PLACIDA, Fla. — Don’t blink or you’ll miss the turnoff for this tucked-away slice of old Florida east of Port Charlotte. The once-thriving fishing village, situated along Placida Harbor and on the way to Boca Grande, contains a cluster of cottages housing gift shops, galleries, a fish market, and the longtime landmark The Fishery Restaurant (13000 Fishery Road, 941-697-2451, www.fisheryrestaurantplacida.com) overlooking a mangrove-lined inlet. For floor-to-ceiling tropical art, visit Margaret Albritton Gallery (13020 Fishery Road, 941-698-0603, www.thealbrittongallery.com), which carries colorful paintings by Albritton and her husband, Gary, along with every beach-themed tchotchke one can imagine. Albritton also organizes twice-monthly outdoor art markets featuring regional artists and artisans from fall to spring. Across the dirt road you’ll find The Hatch Gallery (pictured above, at 3060 Fishery Road, 941-697-9531, www.jon-hatch-originals.com) filled with artist Jon Hatch’s quirky driftwood creatures, rustic colorful signs, and nautical designs.
Placida, a slice of old Florida
