Which is best?

Which place in Florida has the most ';carribean'; feel to it but still offers things to do for teens? We have an 18, 15, and 2...12 yr olds. They love the beach, and biking etc... We%26#39;d like to show them a nice beach %26amp; clear blue water, without leaving the states since they don%26#39;t have passports. Any ideas, or any hints on where to stay? Thanks in advance :-)

Which is best?

Captiva might well suit you. They are building bike paths this summer and there are a number of watersports in the village area, wave runners, para-sailing, kayaking, some shops and a restaurants, many of which have live entertainment in the evening [usually ends early]. No, the water is not as nice as the Caribbean, but Captiva has that kind of feel to it. Boogie boards, surfing, sailboarding can be problematic as the surf is usually very calm, but it can be enough for some fun on a breezy days. There are cruises to the out islands as well.

Take a look at the houses in Sunset Captiva. Units 1-7 are beachfront, but the rest - 2-3 bedrooms, are some of the best buys on Captiva. They share a newly redone pool and grill area. No streets to cross to the beach and popular with families. Any of the homes in the village area would do as well. See www.captiva-island.com or www.royalshell.som

If you want a place with a view of the beach, there are some in the village, not many. Take a look at the map on the AMRC [captiva-island] site and you%26#39;ll see. South Seas Resort - a sprawling 300+ acre gate controlled resort - has a drop dead location on the north end of the island with Gulf and bay condos, cottages, homes and hotel rooms. The sheer size can be an issue, but if you read all the comments carefully you%26#39;ll get an idea of what%26#39;s up. A complicated place to stay, and many condos that the resort rents are less than good, but the location and overall appearance are wonderful. I personally think the houses in Sunset Captiva and the village are better buys BUT if you want beachfront and location trumps all else - do weigh staying at South Seas.

Now allow me to be completely honest here, Captiva and Sanibel are great places. Easy to get to. Clean, Sanibel is 65% conservation/wildlife refuge land, very safe and quiet. BUT - St John in the USVI [boat access only, you take a ferry from St Thomas, is my all time favorite spot. The downside is you must FLY to St Thomas and then take a ferry to ST John, but then - heaven! NO PASSPORT REQUIRED. No, you can%26#39;t take a day sail to the BVI%26#39;s, like, Tortola, but who cares? On ST John you get great snorkeling right from the beach, hiking trails, quiet but decent nite life, and a huge National Park that keeps development controlled. There are only 2 resorts and most of the accommodations are private home rentals - but there are 2 campgrounds as well. It a very small island and mountainous. The road along the Northshore is stunning. The views - postcard worthy. It is, however, remote. It takes me [NYC area based] about 10 hours door to door compared with 5-6 hours for Sanibel/Captiva. House rental costs are about the same at Sanibe/Captiva. You can get lots of info over on the St John forum.

So, I hope this helps.

Which is best?

I would have to agree with Tourmaline much as I love Sanibel... there is no place we have been as ';drop-dead gorgeous'; as St. John so if it is really Caribbean you seek, you cannot do do better with or without a passport.

I would also add that for a more budget option that Puerto Rico has some beautiful areas especially if you get out of the San Juan region. We particularly liked a small resort called the Copamarina on the southwest coast that was lovely and was a very inexpensive all-inclusive resort. No passports required!

Otherwise, Sanibel or Captiva are wonderful- as long as you don%26#39;t expect the deep turquoise blue water that my oldest child referred to as ';implausibly blue'; on first sight en route to St. John on the ferry!

I would also agree that St. John is AMAZING! We stayed at the Westin for our honeymoon. It was a great place for a honeymoon but completely family friendly as well. There were tons of families there with kids of all ages. The snorkeling was absolutely fantastic, you will definitely get that crystal clear blue water that you are looking for. We also went on a guided hike with a National Park Ranger...great for all ages. The ferry ride from St. Thomas to St. John is very quick - about 20 minutes if I remember correctly.

Have fun!

St John is beautiful. I love the ease of getting to Sanibel. If your kids love biking, I%26#39;d choose Sanibel over Captiva- it has beautiful bike paths that in many places are far from the roads. This wasn%26#39;t the case with the bike paths I saw them working on on Captiva when I was there the last few weeks. Sanibel has more going on for kids, too- the pool at the new fitness center, better shelling, Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, a movie theater, lots of shopping, the birds at Periwinkle Park. Of course Captiva is lovely too and you can get from one to the other easily.

Thank you so much for the information everyone :-) I looked up St John, but it might be too much for us with 6 of us going, and one going to college in a few months and two in braces! lol. Yikes. That does sound like a nice place for my husband and I to go alone tho. We are looking at Puerta Rico, and also Sanibel and Captiva.

I can%26#39;t thank all of you enough for your help. We used Trip Advisor when we went to Cancun and DR, and the advice helped us pick the perfect place. Thanks again.

Don%26#39;t forget about the East End of St. Croix (USVI). Like Sanibel, it%26#39;s a great secret.

zits