South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, Florida.Thomas Hart Shelby
South Seas Island Resort
5400 Plantation Rd., Captiva Island, Fla., southseas.com; 470 guest rooms from $199 (U.S.). No eco-rating.
Despite its size, South Seas Island Resort feels intimate. Unless of course you're trying to get from one end of it to the other, in which case rent a bike or golf cart to get around.
Design: With plenty of natural wicker and woven wood, the indoor areas bring the sandy beach feel inside. Decorative touches evoke the property's plantation history.
Amenities: From a kids' camp and fishing programs for the whole family, to golf, boating, tennis and waterslides, there's enough to pack your days with as many activities as you have the energy for. Or you could stretch out on the resort's four kilometres of shell-filled shoreline.
Rooms: Rooms have a lived-in, cottage-like feel.
Food: From the Holy Smoke Heavenly Barbeque joint – where you can eat in or pack a southern barbecue to take to the beach – to the Scoops and Slices pizzeria by the main pool complex, the options are plentiful, fresh and tasty. There's also a well-stocked grocery and wine store at the resort's main gate.
Verdict: South Seas offers the amenities of a full-service resort but allows guests to scale back and enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Captiva and nearby Sanibel Island.
Special to The Globe and Mail