Bridgewater Inn Matlacha Pine Island

Unfortunately, the future of the Bridgewater Inn is not clear following Hurricane Ian's destruction. Matlacha was hit extremely hard due to several structures being wood frame over the water.

The Inn was patterned after the stilt fish houses that dotted the waters of Pine Island Sound from the early 1900s this landmark Inn is the heart of Matlacha. While not a restaurant, it is a great place to overnight with your boat at your door. From here you could explore Matlacha.

FUN FACTS: The stilt fish houses clustered in the waters of Pine Island Sound were referred to collectively as "fishing camps". Some houses were ice houses, while others stored fishing nets or the daily catch of fish. Many landowners in Matlacha arrived in the Great Depression and erected docks,shanties and shacks along the shell road to Pine Island. They eventually acquired the land with "Squatter's Rights". The road to Pine Island was built in 1925 and settlers began arriving in 1929.