Key Largo

Key Largo is the first of the Florida Key islands, located about an hour from Miami. The largest of these numerous islands, Key Largo is also the longest island in the Keys. The population of Key Largo tops 12,000 full time residents; however Key Largo is fully equipped to handle year-round tourist and tourism trade.

There are plentiful accommodations on Key Largo, including hotels, motels, vacation rentals and even the world’s first underwater lodge. Getting around Key Largo is very easy with a number of bus, tour guide, taxi and shuttle services available. Just an hour from Miami International Airport, Key Largo is also easily accessible to many other wonderful sites in Florida.

Visitors can enjoy the beauty of Key Largo above, on and below the water with the many unique activities and adventures offered on this tropical isle. Regardless of what type of water related activity that interests you, you’ll find it on Key Largo.

Bordered by the Everglades National Park on one side and the fabulous waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, it’s no wonder Key Largo is known as the “Dive Capital of the World.” Scuba diving and snorkeling are some of the most popular activities on the island, home to the world’s largest artificial reef. There are also numerous opportunities for sport fishing, shipwreck fishing and water sports such as parasailing and windsurfing.

A trip to the famous John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the perfect place to do nature walks, snorkeling and swimming. Tours from here out to the reef by glass bottom boat are regularly scheduled. Snorkeling and scuba trips can also be booked in the park. Take an ecology and nature tour at Everglades Safaris or view many of the endangered species housed at Key Largo State Botanical Site.

Explore the history of vessels that shipwrecked off the coast of the Florida Keys at the Maritime museum or get up close and personal with the gentle dolphins at both the Dolphin Cove and Research Institute and Dolphin Plus.

Jule’s Undersea Lodge is an absolute must attraction to visit, even if you don’t plan to stay there. Permanently achored 30 feet below, it was the world’s first underwater hotel. Here you can get a mesmerizing view of marine life and observe the wreckage of a Spanish Galleon.

The galleon at the Undersea Lodge isn’t the only ship to have wrecked off the coast of Key Largo. Today visitors and tourists can explore a number of these wrecks while taking in some fishing through many of the guided fishing charter tour services or at the Caribbean Shipwreck Museum and Research Institute.

Take a walk in the shoes of Humphrey Bogart on Key Largo, where two of his movies were filmed. Scenes from the 1947 movie “Key Largo” were filmed at Caribbean Club Bar-today a landmark site on Key Largo. The vessel, “The African Queen”, where the movie of the same name was filmed, can still be seen and is available for charter at the Holiday Inn.

Visitors to Key Largo can easily access and visit the many other lovely cities located throughout the Florida Keys area. Driving south along US Highway 1, it’s only a 92 mile drive to the southern most point of the US; Key West.