Because Vacations Deserve Better Than Chaos and a Checklist
The thing about a seven-night stay? You stop rushing. You start living. You quit counting minutes and start measuring moments in sunsets, seashells, and shrimp grilled to perfection just steps from your door.
Welcome to Longboat Key, and more specifically, welcome to Casa Del Mar Beach Resort—the family hideaway you didn’t know you needed. Here’s how to turn your week into something worthy of retelling.
Day 1: Arrival + Beach Time = Sanity Restored
You made it. You unpack. You breathe. Then you head straight to the beach—no maps, no schedules, just that first sacred splash of saltwater on your ankles. Casa Del Mar sits right on the sand, so there’s no shuttle, no crosswalk, no drama. Just grab the beach chairs (already in your unit), and let the kids run wild while you melt into vacation mode.
Day 2: Mote Marine in the Morning, Poolside in the Afternoon
Ease into adventure with a trip to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium—close, cool, and packed with sea turtles, manatees, and sharks that’ll make your kids’ eyes pop. Then head back to Casa Del Mar for an afternoon by the heated pool, where the water’s just right and the crowd’s nonexistent.
Day 3: St. Armands Circle + Quick Point Preserve
Today’s for wandering. St. Armands Circle is ten minutes away and full of shops, good food, and enough ice cream flavors to fuel the rest of the week. After lunch, slow things down with a nature walk through Quick Point Preserve, where the boardwalks twist through mangroves and the only thing louder than your footsteps is the occasional heron squawk.
Day 4: Do Nothing. Seriously.
Stay in. Sleep in. Shell hunt on the beach right in front of your unit (Longboat Key’s shores are prime for collectors). Grill lunch at one of Casa Del Mar’s BBQ spots. Nap. Read. Let the kids get sticky from popsicles while you rinse the sand from their feet and realize—this is what you came for.
Day 5: Day Trip to Anna Maria Island
Ready to explore? Hop the bridge to Anna Maria Island. Ride the free trolley. Hit a donut shop that still makes them by hand. Visit Pine Avenue for cute little shops and local art. Then head back to Longboat before the crowds show up for dinner. Pro tip: sunsets are better here, and your grill back at Casa Del Mar is already preheated.
Day 6: Rent Bikes or Kayaks and Get Lost on Purpose
Rent a bike or kayak and roam. Paddle the mangrove tunnels, ride through the shaded streets, and let the island unfold at its own pace. Longboat Key isn’t for hurrying—it’s for wandering with wonder.
At night? Do something simple. Order fresh seafood. Cook in your condo’s kitchen. Eat barefoot on the patio. Smile like you know something the rest of the world forgot.
Day 7: One Last Dip and a Sunset to Remember
Wake early. Walk the beach. Catch the first light cracking over the Gulf. Then spend the day doing exactly what you now know is the real good stuff: swimming, talking, being present. As the sun drops into the water, gather the family for one final beach BBQ—flip burgers, toast the week, and vow to come back.
One Week. One Island. A Lifetime Worth Repeating.
This isn’t a vacation built on tourist traps or crammed schedules. It’s a week where everything makes sense. Casa Del Mar makes it easy—full kitchens, private beach, heated pool, the kind of peace that sticks to your skin like salt.
You stayed the full seven nights. You did it right. And now you know why people come once… and keep coming back.
