So you have heard of  Pine Island and its mango groves and its ever-growing MangoMania, the annual two day Tropical Fruit Festival, to be celebrated at the German-American Social Club on 2101 SW Pine Island rd. on the weekend of July 12th and 13th.  Great!  We, the sponsors, the members of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, are getting our message out.  Not only do we Pine Islanders want to see you at MangoMania, but also would like to see you in our communities all year round.  How do we entice you?  We brag a little.  You have to look hard to find a Pine Islander who does not like Pine Island.

The Communities of Pine Island

Greater Pine Island consists of five communities, each with its own flavor, and the areas in between. First we entice you visually.  You are probably coming from elsewhere in Southwest Florida, from Naples, Lehigh Acres, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, each nice areas in their own way, but each with a bit too much urbanization, too much traffic, too many rules and a feeling of sameness.

Matlacha

First thing you notice when you travel to Greater Pine Island is Matlacha (pronounced Mat-luh-shay), a hodgepodge of the different.  Your eyes will notice the great expanse of water, which backs up to almost every home and business.  Each home and business is something different reflecting the personality and/or idiosyncrasies of the resident within or business owner.  One likes bright colors and “pizzazz”, the other likes the more subdued.  Here you will find a house, a bar, an art gallery, a post office, a restaurant, a pet grooming service, a gift shop, a coffee house, a marina, a bait shop, a convenience store, a gym, a motel, a small condominium, all sitting one next to the other in harmony.  One house is big, one is a cottage, there’s a trailer, this one has dolls and giant stuffed animals on display, not to sell, but to show you.  There is an old Indian statue sitting on a chair on the street wishing you a Happy 4th of July or a happy whatever, depending on the season.  One art gallery has mannequins all in front.  If rain is expected, they wear yellow rain coats.  If it’s close to Mother’s Day, some are pregnant. 

Matlacha’s main street looks like a party is the offing most of the time.  Its main bridge most times is loaded with people relaxing and socializing while dangling their lines in the water hoping to catch something for dinner.  The bars and restaurants are physically different from those in suburbia.  Some signs are basic.  One says, “EAT”.  Others are less brash.  Some are illuminated listing specials, early bird offerings, etc.  Offerings cover the range from take out to mood sit down.  Of course, since they are located in a fishing community, most offer seafood.  Mix in the shrimp boats, other commercial craft, the yachts, the row boats, the canoes and kayaks, the picture is near complete, visually.  Talk to the people.  That’s where the real charm comes is.  This one is sophisticated.  That one may be happy shirtless and talking to himself.  This one doesn’t eat anything that has a face.  That one is omnivorous.  Everyone seems to get along enjoying the diversity of the milieu.  You find them all in the small, but beautiful, park just off the main road where you can park your car, walk on the pier or launch your boat.  You can “Spend the day in Matlacha”.

Between Matlacha and Pine Island Center is Little Pine Island.  Actually, it’s about three miles across.  So it’s not so little.  From your car you can witness a five-year wetland restoration project in progress.  The State owns the entire island as a preserve.  A large developing company is carrying out the work to earn points which it can use elsewhere where questionable acreage many impede building.  Here the exotic vegetation is being removed on a grand scale.  Replanting of native grasses and trees is being accomplished.  A sewer plant has been closed down and will be torn down.  The land is being returned to its natural state by a developer.

Pine Island Center

Pine Island Center is Pine Island’s downtown.  Here you will find a large super market and shopping center.  There is another smaller newer shopping center built in Old Florida style.  A third shopping plaza features an old round historic building with several smaller shops and an art gallery in the rear.  The plaza was once a motel and restaurant.  The round building has just been rented.  The locals are curious as to the new occupant business. Pine Island Center features a fairly new Old Florida style medical and professional center. It also features our one fast food restaurant, diners, barbecue, pizza parlors and other eateries. There are boat retailers and builders, a hardware store, beauty shops, a barber shop, a travel office, our four island banks, a spanking new do-it-yourself car wash, real estate offices, insurance services, accounting services, churches, two convenience stores, two pharmacies, some light industries, storage facilities, laundry, veterinary services, dentists, attorneys, etc.  There is no post office.  Every other community of Pine Island has its own post office, but not “downtown”.  Oh, by the way, there is not a traffic light in Pine Island Center or in any of Pine Island for that matter.

Pine Island Center is also home to a beautiful public library in a relatively new building.
It is used by ordinary folk as well as students and by many local resident authors for research.  The old library building still stands.  It is now a museum which concentrates on local history, especially that of the Calusa Indians who once had their capital on Pine Island.  Two parks are in Pine Island Center.  One is for quiet and maybe lunch.  The Pine Island Garden Center created this “passive” park on donated land.  The other is Phillips Park, a County facility, which features a huge swimming pool open to the public for a 50 cents fee as well as lighted tennis courts at no fee to the users.  At the very end of Pine Island Road easily visible to the public is an osprey nest, the pride of the nice housing community immediately to its right.  Not to forget, there is an active group of  “actor- types” on Pine Island.  They work hard to put on a play each winter season for residents and visitors.  The Fishers of Men Lutheran Church has regularly offered its facilities for the performances.

In Between Communities - South

Go south from the Center toward St. James “City”.  You will see a smattering of houses and two mobile home communities along the way as well as the VFW, American Legion and the Moose Club. Stop in for a “cool one” if you are a member.  All along the road you will see mango groves, orange groves, nurseries and acres of palm groves. On the right you will find a start up fish farm.  On the left is the KOA Campgrounds.  You can hike or bicycle the entire distance on a newly constructed off the road concrete bike path complete with safety rails.