Florida Keys and Key West's Big 3

America As You Like it • 25 August 2020

Water:

Florida Keys is home to crystal clear springs which locals and visitors alike enjoy whilst drifting downstream on rubber rings, kayaks or paddleboards. During the winter these waterways are home to friendly manatees, giving visitors the chance to meet these wonderful creatures, creating lifelong memories.

While offering a more relaxed, fun trip to the many springs in the Keys, the island chain is also home to United States' only living coral barrier reef. Snorkellers can spend the day enjoying up to 500 species of fish whilst more experienced divers can explore the coral-encrusted shipwrecks. With the world’s most intricate natural coral reef formations, it is hard to find a more versatile marine destination in the world.

Above the surface, Florida Keys is renowned worldwide for its unique fishing environment, where unlike other places, it is possible to catch fish the whole year round. Islamorada is known as the sport-fishing capital of the world. So a father-son day out testing the waters would definitely be on the cards when visiting! End the day in Mallory Square in Key West where visitors and Key Westers alike join together to experience the prolific ‘Sunset Celebration’. Enjoy musicians, jugglers and mime artists, as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon and sunset cruise boats dot the ocean.

If you would prefer to do your own thing, enjoy the turquoise waters that surround Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and Key West. Whatever you end up doing, be sure to ‘Come As You Are’!

Wildlife:

While in Marathon, head to the only licenced veterinary hospital dedicated to the treatment of sea turtles and the Dolphin Research Center. The Turtle Hospital will be sure to put a smile on the whole family’s faces while helping out this non-profit education and research facility.

The family fun continues in Islamorada, where everyone can feed hungry tarpon at the docks of Robbie’s Marina. After all the fish are fed, enjoy a dolphin, sea lion and parrot show at the Theater of the Sea marine mammal park. This island is the centrepiece of the so called ‘purple isles’, which Spanish explorers named after the violet sea snail found on the shore here, along with the purple bougainvillea flowers found in the area!

Whilst enjoying a kayaking trip in the Everglades National Park in Key Largo, be sure to get your binoculars out in search of wood storks, snail kites and turkey vultures! Head to Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to experience a true marine sanctuary, featuring 55 types of delicate corals and 500 difference species of fish.

For thrill seekers, be sure to check our Big Pine Keys notorious Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, for shallow-water diving experiences. Additionally, stay above the water and explore the flora and fauna of the Bahia Honda State Park. Take a tour by kayak or on foot to explore this beautiful area of the Keys.

Food:

The Keys are all about enjoying live music, authentic diverse cuisine and a lively atmosphere, as well as a cocktail or two! Have a taste of Key West’s mouth-watering pink shrimp. These sweet crustaceans can be enjoyed sautéed, battered or fried, on top of salad, pasta or simply served with a side of sauce. Or, for those fresh fish lovers, enjoy all types of fish from yellowtail snapper to mahi-mahi. Perhaps even try lionfish, one of the healthiest and most necessary to remove from Key waters, all prepared by knowledgeable, local chefs that provide flavour through their different methods of cooking and a variety of herbs, spices and sauces.

Food is a big part of the Keys, with numerous festivals taking place throughout the year. From Key Largo’s famous ILIKEITHOT festival, where spice lovers can step up to take on some of the hottest spices around, to Key West’s famous Food and Wine Festival where top local chefs combine local ingredients along with sought after spirits to create a flavourful afternoon of celebrating good food with good friends!

Stone crab season runs from October to May, so be sure to feast on this sweet and succulent Floridian delicacy. Stone crabs are a renewable resource, as after one of the crab’s claws is removed the crab is returned to the sea where their claws regenerate! Enjoy them served warm with butter, chilled with mustard sauce or even in a crab cake or fritter.

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