Key Largo
Key Largo, the first and northernmost of the Florida Keys, is an hour's drive from South Florida's two major airports, and a world away.
Home to tropical hardwoods, winding creeks, two state parks, a national park and a portion of a national marine sanctuary, Key Largo boasts some of the most fascinating botanical scenery in the state.
Visitors can enjoy Key Largo's ties to the sea including scuba diving, snorkeling, an underwater hotel, sport fishing, eco-tours, beaches and dolphin encounter programs. The island also offers numerous on-shore attractions including nature trails and a rehabilitation center for wild birds.
Explore Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park and all the underwater delights of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Several eco-tourism and dive-snorkel services are ready to help you discover Key Largo's natural wonders.
Accommodations from small family-owned properties to vacation homes and condominiums or large resorts are available for all tastes.
Given Key Largo's remarkable land and water scenery, it is no wonder Hollywood chose to film movie scenes there, including notable ones in the namesake "Key Largo." Each year, Key Largo hosts the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival, the only one of its kind, celebrating the life and films of the man the American Film Institute named "America's greatest male screen legend."
It's not just Hollywood producers who are drawn to the area. EvenFantasy Fest revelers relax in Key Largo before, during or after Key West's famously outlandish costume festival.
Key Largo is flanked by the Everglades National Park to the west, a premier destination for kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists.
To the east is the continental United States' only living coral barrier reef, and Key Largo has earned the moniker of Diving Capital of the World. Six miles offshore in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is the Spiegel Grove shipwreck, a 510-foot former US Navy ship intentionally scuttled in 2002.
Key Largo is also famous as a sport-fishing destination. Partner with the world's best charter captains and fishing guides for offshore or backcountry excursions for bonefish along the Atlantic shallows, or redfish and tarpon in Florida Bay.
When the day is done, swap stories at any of the island's historic and unique restaurants, bars, hotels, motels and resorts.