![My room at South Seas Resort overlooked the marina, where manatees like to hang out](https://janschroder.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/southseassailboat-450x295.jpeg)
Come home with more than a tan after a visit to South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island in Southwest Florida. Get your sailing certification from Offshore Sailing School, the #1 sailing school in the country, in as little as three days. If you have more time, take the five-day course and you can qualify to earn your US Sailing Certification.
![A strong wind kept me away from the beach, but I loved biking by the water along the path that took me from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pine Island Sound.](https://janschroder.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/southseasbike-450x296.jpg)
Stay in beautiful accommodations in a hotel suite, one- to three-bedroom villa, a beach home or condo, all just steps away from the Gulf of Mexico or Pine Island Sound. My room overlooked the Yacht Harbour and Marina where a family of manatees likes to hang out most of the year and I spotted dolphins frolicking there several times. Non-sailors can enjoy the beach, shopping, a spa, fishing, waterside yoga classes and tooling around the resort on a golf cart, one of my favorite modes of transportation.
![Scoops and Slices serves ice cream and pizza in a diner-style restaurant](https://janschroder.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/southseasscoops-250x250.jpg)
Kids will go crazy over Scoops & Slices where pizza, ice cream and candy rule. They can enroll in the Sanibel Sea School on their own to learn about the wonders of the ocean or enjoy a customized session with the entire family. The Swimtastic program offers swim lessons for infants through adults, featuring mermaid and pirate photo shoots and the opportunity to learn to swim with a mermaid tail. I was really tempted to go full Ariel myself at South Seas. This article appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Travelgirl magazine.