Southwest Florida is well known for many things, perhaps the most infamous is the folklore that we were home base for the renegade pirate Jose Gaspar, the “Last of the Buccaneers” also known by his nickname Gasparilla.
Legend has it that Gaspar once made his home in Pine Island Sound, reportedly establishing headquarters on Sanibel Island, holding his female prisoners captive on Captiva Island, burying his booty on Gasparilla Island, and imprisoning his beloved Mexican Princess Joseffa on Useppa Island.
Rather than be taken prisoner by the U.S. Navy in 1821 when his capture was inevitable, the scoundrel is said to have drowned himself by wrapping an anchor chain around his waist and dramatically leaping from the bow of his ship, the Floridablanca.
For a more extensive and entertaining overview of “The Legend of Gasparilla,” click here!
