my fiance and i are looking for a 3-7 day beach vacation during my spring break in mid-april ( i work in a high school). we just need to go somewhere to relax on the beach for a few days. we are not really looking for nightlife of any kind. mostly we want to swim, read, play frisbee, go for bike rides, maybe kayak, and do a whole lot of nothing. in the evenings, we'll probably cook a nice dinner and watch movies. our main criteria are affordability (we are flying from nj), beautiful beaches, and a slow pace. if we could find a deserted island to stay on, we would! i've found inexpensive fares to fort myers from nj, and have been looking at sanibel/captiva. anyone have any guidance or suggestions??

oh, and we would also try to rent a condo or small cottage so we can cook our own meals.

If you serious about the fact that you really want to do "a whole lot of nothing" then the following 2 islands, accessible by boat/ferry only are probably your best bet.

www.palmisland.com
www.northcaptiva.com

Both islands offer everything you're asking for and total quiet after 10-11 pm.

Hi jmc,

While Sanibel and Captiva couldn't be considered 'deserted', they will certainly offer most of what you're looking for. I visited a couple of years ago over Memorial Day weekend and expected to find crowds, but it was actually pretty quiet there (I've also visited in February which was a great time to go...). Both islands are beautiful and even though they are joined to one another via a very short bridge, they each have a different feel to them.

You'll find plenty of beautiful beaches, terrific shell collecting (if you like that sort of thing), a nice wildlife refuge (where you can rent bikes, walk the trails, rent kayaks, and commune with nature), leisurely drives, and even some shopping if that strikes your fancy. Even though your plan is to cook your own meals, you do have the option of several good restaurants as well.

The vibe there is definitely laid back and relaxed. If you truly want deserted, then maybe AAFrequentFlyer's suggestions are better, but if you want a few more options for things to do, a Sanibel/Captiva combo would probably do the trick.

We also took the short drive down to Naples on our last trip and really liked that area. Definitely not deserted there, but nice. ;-)

Try either Lauderdale by the Sea on the east coast, or the Treasure Island/Madeira Beach area on the west. LBTS is only 20 minutes from Ft. Lauderdale airport and TI is about 40 minutes from Tampa. Both are small beach towns with pretty much what you're looking for.

Key Biscayne is another idea. Right across a bridge from Miami so you have the best of both worlds...peace of Key Biscayne and action of Miami should you want it. You can even fly into Ft. Lauderdale if it's cheaper than Miami and just drive from there. There are a lot of apts. listed on vrbo.com

Best kept great beach secret on the lovely Gulf coast of Florida is Keaton Beach. If you want peace, calm evenings, and a rental cottage or condo you can find it there. You'll have to look it up because most people don't know about it, and there isn't an airport right there, but it isn't too far from some central Florida airports. Good luck.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I actually found a fare to Mexico for under $250 round trip, so we are heading to Tulum for 4 nights!

There's no better place to relax and do nothing than the Florida Keys! How about Key West? It's a bit of a hike but it sounds like you have a few days.