One night this local guide went out by himself, and as he pulled up his engine stalled. As he sat back for a moment he felt something very large move in the water next to the boat, and it rocked as though someone was climbing up and into it. The guide said he did what he had to do to get out of there – and quick. Others are rumored to have heard the faint sounds of an off-key piano coming from the island, and the cries of a baby as well. The legend of Joseffa the Spanish princess is one of the most widely known around the area. The young girl taken captive by the infamous pirate was royalty, and Gaspar was smitten. He kept her at his private home on Gasparilla Island, away from his other female captives on Captiva. She would have none of him, though, and in a fit of rage one night he chopped off her head. Instantly contrite, Gaspar bemoaned his choice and, with great fanfare took her body to be buried on its own nearby island. It is now called Useppa. Legend has it that Gaspar kept Joseffa’s head for a long time, so he could continue to gaze upon her beauty for as long as possible. Though it’s been awhile since Josefja has been seen wandering the beach by Banyan Street, her spirit is said to still live there, wandering around, looking to become complete again. Haunting at the Boca Grande Bakery ... Another island legend tells of a young pre-teen girl who decided to spend her eternity in the Boca Grande Bakery (now The Inn Bakery at the corner of 4th Street and E. Railroad Ave.) and really, who could blame her? While the story is sketchy about how she died, we just know that she died at a very young age. Many people who have worked at and visited the bakery over the years have said that she is a mischievous imp who likes to push cups around near the freezers, and wreaks general havoc from time to time for those who open up in the morning. Some say you can hear her running up and down the stairs that lead up to the apartments as well, giggling all the while.
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