Three days, five days, a week

01Before you arrive

Three things are worth doing the week you confirm the residence. Book the spa's hydrothermal circuit and any treatments with the resort, because the good slots go first in the winter season. Look up the tide table for the Blue Heron Bridge if you want to snorkel, since the reef is best at slack high tide. And decide about a car: the beach, the pools, the spa and a few restaurants need none, while the state park, the golf courses and the day trips are easier with one. The getting here and rental car guides cover the airport and the pickup.

02Three days

Day one: arrive and settle

Check in from 4:00 PM, open the balcony doors, and let the first evening be the residence itself. A swim in the residents' pool, dinner cooked in the Miele kitchen or picked up from the island's restaurants, and an early night with the sound of the surf.

Day two: the water and the spa

Sunrise from the balcony. A morning on the beach below, with chairs and towels part of the stay. In the afternoon, the hydrothermal circuit in the spa an elevator ride down, at preferred rates for residence guests, then a massage. Dinner on the balcony.

Day three: Palm Beach

Drive twenty minutes south for Worth Avenue, the Flagler Museum or the Norton across the bridge, and a long lunch from the Palm Beach dining guide. Back for the pool at golden hour. Checkout is 10:00 AM the next morning; the balcony first, then the road.

03Five days

The three-day plan, plus two days that use the island's water.

Day four: the reef and the lagoon

Snorkel the reef under the Blue Heron Bridge at slack high tide, ten minutes from the residence. After, the water taxi to Peanut Island for the lagoon and the bunker, and sunset at a marina bar from the waterfront seafood guide.

Day five: the state park

Kayaks in the estuary and the wild beach at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park at the north end of the island in the morning. In winter, add Manatee Lagoon on the way back. A quiet afternoon at the residents' pool, and a last dinner at the table for eight.

04A week

The five-day plan, plus a day at sea or on the course, a day trip, and a day with nothing in it.

Day six: at sea, or on the course

A fishing charter or a sunset cruise from the marinas across the bridge, described in the boating and fishing guide, or a morning tee time within half an hour from the golf guide. The spa in the afternoon for the second circuit or a facial.

Day seven: the day trip

Jupiter and its lighthouse to the north, Delray Beach to the south, or Miami for the day by car or Brightline, all in the day trips guide. Home to the quiet by evening.

Day eight: nothing

The day most guests remember. The balcony, the beach, the pool, dinner in. Checkout at 10:00 AM the next morning.

05Swaps for the weather

• A rainy afternoon: the spa's regenerative suites, red light or flotation, or the museums in West Palm Beach.
• A rough sea: the reef is a no-go after a front stirs the inlet; swap the bridge for Worth Avenue and Rosemary Square.
• Summer heat: move the outdoor days to the morning, the spa and the pool to the afternoon, and dinner to the balcony after dark.
• A winter cold snap: Manatee Lagoon fills with manatees; the guide explains why.

06The stays pages

These itineraries are general. The stays pages plan the same days for a particular trip: a couple, a wellness retreat, a golf group, divers, friends, or a month. The events calendar adds what is on in your month, and the when to visit guide adds the weather.