A rich and notable history

Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa occupies the southern point of land where the Caloosahatchee River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Inhabited by the Caloosa Indians centuries ago, Spanish explorers in the early 1500's named it Punta Rassa (“flat or razed point”) and it has survived hurricanes, wars and fires to become a traveler’s paradise.

In the 1800s a telegraph station was built in the Civil War-era Fort Dulany barracks and cattlemen began to raise their herds on Punta Rassa. Soon the telegraph operator and his wife established a rooming house for the cattlemen, which would later evolve into a small inn on the quiet shore.

By the end of the 1800s, the area had gained notoriety as a fishing mecca where wealthy guests flocked to the Gulf waters teeming with kingfish, channel bass, sea trout, Spanish mackerel and silver king tarpon. Famous visitors included Thomas Edison and auto industry giant Henry Ford, whose winter homes in Fort Myers still stand as historic landmarks.

When a guest of the inn caught a tarpon weighing in at 93 pounds and 5 feet 9 inches in length with a rod and reel, the area’s reputation for fishing was sealed. The inn, so popular with anglers, was renamed the Tarpon House Inn. Following a devastating fire in 1906 fire, the inn was rebuilt with two wings of rooms overlooking the water and a rounded Victorian pavilion crowned with a cupola.

Today’s Sanibel Harbour Resort hotel was inspired by that turn-of-the-century design and guests still enjoy the waterfront views and the signature octagonal pavilion. The waters off Punta Rassa continue to be known as the world's best site for tarpon fishing and discerning travelers, the rich and famous among them, still call this idyllic spot their preferred retreat, year after year.