The island, slowly.

Locals quietly swear by the shoulder seasons — late April through early June, and again from October into early December. The water still hovers in the high seventies, sunsets stretch on for hours, and you can actually find a parking spot at Tigertail.

Plan around the tide chart, not the calendar. Low tide reveals the shell beds and the sandbar walk between Tigertail and Sand Dollar Island — arrive an hour before for the best haul.

Skip the South Beach crowds and wander north along Hideaway Beach at sunrise — the shelling is unmatched and the light feels like a private museum. Pack water and a hat; there's no concession in sight.

For a quiet lunch, the back patio at Old Marco Pub looks like nothing from the road and tastes like everything. Order the grouper sandwich and let the afternoon pass.

Begin with coffee at the marina and a 9 a.m. dolphin cruise into the Ten Thousand Islands. Back by noon, lunch on the dock, then a slow afternoon at Residents' Beach — bring a book and the umbrella.

End with stone crab claws and a glass of something cold while the sun goes down. Walk it off along South Beach. That's the day. That's the island.