Reasonably-priced beach vacation with calm waters

[stout]

OK, so here are the non-variables: fly out of Minneapolis on October 19 or 20, return to Minneapolis on October 23, DD wants to go to the beach . . . any beach, just "the beach." DD is 5 and timid of waves, so I am looking for the calmest waves possible (think "waves" at Castaway Cay). Needs to be relatively warm (70+ temps in October) Since we only have the extended weekend (school break), I would prefer something near an airport, perhaps with transportation to and from the local airport. While there is not really a "budget" for this, it would eat at my soul if we had to spend more than $1,500 between airfare and hotel.
Is this possible? If so, ideas?

 

[aprilgail2]

St. Thomas---Magens Bay is awesome! The water was calm, water and crystal clear!! Just beautiful!

 

[uromac]

In the US:

We loved Siesta Key near Sarasota FL, (tampa, orlando and ft. meyers could be airport possiibilities) The warm gulf waters are very calm, sand is made of quartz and fine (supposedly does not get hot too!) and other things you can do nearby (ringling musuem (circus), etc.... also Sanibel and Captiva Islands to the south for 'shelling' . BTW, it still is hurricane season in October (FYI) so prices are lower for staying at hotels, not as crowded too - just an idea!

Also if you get really bored and need a quick fix - WDW is a driveable distance too !!

 

[gigi1313]

you might want to consider an all-inclusive like club med sandpiper in florida... it gets great reviews since it's been re-furbed... also, consider the gulf side of florida (in/out of tampa)...

 

[Jennifer823]

Come to Southwest Florida! I've lived here for 17 yrs. The water is always warm and we have very small waves. Our beaches are the only ones my father-in-law will swim at, he has hip problems and doesn't do well with waves. Naples and Fort Myers Beach are great, and there's a really nice new resort in Cape Coral which is beautiful. (No beach in Cape Coral, it's in the mangroves, but there is a beach ferry that will bring you.)

 

[ugadog99]

I'm seconding Siesta! It is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The water is beautiful and calm, almost like a lake!

 

[tolemommy]

Make that a third for Siesta Key, Fl. The gulf side of Florida is beautiful Fort Walton Beach and Destin are nice as well.

 

[Pre]

I second Southwest Florida! Ft. Myers beach is wonderful and RSW typically has the lowest airfare in Fl ( sometimes it's higher but when I lived in SWFL I always had low fares out of Ft. Myers. Sanibel island is wonderful for shelling and you can find great places to shop. Also the Edison ford winter estates is a nice place to go for the day.

 

[stout]

Thank you for the ideas! I would love to hear more! I am going to start watching for decent airfare from Minneapolis into Fort Myers or Tampa, as right now the fares are well over $300 per person.

 

[Maddle]

Yep - Southwest Florida. There are a lot of small towns with beaches, and Siesta Key is amazing.

Maddle

 

[scard192]

Fort Myers/Naples area. Wonderful beaches. A drive down to Marco Island is worth it too. Naples can be pricey but it's beautiful there and interesting to see how the rich people live.