Florida Keys

The Florida Keys [1] are a region of Florida. The Keys are an archipelago of about 1700 islands extending south and southwest of the Florida mainland.

Islands

• Big Pine Key - home of the protected "Key Deer"
• Duck Key
• Islamorada
• Key Largo
• Key West
• Marathon

Other destinations

Biscayne National Park

Culture and History

Talk

Travel to Florida Keys - Visa Requirements

By car

U.S. Highway 1 leads from Miami to the Keys via the famous Overseas Highway. A guide on driving the Keys and what to do and see along the way can be found here[2] (Deadend Link 3.15.09)

Flights and airtickets to Florida Keys

The two main airports in the Keys are the seaplane base on Marathon Key (ICAO: 42FL) and Key West International Airport [3] (ICAO: KEYW). These are only used by private or commuter aircraft, mainly coming in from Miami (ICAO: KMIA IATA: MIA), which is the closest international airport.

Buses to Florida Keys

Greyhound has service to and from the Florida Keys. There are terminals on Marathon, Big Pine Key, and Key West.

By ferry

Multiple ferry services are available from Fort Myers to Key West. Most of them are large catamarans that will accommodate 20-30 passengers. Sailing time is about 3 hours.

Tours and Getting around Florida Keys

The Keys (at least the accessible, commercial islands) are connected by US Highway 1. A useful and interesting "quirk" about the linearity of the Keys (and US-1) is that directions to establishments and attractions are locally described by the "Mile Markers" along US-1. If you ask someone how to get to a certain beach or hotel, they will tell you that it is at "Mile Marker 68.5"; many signs and brochures will say "MM 68.5" (of course, there is no mile marker 68.5, this just means that the hotel is halfway between mile markers 68 and 69). These numbers start at zero at the start of US-1 on Key West, so the numbers get larger as you go north.

The speed limits in the Keys are generally 45 MPH on the built-up Islands, and 55 MPH on the bridges and less built-up islands. There are areas (very built-up strips, or animal sanctuaries) where the speed drops to 35 MPH.

Florida Keys tourist attractions and sightseeing

Itineraries

Florida Keys city tours

In the Florida Keys, divers can choose from a variety of dive sites. There is wreck diving, reef diving and artificial reef diving with different skill levels from beginner to advanced diving. Water temps peak in the low 80Fs in summer, and can drop to the low 70Fs in winter. Visibility is usually good, typically no less than 50 feet, and you'll see more fish life than you might expect.

Florida Keys scuba diving & snorkeling charters and Key West scuba diving & snorkeling excursions will take you out to the Florida Keys reef for world class diving and snorkeling in the mostly crystal clear and calm turquoise blue waters. Florida Keys dive sites have hundreds of different kinds of Florida Keys tropical fish along with the colorful hard and soft corals and other reef creatures. Diving in the Florida Keys and diving in Key West are two of the most popular things to do in the Keys.

Source: All About Scuba Diving in the Florida Keys and Key West

The Florida Keys, both in the back country and the Atlantic side, contains more species of fish than anywhere else in the Atlantic making the Florida Keys a fisherman's dream!

Florida Keys fishing charters will take you either to the oceanside or the flats and backcountry for a Florida Keys Fishing experience you will never forget! Florida Keys sportfishing (catch and release) is very popular up and down the 120 miles of Florida Keys.

Source: All About Fishing in the Florida Keys and Key West

Florida Keys Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

As you would expect, there is a lot of seafood served in the Keys, but all types of restaurants exist. These include most of the staples of American fast-food, mom-and-pop diners, and many kinds of ethnic fare.

The Florida Keys are the birthplace of Key Lime Pie once made using limes exclusively grown here.

Another Key specialty is conch (pronounced "konk"), a large crustacean often served in chowder.

Florida Keys nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

• Key West - famous bar-hopping town, and former haunt of author Ernest Hemingway

Stay safe

• Police/Crime Prevention In an emergency, dial 911 from any phone in the Florida Keys.

• Visitor Assistance Line, 1-800-771-KEYS (5397). Multi-lingual staff are ready to help you with directions and phone numbers to medical facilities and law enforcement offices and

much more. The staff work 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

• Boating Safety In an emergency, dial 911 from any Florida Keys land or cellular

phone. Or contact the United States Coast Guard, via Channel 16, on a marine VHF radio.

• United States Coast Guard, [4].

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 305-289-2320, [5]. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission is responsible for

enforcing safe and environmentally-friendly boating and fishing practices in the Keys. FWC officers patrol docks, bridges and waters.

• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Phone 305-292-0311, [6]. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary sets regulations for

boating and fishing in the Keys, and offers safe boating tips.

• Monroe County Bike/Pedestrian Planner, Phone: 305-289-2514.

• Overseas Heritage Trail, Phone: 305-853-3571. Bicyclists are encouraged to use the Overseas Heritage Trail adjacent to the highway wherever the trail is available.

• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Phone: 305-292-0311, [7]. The Sanctuary provides "Sea Smart" advice for divers and snorkelers.

• Reef Relief, Phone: 305-294-3100, [8]. This independent group offers the latest science on the dangers of feeding fish and other marine mammals.

• Divers suspecting decompression illness should seek medical attention immediately at one of the Keys hospitals The staff at these facilities know how to diagnose and treat the condition. If

necessary, they will transfer patients to one of two decompression facilities in the Keys. The U.S. Military operates a decompression chamber in Key West. The more-often used facility is located in the Upper Keys at Mariner's Hospital.

Medical/Hospitals

Upper Keys

• Mariner's Hospital, Phone: 305-434-3000, Mile Marker 91.5, Tavernier.

Middle Keys

• Fishermen's Hospital, Phone: 305-743-5533, Mile Marker 48.7, Marathon.

Lower Keys and Key West

• Lower Keys Medical Center, Phone: 305-294-5531, 5900 College Road, Stock Island.

Get out

Destinations in Florida Keys:

• Big Pine Key
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Islamorada
• Key Largo
• Key West
• Marathon

This page was last edited by Kai Kranz. Based on work by San Francisco Girl, David, Frederick Heald, Joichi Koizumi, Patrick McDonald, Alan, Todd VerBeek and Tom Holland, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license