The Florida Keys are the string of islands just to the south of the Florida mainland and runs 120 miles from end to finish. Fort Lauderdale and Miami are fun except for a relaxing change of pace, the Florida Keys is the place to be. For snorkellers and scuba divers going to south Florida, I might consider Florida Keys a must-have. The waters around Key Largo are a protected sea park with a healthy fish life and offer the best diving in the States. Key Largo is the 1st city as you enter the Keys after crossing the bridge from the mainland. It can be reached from Miami in 60 minutes and from Fort Lauderdale in one hour and forty five mins.
Once the bridge from the mainland is crossed, the change in pace is spotted immediately. There’s far less traffic and folk just appear more relaxed in the Florida Keys compared to the mainland. Islamorada and Marathon found more west are also top scuba dive locations. For those that aren’t into diving, there are many shops with colourful local humanities and crafts.
One collection of shops has a giant statue of a prickly lobster out in front. Dolphin programs should basically be scheduled well ahead since they’re very popular . It takes three hours to drive from Key Largo to the far end at Key West but quite likely, visitors would wish to stop off at countless locations on the way for shopping, photograph opportunities or just admiring the views. A common sight to see are locals fishing off the bridges and countless pelicans standing on the posts like permanent fixtures. The Florida Keys aren’t truly renowned for its beaches with the exception of Bahia Honda Park which is further west in the lower keys. The town of Key West at the far end of the Florida Keys is the biggest community in the islands and a stay here for a night or 2 is easily worth it. The central area full of restaurants, bars, shops and shops is a cool, entertaining place to be.
There are hostels along the water as well as many BBs inland. We stayed at the Quality Hotel close to the entrance of the town and had no problem getting downtown since there’s an extremely convenient bus system that runs throughout Key West. With the scooters, we criss-crossed the town and saw the amazing colonial homes in the roads including Ernest Hemmingway’s house. Some local specialities not to be missed are conch, local prickly lobster and some types of the local fish including snapper and grouper. Naturally, one must try the genuine, authentic key lime pie that came from the area. Each eaterie has a marginally different recipe but generally, the authentic key lime pie here isn’t as sweet as the commercial brands often found in the remainder of Northern America. The last city back in the USA mainland is Florida Town and it has some awfully reasonable hotel accommodations with widely known chains like Comfort Hotel, Hampton Hotel and Best Western.
This is an alternative choice for some travelers, particularly people who are scuba swimming in Key Largo as Florida Town is only about twenty mins away if hotels in Key Largo are absolutely scheduled or at summer season rates. The Florida Keys has a strategy of captivating visitors back during return visits to south Florida. Its slower pace helps balance things out against the crowded and more crazy styles of Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
I’ve been to the Keys 3 times and will certainly return there again.
