Key Largo, Florida

We’ve been exploring the Florida Keys and our first stop was Key Largo. David had a volunteer training to attend in Homestead, Fl so we decided to turn it into a mini-vacation. Key Largo is the first, and longest, island in the island chain and about 45 minutes from the training location. It was a great fit for the first couple of nights. The boys and I enjoyed exploring the marina and parks during the day and we all met up in the afternoon for family fun.

Key Largo is bordered on the west by Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park backcountry, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, home to the clear waters of the Gulf Stream. 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 Florida Keys & Key West)

We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott which is part of the Key Largo Resorts Marina. The hotel offered nice rooms with a great view of the pool, beach area, and canal. Swimming is always a hit with the kids and the faux beach area was an added bonus. One draw back of the Florida Keys is the beach access, which is ironic. The area is great for boaters or anyone who owns property but the parking for most public beaches is extremely limited.

Since the hotel is on a canal it was fun to watch all of the tour boats coming and going. Whatever ocean experience you are looking for, these guys have a boat for you. Glass bottom boats, dive excursions, snorkeling, fishing. It was neat to see and really sparked an interest for the boys. We’ll be keeping this on our list of places to return if diving becomes one of our family activities. Now, we didn’t personally use any of these so I can’t vouch for them 100% but, from what I saw, it seemed like everyone had a great time. Below are pictures of a boat we didn’t go on, fish we didn’t catch and the “Reef Roamer” that we did not dive off of. But the kids loved just seeing the fish come off the boats and get cleaned.

We also met some of the nicest people who had their personal boats docked there. Now, this is out of my wheel house but if you’re into sailing and need a place to stop this would be cool. You have access to the different resort amenities, including laundry and pools, etc. You can check out the fees.

We had Professor Cashmere, our mini labradoodle, with us so our dining options had to be dog-friendly. We lucked out with all of the outdoor seating… and live music! I just love how beach towns always have a live musician playing. We could hear the music from Skippers Dockside while we were by the pool so we decided it sounded like a great place to try. The food was good, the service was great, and Cash was welcome.

Overall, Key Largo was a fun. This area really caters to the dive and angler communities. For this reason I would choose one of the other islands if you’re looking for lazy beach days or lots of kid-friendly activities.