spot where a dock once stood. The brothel is missing too. However, a spectacular view of the Gulf of Mexico remains. Scramble atop one of the uprooted oaks and one can watch the sun rise in the East. Backtrack to the Scrub Trail and follow it to the Cemetery Trail. Near the end of this trail is the pioneer cemetery. Follow this trail to the main road, which leads to the campground or the ranger station, depending on the direction chosen.

The island is packed with wildlife. When the state of Florida bought the island, the settlers moved inland but left behind their pigs. Now, wild boars roam freely. Some native animals include snakes, alligators, bobcats, raccoons, and a vast variety of birds, including ospreys and eagles.

For an island so isolated, plenty of activities are available. Kayaks can be rented and brought over on the ferry, and the ranger station rents bikes for $4 apiece. More leisurely outings include swimming, shelling, hiking, bird watching, and fishing. Tarpon, snook, sheepshead, and pompano are popular catches on the island and some make for fine feasting. If snook is the desired catch, check ahead to make sure they are in season.

Some precautions are necessary. Bring tamper-proof containers for food and string is a good idea too. Some items may need to be looped from a tree limb for protection against rascally raccoon paws. Fishing line works well for this, but anything too thin for an animal to climb along is perfect. If a wild boar is seen, avoid it. Wild boars are sometimes violent when agitated. Birds are naturally unafraid of man on the island. Keep that in mind when the flock lands.

Pets are not permitted in the campground or on the beach. Intoxicants and firearms are strictly prohibited.

The park is open 8 a.m. until sunset 365 days a year and is accessible only by private boat (dock space is provided) or ferry. Call TropicStar of Pine Island, (239) 283-0015, to book passage on the ferry. Also, the park charges a $1 admission fee to everyone but campers. Camping fee for a tent site is $18.00, and cabins are $30.00 per night. To reserve a campsite, visit www.reserveamerica.com or call 1-800-326-3521. Reservations can made up to 11 months in advance.

Sources for background info:
Dan Ballou, park ranger
http://www.floridastateparks.org/cayocosta/default.cfm
http://www.rootsweb.com/~fllee/cities/index.html
http://www.josegaspar.net/AboutJose.htm