Like a gift of the gods, whimsy bubbles up champagne-like in Matlacha, a peewee-sized place where people live, work, and get along. The most workaday aspect of town is the mile-straight road through it, its two lanes useful for bridge anglers to brag about the size of their snook, for shopkeepers to flaunt sometimes outrageous mannequins, for mailboxes decked out like polka-dot dogs, dolphins, and manatees. The colorfully decorated buildings, art galleries, and Old Florida homes with their fishing boats moored just outside the door may remind you of the Florida Keys without the crowds. It’s a refreshing change from the high-rise condos and gated retirement communities that are the norm in much of Southwest Florida. If you want to experience a colorful slice of small-town Florida, be sure to add a trip to Matlacha to your itinerary.
