Cheeca Lodge
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Picture yourselves in a hammock under a palm tree with a frosty Kahlua colada in hand. You may not lie there long, for there's much to do at Cheeca Lodge: Located in the sportfishing capital of the world, the lodge takes its angling seriously. After all, there are more than 600 species aswim in the waters. Full and half-day charters head for the Atlantic and return with snapper, dolphin, tuna, mackerel, barracuda, and more. Without leaving the premises, other guests cast off the lighted 525-foot fishing pier.
The Tropic Isle watersports program offers rentals of sail and power boats, aquafins, paddleboards, single and tandem kayaks, and windsurfers. Parasailing, snorkeling and scuba diving can also be arranged.Tennis players have a choice of six lighted Lay-kold courts, and golfers enjoy a quick 9-holes on the Jack Nicklaus-designed par-3 course. The resort has two freshwater swimming pools, and there are three locations nearby where one may swim with dolphins.
Cheeca Lodge does its part to protect and maintain the delicate Florida Keys ecosystem. There's an on-site recycling center and an interpretive underwater snorkel trail to educate guests about the area's only living coral reef.
Hawk's Cay Resort & Marina
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In the heart of the Florida Keys, 95 miles south of Miami, Hawk's Cay Resort & Marina is built on a 60-acre island between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Each room has a private balcony facing a body of water.
A lagoon fringed by beach holds a freshwater pool set into a landscaped terrace. The resort's unique tennis garden is built into a stand of tropical trees, and its two clay (with night lights) and six hard-surface courts are angled to minimize the sun's rays. Resident pro Tim Farwell provides instruction. A complimentary shuttle takes golfers to a nearby 18-hole course.
The S.S. Rumrunner, an old beached cruiser, is headquarters for renting rafts, viewboards, and tiki boats. The 60-slip marina is where deep-sea fishing charters are launched, and sail and powerboats can be rented. Glass-bottom-boat tours of the coral reef offshore leave from here. At the dive shop a fully certified instructor serves students, and lessons are available for physically challenged scuba divers. Windsurfers, waverunners, and bicycles may be rented. Through a program in partnership with the Chicago Zoological Society, Hawks Cay guests are able to learn about dolphins and sea lions in their habitat.
