Recommend April 2013 - (Page 81)

Museum & Village, with the island’s historic buildings, including a school house. Restaurant pick: These resort communities offer everything from upscale dining to middle-of-the-road. The famous Bubble Room on Captiva Island is a don’t miss, decked out in old-fashioned Christmas lights and ﬁlled with nostalgia from the 1930s and 40s, like Florida postcards and old Macy’s Christmas displays. On Sanibel Island, Sweet Melissa’s Cafe features seasonal produce and fresh meats and seafood by the New Orleans chef, Melissa, who also works with the Sanibel Sea School to promote the use of sustainable seafood. And you can’t leave Sanibel without stopping at The Island Cow, with delicious comfort food drawing both locals and vacationers. Where to stay: Named one of the “Top Ten Beach Resorts for Families” by Parents magazine, Captiva Island’s South Seas Island Resort is half resort, half wildlife sanctuary set on 2.5 miles of beaches that are, of course, perfect for shelling. Gibson says their agency books this resort more than any other in the area. “Clients like to dock their yachts in the marina, and if you are not yachting, then you have a choice of typical hotel rooms, villas, and condos all right at South Seas,” she says. “It’s the best of all worlds.” With the South Seas Bed & Breakfast package, your clients can start the day with breakfast and views of Yacht Harbor Marina. The package includes accommodations in Harbourside guestrooms or in a 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom villas; breakfast at Harbourside including tax and gratuity; and complimentary breakfast for children 10 and under. Rates start at $349 per night. Sanibel Island is known for its inns and cottages. For your clients to get the quintessential island experience, suggest beachfront property Island Inn. What started as a family home in 1885 and later turned into a boarding house now offers guests a variety of accommodations to choose from, as well as “just-like-home” amenities like freshly baked pastries, and beach chairs and towels. Rates start at $115 per night. Best time to go: According to Hamilton, this depends on the traveler. As the weather gets colder in northern climates, animals and birdlife start arriving. Winter is the best time for birdwatchers, and the loggerhead sea turtles can be spotted from May through October, when they come to nest on the beaches. The refuge also has year-round residents, so visiting at any time guarantees wildlife watching. Getting there: Southwest Florida International Airport, located 45 minutes from Sanibel Island, offers nonstop ﬂights throughout the U.S. from more than 20 airline partners including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways. ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive): Back to the Gulf (January 2012) contact information Amelia Island Tourist Development Council: (904) 277-0717; ameliaisland.com Elizabeth Point Lodge: (904) 277-4851; elizabethpointlodge.com Island Inn: (800) 851-5088; islandinnsanibel.com Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau: (800) 237-6444; fortmyers-sanibel.com Omni Amelia Island Plantation: (904) 261-6161; omniameliaislandplantation.com South Seas Island Resort: (866) 565-5089; southseas.com KEY W EST BIG PINE KEY & THE LOWER KEYS MARA THO RG LA Y KE With its natural beauty, world-class fishing and diving, eco-adventures, rich history and fine island cuisine, a week or more in The Florida Keys is exactly what your clients need. A AD OR AM ﬂa-keys.com 1.800.ﬂa.keys SL I O For modern-day explorers, there’s no place like The Florida Keys. N april 2013 81 MCTG-8418 Recommend Magazine LO1 • April 2013 80-81 NA Florida.indd 81 3/20/13 8:52 AM http://www.recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive http://www.ameliaisland.com http://www.elizabethpointlodge.com http://www.islandinnsanibel.com http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com http://www.omniameliaislandplantation.com http://www.southseas.com http://www.fla-keys.com http://www.fla-keys.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend April 2013

Editor's Notes
The Islands of Tahiti
Hotel Desk: Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia
Tour Talk: Islands in the Sun
A Med Escape: Greek Isles & Cyprus
Set Sail
The Seychelles' Private Island Resorts
Portrait of Israel
Booking 2 on the Isles: Easter Island & Galapagos
Island-Hopping in Mexico: Cozumel, Isla Holbox & Isla Mujeres
The Pulse of Poipu, Hawaii
Florida's Islands: Amelia, Captiva & Sanibel
The Real Caribbean: Grenada & Martinique

Recommend April 2013