I can still remember my first meeting with South Seas Island Resort's tennis director John Williams. He took me out on the court for a mini lesson and within half an hour had given me a new perspective on how to improve both my preparation and movement. His lucid comments and simple, straight forward approach had me striking the ball better without changing a single aspect of my strokes. "The mind really interferes with some people's efficiency," he told me. "We have to show them first how much more quickly they're capable of reacting and then we can begin to integrate that into their games."

A family looking for a resort with something for everyone is almost certain to find what they need at this 330-acre resort, 35 miles from the airport in Ft. Myers at the very tip of Captiva Island. Tucked in among its mangroves, palms, and Australian pines is a wide variety of accommodations, from oversized hotel rooms to 3-bedroom homes. A narrow ribbon of sand, renowned as one of the world's great shelling beaches, runs the entire length of the resort, though that's only the beginning of a recreational array that includes a 19-court tennis complex, 9-hole golf course, a marina with charter fishing fleet, a sailing school, and much more. There are also excellent children's programs and a free on-property shuttle.

South Seas was devastated by Hurricane Charley in August 2004 but instead of opting simply to repair the damage it used the opportunity to completely reconceive the resort, spending $140 million to bring it into the 21st century. That has taken time but now all 465 of its rooms have reopened and so have most of the amenities. There are now two new infinity pools, a redesigned golf club, a renourished beach, a spa and fitness center, and an expansive yacht harbor.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 239-472-5111

South Seas has an excellent tennis program under director John Williams, who has been there since 1978. Twelve of the 19 hard courts—not thoroughly refurbished and painted U.S. Open blue—fan out from a compact pro shop and shaded deck adjacent to the guest reception center near the resort entrance. Williams has an active calendar of weekly events during the busy winter season, including daily clinics, as many as four different round robins, teen clinics, and if the demand is there children's clinics. (The shoulder seasons of spring and fall, by contrast, are likely to lure group business during the week and vacationing Floridians on weekends.)

Courts & Fees. 19 Hard courts (4 with lights). Court fees: $15/person/day.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about South Seas Island Resort.

• ""—B.J., Adv. Int., March 2008

Other Recreation

Beach. The long, narrow beach bordering one side of the property is one of the world's foremost shelling beaches.

Golf Courses. The resort has a par 36, 9-hole course of its own but can also arrange for guests to play at the 18-hole Dunes course on neighboring Sanibel Island.

Spa & Fitness Center. Located in a shopping complex just across from the entrance the resort, the Zen Spa offers massages, facials, and body treatments with an Asian influence. The adjacent Fitness Club contains roughly 30 pieces of cardiovascular or weight training equipment and a selection of free weights all crammed into a small mirrored room. There's also an aerobics room and locker rooms. Upstairs are a few treatment rooms for such spa services as massages, skin car, paraffin and mud wraps.

And ... The Offshore Sailing School runs a variety of sailing courses ranging from half-day resort courses to multi-day Performance Sailing, Cruising and Racing camps.

Children's Programs

South Seas has a national reputation for the quality of its children's programs. There are two separate packages: one for children 4-12 and one for teens. The "Fun Factory" entertains and educates children ages 3-11. Themes change daily. It runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m. as well as 5:30-8:30 p.m. on some evenings. The Teen Club for ages 12-18 includes such activities as kayaking, tennis, and banana-boat rides supplemented by an occasional evening movie.

Lodging

The lodging options at South Seas begin with a Harbourside Guest Rooms and continue up through one-, two-, and three bedroom villas and beyond to even larger private homes. The Harbourside rooms are very generous in size. All have balconies overlooking Pine Island Sound or the Yacht Harbour. The villas meanwhile have full kitchens and screened-in porches. These variously face the Gulf of Mexico (with easy access to the beach), the marina, or the tennis courts. Each complex has its own swimming pool. The most interesting layouts—forget the typical rectangular format—are the two- and three-bedroom accommodations of Land's End Villas at the extreme northern tip of the island. They are characterized by large living/dining areas, open kitchens, broad decks (both open and screened), some outside hot tubs, and fabulous sunrise or sunset views.

Restaurants

You have three choices of places for dinner within the resort. Of these, The Pointe is the most ambitious, with a Tommy Bahama interior and Caribbean grill. There's also an ice cream parlor and pizza parlor, a Starbuck's, and a small grocery store called Captiva Provisions. If you leave the resort, you'll find more than a dozen additional on Captiva Island, including such local favorites as the Mucky Duck.

See Also

Among the other tennis resorts similar to South Seas are:

• Amelia Island Plantation, Florida
• Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Florida
• Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina
• Wild Dunes Resort, South Carolina

Travel Essentials

Seasons. Year-round.

Rates.

South Seas Island Resort
5400 Plantation Rd.
Captiva Island, FL 33924
239-472-5111
Toll-free: 866-565-5089
Fax: 239-481-4947
Web Link: South Seas Island Resort

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Travel Instructions. By Air: The nearest airport is Southwest Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers, 35 miles from the resort. By Car: Take Exit 21 off I-75 and head west on Daniels Parkway. Turn left onto Six Mile Cypress, go across the intersection with US 41 (at that point Six Mile Cypress becomes Gladiolus) and then turn left onto Summerlin Road (State Road 869). As you continue south, Summerlin becomes Sanibel Causeway. You'll pass through a toll booth and then follow the signs to Captiva Island.

General Tourist Information. For information about this part of Florida, visit the Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel web site or contact them at 12800 University Dr., Suite 550, Ft. Myers, FL 33907. Phone toll-free 800-237-6444 or 239-338-3500.

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