Key Largo.

What to do in Key Largo Florida United States

Key Largo is strung out along twenty miles of the Overseas Highway, anchored more by marinas and boat slips than any central square. Life here revolves around the tide tables and reef visibility. You wake early to catch calm morning waters offshore, spend the afternoon sheltering under a chickee hut, and settle into a vinyl booth for local yellowtail snapper. It suits travellers who prefer salt spray and boat fuel to resort pampering.

24 hours in Key Largo Florida United States

Board a morning catamaran from Pennekamp State Park to snorkel Molasses Reef before the wind picks up at noon. Grab a grouper Reuben at Mrs. Mac's Kitchen on Mile Marker 99, then spend the late afternoon paddling a kayak through Dusenbury Creek. Finish with blackened hogfish at The Fish House as dock lights flicker on across the water. Select 1 Day above to see it.

2 days in Key Largo Florida United States

Head to the northern end to walk the hardwood hammock trails at Dagny Johnson State Park before the mid-morning heat builds. Afterwards, rent a flats boat or kayak near Blackwater Sound to explore mangrove backwaters, followed by a lunch of smoked fish dip and conch fritters at a bayside dock where brown pelicans eye your plate with practiced interest. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.

3 days in Key Largo Florida United States

With three days, venture ten miles south across the bridge to Islamorada to browse the working marina at Robbie's or book a deep dive on the sunken Spiegel Grove hull. Take the afternoon slowly with a slice of cold Key lime pie, chatting with charter captains at the dock about afternoon winds and backcountry tides.

Key Largo Florida United States itineraries by interest

• Scuba Diving in Key Largo Florida United States

  Descend to the Christ of the Abyss bronze statue or explore the French Reef swim-throughs with operators departing daily from Pennekamp marina.

• Local Seafood in Key Largo Florida United States

  Order fried hogfish sandwiches, smoked mullet spread, or cracked conch at waterfront shacks along Overseas Highway like The Fish House.

• Kayaking in Key Largo Florida United States

  Paddle through shaded red mangrove tunnels and shallow tidal creeks across John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dusenbury Creek.

• Botanical Gardens in Key Largo Florida United States

  Walk the hammock trails at Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park to spot wild cotton, pigeon plum trees, and Schaus swallowtails.

• Boat Excursions in Key Largo Florida United States

  Board the restored 1912 steamboat African Queen from Marina Del Mar for a slow chug along local canals, or charter a flat-skiff for tarpon.

• Wreck Diving in Key Largo Florida United States

  Dive the Spiegel Grove, a 510-foot retired Navy ship sunk six miles offshore in deep water, or explore the Duane Coast Guard cutter.

• Wildlife Watching in Key Largo Florida United States

  Look for West Indian manatees in protected boat basins and spot nesting osprey and reddish egrets across the Florida Bay backcountry flats.

• Snorkelling in Key Largo Florida United States

  Take a morning catamaran to Grecian Rocks and Molasses Reef to drift above brain coral, sea fans, stoplight parrotfish, and nurse sharks.

• Coastal Walks in Key Largo Florida United States

  Stroll the crushed-coral nature trails and boardwalks through salt marshes and buttonwood hammocks inside Pennekamp State Park.

• Road Trips in Key Largo Florida United States

  Drive the Overseas Highway south across Tavernier Creek and into Islamorada, stopping at roadside tiki bars and bait shops along US-1.

• Craft Breweries in Key Largo Florida United States

  Sample small-batch mangrove ales and citrus wheat beers in relaxed taprooms along Mile Marker 100 on the Overseas Highway.

• Bakeries & Sweets in Key Largo Florida United States

  Pick up traditional tart, yellow Key lime pie with meringue tops at roadside bakeries and diners like Mrs. Mac's Kitchen near Mile Marker 99.