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Why Choose A 
Florida Keys Vacation?

One of the first reasons for choosing a Florida Keys vacation is that it's packed with everything you want to do, in one easy to get to and amazingly beautiful place.

Second, you'll be able to enjoy year round, nearly perfect Florida weather.

After all, this is the place where fun and sun meet, and tropical magic begins.

You'll also find when planning a vacation in the Florida Keys, that Florida Keys travel is very easy.

No longer do you have to worry about expensive, sporadic flight times.

Nor are you plagued by questionable airline carrier woes that hamper other tropical destinations.

You can fly into Miami International Airport and get a Florida car rental, driving from Miami to Key Largo, then continue on through the Florida Keys to Key West. 

If you're strictly planning a vacation in Key West Florida, you can fly direct to the Key West Airport, rent a scooter, take a cab or simply walk the small and bustling section that's Old Town Key West.

Brilliant Morning Dawns Over Florida Keys


The Sun Greets The Sea As Another Florida Keys Day Dawns
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, Dale M. McDonald Collection


Layout Of The Florida Keys

To make planning your vacation in Florida Keys easier, you need to know that the Florida Keys are made up of many islands or cayes, easily divided into five regions.


Upper Keys

The Upper Keys are the furthest north and are closest to Miami, Homestead and Florida City. This is where Key Largo, dubbed the 'Diving Capital of the World', Tavernier and Islamorada, the sport fishing capital, are located.







Middle Keys

The Middle Keys contain the City of Marathon and Key Colony Beach. At the south end of the Middle Keys is where the Old and New Seven Mile Bridges are located. The new bridge transports you over impossibly beautiful water down to the Lower Keys.





Lower Keys

Big Pine Key and The Lower Keys contain the popular destinations of Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key, Coupon Bight, Newfound Harbor Keys, 3 out of the 4 Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges, Sugarloaf Key and Boca Chica Key.





Key West

Key West Florida, or Cayo Hueso, is at the end of the chain of islands. This fabulous and energetic spirit of the Conch Republic is also home to many of the areas museums and historic sites.






Dry Tortugas

Dry Tortugas National Park, site of Fort Jefferson, consists of 7 islands which are considered to be the last in the chain that constitutes the Florida Keys. Situated about 70 miles south of Key West FL, fishing, diving and snorkeling Dry Tortugas are popular Florida Keys activities.



When planning a vacation to the Florida Keys, it helps to have an understanding of Florida Keys history along with the area's overall layout.  

The following Florida Keys map gives you a quick perspective of the islands and the area immediately south of Miami.  This includes Homestead, and the Everglades National Park located a few miles to the west of Homestead.

The Main Park Road west of Homestead is the major route through the main section of the Everglades National Park. This is where the Ernest Coe Visitor Center is located, and just past the entrance gates you'll come to the worthwhile Royal Palm Nature Center.

Florida Keys Map Including Everglades National Park
www.byways.org


The following Florida Keys video will give you a good feel for the geography of the region. Shot from the air, it puts into perspective the smallness of the islands in comparison to the broad expanse of ocean surrounding them.

You'll also see that water sports are plentiful, with boating, sailing, powerboat racing, fishing and snorkeling being popular pastimes.

You'll spot palm studded, white sandy beaches, and catch a glimpse of the magical expanse of the Seven Mile Bridge as it connects the Middle Keys to the Lower Keys.



Florida Keys Video
Courtesy of YouTube and Digital Island Media




Florida Keys Vacation Fun Activities To Do

Whether you're traveling as a family, with friends, are on a military holiday, or are handicapped, you'll find as you explore this website there's no shortage of things to do on your Florida Keys vacation.

Just a sampling of the fun Florida things to do include dolphin encounters, fishing, scuba diving and snorkeling, hiking, boating, kayaking, camping and exploring the numerous Florida Keys attractions.

You can click on any of the images or links below to quickly explore the numerous fun things to do on your Florida Keys holiday.

Our Florida Keys Calendar of Events also gives you a good breakdown of all the exciting Key Largo FL to Key West events that occur each month.



On your vacation in the Keys you'll also want to look into these ecotourism opportunities, which offer a wide range of activities to enjoy on your Florida Keys holiday. With nature so abundantly prevalent, and so much of it also precariously threatened, this is the perfect opportunity for eco tours to flourish.

Eco tours run the gamut from hiking tours, kayaking trips, dolphin encounters, even paddleboarding tours. No matter which eco tour venue suits you, you'll enjoy learning more about the area's flora and fauna, and the value of protecting it.


Water of the Florida Keys is turquoiset


Florida Keys Water Has Many Hues Including Turquoise


Voluntourism
 is also a major part of many vacationers plans.  There are numerous conservation organizations you can connect with and help while on your vacation in the Florida Keys.  Through these programs you are able to make a difference, gain valuable insight, and have fun at the same time.

On your holiday, you'll also want to visit the many interesting Florida Keys museums, spend time kayakinghikingbicyclingcamping or go out on a Key West sunset cruise.

You'll also want to spend some time "meeting and greeting" the many ghosts of Key West.  With so many tragic and untimely deaths having occurred in such a small area, it's no wonder the island's Spanish name is Cayo Hueso or Isle of Bones. 

Since there are so many things to do, you'll want to make sure you've included as many fun activities as possible while on your Florida Keys vacation.  This can take some planning, and part of planning is also making sure you save money on the various activities you'll be including.  

Whether you're going to museums, planning on sunset cruises, enjoying water sports or other Florida Keys activities you can take advantage of the convenience of getting your tickets in advance and saving money while doing so!

Through Trusted Tours, an affiliate who pays me a small commission, you can book all sorts of tours and activities.  You're also not committed to a specific day or time so you have flexibility while on your vacation.

Best part though, is you know you have the tickets and you've saved yourself money in the process.  This means you'll have more money to see and do even more fun things on your Florida Keys vacation!



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A Florida Keys vacation also means world class Florida Keys sport fishing. Whether your idea of fun is being in Islamorada fishing, or in Key West fishing, you've come to the right place. This is where world records are made, and some even broken, any given day of the year.

Surrounded by water, the opportunities for fishing Florida Keys are endless. Not only do you have a vast spectrum of Florida fish to target, you have numerous styles of fishing you can enjoy - whether it's backcountry fishing, fishing Marathon Hump for sailfish or blackfin tuna, fly fishing for permit or bonefish, spearfishing lionfish, or reef and wreck fishing for grouper, barracuda and yellowtail.

No vacation in the Florida Keys is truly complete without at least one day spent out on the water.  You can plan a half day, 3/4 day or full day fishing with any of the fully qualified and well equipped Florida Keys fishing charters listed below by area.

You will also need to remember though that because this IS the Florida Keys, fishing is one of the most popular vacation fun things to do.

This means you'll want to book your fishing charter as soon as possible otherwise, the fishing charter for the day(s) you want to go fishing, may not be available.

Below you'll see a box that breaks down the fishing charters by area.  You can click on any image or link and get a preview of what these fishing charters offer for that part of the Florida Keys.

FishingBooker is an affiliate I work with.  They pay me a small commission for applicable bookings, but not at an extra expense to you.  The key to using them is that it's 'shopping made easy'.

Through them you can literally 'shop' the different fishing charters because they break the process down by categories such as where they fish, what they fish for, what types of fishing gear they use, boat details, options available to you, and current rates.

When you click on the Check Rates button for the different Florida Keys fishing charters you'll see that most fishing charters also have a free cancellation policy. So if you book, and something comes up where you can't keep the reservation or want to rearrange it, you have that flexibility. 




As A FishingBooker Affiliate I Can Earn Small
Booking Commissions At No Extra Cost To You

Florida Keys Fishing Charters By Area

Select Types Of Fish To Target
Pick Where You Want To Go
Select Choice Of Tackle
Get Rates!





If fishing isn't the highlight of your vacation, but it is for those you're traveling with, you can check out the different Florida Keys fishing charters which also diversify their boat trips.  Some offer snorkeling equipment so if you're not the fisherman in the group, you can compromise with those who are and include snorkeling as part of your 'fishing' trip. 

You'll note that some of these fishing charters even offer fun water activities like sunset cruises, eco tours and island hopping to different beaches, so there's definitely something for everyone, and no reason not to enjoy!



Fishing Charters In Florida Keys Catch The Big Ones!
Collection of Don DeMaria
Florida Keys Public Libraries - Flickr


Another of the more popular vacation activities is scuba diving Florida Keys, and scuba diving Key Largo is considered to be world class.

You also don't have to confine your adventures to just Key Largo FL. The Shipwreck Trail will lead you south on an exciting journey of exploration. Plus you'll find that Marathon Key and Key West FL have many great wrecks and reefs waiting for you to discover.

Giant Barrel Sponge
www.noaa.gov, Photo Courtesy of FKNMS


When snorkeling or scuba diving Florida Keys, you'll be thrilled by the vast display of rich and colorful marine life inhabiting the Florida Keys coral reefs.

While exploring these wonders of nature, don't be surprised if you end up on a swim with dolphins, or run into a spiny lobster or even a gigantic sea turtle.

You can click on any of the images below to get Florida Keys diving information, GPS coordinates, dive maps, images and videos relating to the many reefs and wrecks stretching  the length of the Florida Keys.  




On your Florida Keys vacation you'll find that much of your time will be spent in the water since there's so many Florida Keys activities you can pursue. However, it's also fun to stretch out on one of the five great Key West beaches, soak up some sun, or just watch each morning's spectacular sunrise.



Places To Stay In The Florida Keys

Florida Keys lodging is as varied as a Key West sunset. They range from modest and comfortable, to luxuriously decadent. With ocean every where you look, most Florida Keys accommodations are either on water, or provide an ocean view.

Some are more affordable than others, for example in the Upper Keys and Middle Keys you'll find that lodging is typically less expensive.

There's also the many fine Key West lodging establishments such as the Waldorf Astoria's Casa Marina Resort - for well - more.


Enjoy Spectacular Florida Keys Oceanfront Views 
Courtesy Southernmost Hotel Collection


To help you plan your Florida Keys vacation, we've listed all the Florida Keys lodging by area and type.  We've also included descriptive listings and TripAdvisor comments for each Florida Keys accommodation.

Just click on the handy link below each picture to explore the region of the Florida Keys you're interested in.

I've also included a TripAdvisor flight and hotel search engine to help make planning your all inclusive Florida Keys vacation even easier!

As an affiliate of TripAdvisor, if you click a link to that product/service and book it, I stand to earn a small commission. The item does not cost you any more. This is called being an "affiliate."



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Commissions At No Extra Cost To You

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Florida Keys Real Estate And
Vacation Home Rentals

You also don't have to purchase Florida Keys real estate to enjoy being here on a long term basis.  One of the more popular Florida lodging options include Florida Keys vacation homes. This is one of the best ways to ensure that you stay in style "your way".

Florida Keys vacation rentals are extremely popular for anyone wanting to enjoy a home style atmosphere and experience what life would be like living in the Florida Keys. You can also arrange for Florida Keys vacation rentals on a short term basis which makes them rather convenient.

Another option that's particularly flexible is timeshare.  Not only can you enjoy the timeshare you've purchased in the Florida Keys, you can also exchange properties and enjoy vacations in other cities and states.

Buying timeshare gives you the best of everything.  Not only do you have an investment you can enjoy, you are able to have that comfortable  'at home' feeling that makes a vacation even more relaxing.  

Timeshares can also be extremely affordable, and often you'll get the best deals from other owners looking to sell their timeshare.

However, for most people, there's just something special about the prospect of owning a piece of Florida Keys real estate.  It's the big temptation that can be hard to resist, especially when the market is reasonably priced.

Perhaps you're interested in a hidden Florida Key? What about a villa, or an oceanfront condo? Imagine enjoying a more permanent vacation in paradise, right in your own, new home!

The following links to Florida Keys real estate listings, Florida Keys Realtor information, real estate tips and area information make it easy for you to buy your piece of paradise.



FIND FLORIDA KEYS REAL ESTATE

CHECK FOR HOT FLORIDA KEYS
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS TODAY!






Staying In Touch
With Florida Keys Vacation

After you've explored this site, take a minute and subscribe to our free RSS feed. You'll find it in the left column positioned at the top right corner of the "Recent Articles" section.  The RSS symbol is a little orange box with squiggly lines and when you hover over this symbol you'll see a menu drop down.  

The first button in the drop down menu is the RSS feed and by clicking on this, you'll be able to receive ongoing information to help with planning your next Florida Keys vacation.


Gold and silver sunset over Buttonwood Sound, Key Largo FL


Gold And Silver Sunset Over Buttonwood Sound, Key Largo FL

Also, if you've enjoyed this site, please take a moment to email a link of your favorite page to a friend and also share it with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

You'll notice as you read through this site that we've included many wonderful pictures for you to enjoy. The copyright information on these pictures can be found on our Photograph and Sponsor Disclosures and Disclaimers page.

If you have a Florida Keys question, a great story or pictures you'd like to share with us about your Florida Keys vacation, please let us know!

We know you'll have a terrific Florida Keys vacation, and perhaps we'll even see you around this fabulous American Caribbean paradise!




Cathy


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Local Weather Zip Codes

Key Largo - 33037
Marathon - 33050
Key West - 33040