Jules' Undersea Lodge

There's no need to head ten thousand leagues beneath the sea for an underwater adventure. Instead, you can scuba dive just 21 feet below the surface through a mangrove lagoon in Florida and drift to your heart's content. Named in honor of the fantastical world created by author Jules Verne, Jules' Undersea Lodge began life as an authentic research habitat, and today it is a hotel for up to six people. Guests with dive certificates are invited to enjoy unlimited diving. As for novices, a three-hour course is required in order to reach the hotel, but this also allows newbies to enjoy dive excursions in the lagoon with an instructor. Although the lodge is by no means a luxury retreat, it does offer a thoughtful selection of creature comforts, including packages featuring gourmet dinner prepared by a "mer-chef."

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