Cayo Costa State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Florida, on Cayo Costa (formerly known as La Costa Island or Padilla Rancho), an island directly south of Boca Grande (Gasparilla Island) and just north of North Captiva Island, approximately west of Cape Coral. The park is accessible only by charter boat (with or without captain), private boat, ferry or helicopter. History Cayo Costa was occupied by Calusa people until about 1700. Native Americans built a number of shell mounds on the island. Starting early in the 18th century, fishermen from Cuba began establishing ranchos, stations for catching and processing fish for the Havana market, along the southwest coast of the Florida peninsula from Tampa Bay to the Caloosahatchee River, possibly including on Cayo Costa. The ranchos operated through the period of British rule of Florida (1763–1783), the second period of Spanish rule (1783–1821), and into the period of American rule, until they were forced out during the Second Seminole War. Tervio (Tariva, Toribio) Padilla, commonly known as "Captain Pappy", settled on Cayo Costa in the second half of the 19th century. Born in the Canary Islands, Padilla became a U.S. citizen in 1862, while a resident of Key West. Padilla operated a rancho on Cayo Costa where he and his workers caught and processed fish for the Cuban market. A cemetery on the island holds the graves of Padilla and his wife, as well as of approximately 30 Cuban fishermen who died in a 1910 hurricane. Cayo Costa State Park suffered two category 4 hurricane landfalls in recent history. On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley made direct landfall on Cayo Costa as a Category 4 storm. Then, on September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian also made direct landfall on Cayo Costa as a Category 4 storm. Geography Cayo Costa Island is one of a chain of barrier islands that shelter Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. The park contains nine miles (14 km) of soft white sandy beaches and of pine forests, oak-palm hammocks, and mangrove swamps. Fauna A variety of wildlife can be seen in Cayo Costa State Park. Among the most looked-for animals are sea turtles. There are four species found on the island: the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eremochelys imbriata), green (Chelonia mydas), and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii). Cayo Costa has many volunteers who check the entire nine-mile beach each morning during sea turtle