Bonita Springs

We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well — without breaking the bank. That’s why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation’s most popular beach and lake towns.

They evaluated air and water quality, the abundance of parks, the cost of a hotel room and more to zero in on the top 10 healthiest getaways. When you’re ready for that much-deserved vacay, you won’t go wrong with one of these 10 shore bets.

7. Bonita Springs, Florida

Calling all beachcombers! Our judges rated this town, which is midway between Naples and Fort Myers, as having the best sand anywhere. “It’s like talcum powder,” Howes says. “Your feet feel like they’re getting a spa treatment when you walk on it. I could go for miles and miles.”

If you have kids with you, stick around for high tide in the afternoon, when seashells wash ashore. Families can take a guided canoe excursion, swim in the calm Gulf waters, or explore the area’s parks (1,500 acres of them). You have to look a little harder for healthy-food options. One spot our judges liked: Crispers, which offers healthy salads, even for kids.

Stay here: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa (starting at $149 per night) has its own climbing wall, around-the-clock fitness center and volleyball games. If you don’t need all that, opt for Bonita Beach Resort Motel (starting at $62 per night), where you get a kitchen, too.

Click here for more on America’s healthiest beach and lake getaways