A broad subject. Without having personal recommendations, it's pretty easy to get into a rental that won't be quite what you'd want. Surprisingly, we found that people not only rent in communities that don't fit their interests, but actually buy without knowing what they are getting into.
Here, am speaking of retirement communities, not hotels, timeshare or condo living.
Our community is super active, on a chain of lakes, and very inclusive for renters and permanent residents. Relatively small, with 350 units. Groups for every imaginable activity, from convertible trips, to golf, to every card game imaginable, a beautiful active pool, and parties, cookouts and senior "sports" of Bocce, Shuffleboard, Horseshoes... The only problem is that the winter rentals are limited, and currently have a two year waiting list.
It really depends on what one wants as a vacation. As a base for travel or activities in the area? For seclusion and quiet? For fishing or hiking? Or for socialization (which we preferred). One size doesn't fit all.
So, back to recommendations. I don't know of any shortcut to a personal discussion of what a rental has to offer. Going to websites for info, is not usually as good as the advertising monies make it sound.
In our case... some 27 years ago, we spent our first vacation going to Texas , then to Florida... visiting many, many different venues, to get a feeling for where we'd be comfortable. In retrospect, I think we'd do this again. After seeing twenty or thirty different kinds of vacation or snowbird homes/rentals, we ended up with a perfect fit.
No substitution for "being there".
