There’s a charming, old-time island feel to Captiva Island in southwest Florida, thanks to an absence of mailboxes, stop lights, billboards, fast food restaurants, and buildings taller than a palm tree. Instead, you'll find miles and miles (and more miles) of pristine white sand and a natural playground for active families. At the northern end of the island sits the newly-renovated (to the tune of $140 million) South Seas Island Resort, which was named one of the top 10 family beach resorts by Parents magazine. It's a sprawling village-style resort set along 330 acres on Pine Island Sound, more than half of which is a dedicated wildlife preserve and estuary. There's an on-site naturalist and an extensive roster of programs designed to introduce guests to the local environment, including guided kayak tours and a learn-to-fish program.  When it’s time for some fresh water, kids and parents can hit the new H2Whoa! Slide pool complex, which features a corkscrew slide and 16-foot plunge slide.

Now through October 31, the resort is offering a Summer Escape Package. Stay three consecutive nights, and you’ll get a fourth night free (same as a 25% discount), a 20% discount on food and beverage, free breakfast for kids 10 and under, and a 10% golf discount at the Captiva Island Golf Club. Golf’s not your thing? The discount also works at the resort’s nine tennis courts. When we priced a trip in August for a family of two adults and two kids, we found a nightly rate of $149 for a traditional room (add $30 more for a waterview).

Considering the value of the free fourth night ($149), free kids' breakfast for four days ($10/kid x 2 kids x 4 days = $80), and a 20% discount on everything else you eat and drink (let's say, worth $170 over four days), we estimate that the package delivers about $400 in savings.  Play that round of golf or match of tennis and you’ll save even more.