Matagorda Island (/ˈmætəˈɡɔərdə/), Spanish for "thick brush," is a 38 mile (61 km) long barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast, located approximately seven miles south of Port O'Connor, in the southernmost part of Matagorda County. Traditional homeland of the Karankawa Indians. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, and Espiritu Santo Bay on the west and north. It is separated from San José Island to the south by Cedar Bayou, and is separated from the Matagorda Peninsula to the north by Pass Cavallo. It has no permanent residents and is accessible by bridge.