Florida Keys "Adventure" Travel Itinerary
Day 1:
The Florida Turnpike ends in Florida City. This is the last town on the mainland of Florida before
you drive down to Key Largo along the Eighteen Mile Stretch. You can make a detour in Florida
City by turning right at the traffic lights and following the signs to Everglades National Park. This
vast nature preserve, also called “the river of grass,” has trails that will lead you to hardwood
hammocks, cypress enclaves, ponds and mangroves. You will find an abundance of wildlife, from
the iconic alligator and his cousin, the American crocodile, to the elusive Florida panther, bears,
hogs, deer and the occasional ball python. Birds like the roseate spoonbill, white pelicans,
egrets, storks and bald eagles all make their home here.
Drive all the way down to Flamingo; this is a small settlement where you’ll find a store,
campground, house boat rentals as well as fishing charters and kayak and canoe rentals. You
can rent a kayak or canoe for the day and explore the surrounding mangrove islands. Please be
sure to bring an adequate amount of mosquito repellent, suntan lotion and, of course, water. If
you make this excursion unguided, an up-to-date chart along with a GPS, are basic necessities. If
you want to avoid getting lost, you can pre-arrange a guided trip or make it even more
adventurous and book a multi-day tour. Outfitters in Key Largo and Islamorada offer these
outings. You’ll paddle all day through mangroves and the Everglades’ estuaries and sleep on
remote beaches or on stilt platforms (called chickees) built over the water.
Afterwards, when arriving in Key Largo, you can check in to one of the small mom & pop motels
along US 1 between MM 100 and MM 97 for a more comfortable overnight. These motels are all
waterfronts and face the Bay (Gulf of Mexico) and are within a short distance from bars,
restaurants and local shops.
Day 2:
Yesterday was spent with time ‘on’ the water; today’s option is to enjoy it underneath the
surface. Easy enough to book a snorkel trip in the Key Largo area, there are plenty of dive shops
around. They will take you four to five miles offshore to the reef for a half day excursion, making
stops at different reef patches.
Your other option is to go scuba diving. If you are not a certified diver, this is the best place in
the country to become one. The waters are warm, clear and shallow. The reefs are abundant
with marine life, schooling fish, tiny tropicals, corals and sea fans. It will take three days to
become a certified ‘open water’ diver with a PADI accreditation. To save time and money, you
can take the e-learning course at home and upon arrival in the Keys, you will only have to make
your ‘check out’ dives before becoming a certified diver at the end of the day.
Not feeling like getting wet yet? Check out the high speed glass-bottom-boat at Largo Looker.
This glass-bottom-boat boast one of the fastest and most comfortable rides to take you to the
breathtaking scenery of the only living coral reef in the U.S. Blast off on your most exciting
adventure of a lifetime from the Pilot House Marina for a fast and fun packed ride aboard this
ultra-modern high speed glass-bottom boat. The hydrofoil design of the Largo Looker allows the
boat to ride on the surface of the ocean, providing an exciting, high speed experience unlike any
other.
After spending most of the day in, on or under the water, it’s time to relax and exchange the
day’s stories at one of Key Largo’s waterfront bars and restaurants. Whether it be for wine and
appetizers, beer and a fish sandwich or something more upscale, there are a variety of
restaurants to please everyone’s budget and palette.
Day 3:
After checking out of your hotel and fueling up on breakfast, you’ll drive south to Islamorada.
Both Seven and oTHErside outfitters offer kite boarding lessons for all levels and all ages. Catch
air and go fast with this exhilarating alternative to surfing. The safe environment of the Keys
offers a unique opportunity for anyone to learn the sport of kite boarding. Warm, knee-deep
water is ideal for launching and riding, heading out to deeper channels for popping jumps and
steady, rideable wind carries kites from all directions. For an exhilarating rush over the sea grass
flats, try a backcountry safari where kiters slip through estuaries past marine life. Newcomers or
students of the sport can take lessons to absorb skills and moves, safety procedures and a
philosophy of living in the moment and becoming one with the environment. Kite boarding
requires a waist harness, a kite attached by four lines, a steering bar and a board. In the clear
shallow waters of the Keys backcountry, students learn to pump up and fly the kite, steer the
bar and attempt jumps, spins and other maneuvers on the board. Most instruction is one-onone, addressing safety, theory, equipment, set-up and pre-flight - yet still designed to get
students ripping quickly. Training ranges from one- to five-day beginner, intermediate and
advanced lessons; the latter geared primarily for kite boarders who want to hone their skills for
riding and staying up-wind consistently.
Whereas in Key Largo where the lodging facilities were on the bayside, in Islamorada they are
located on the Oceanside and they range from small independently run motels to upmarket
resorts.
Day 4:
Today in Marathon, just a half an hour south of Islamorada, kite boarding fanatics can keep
honing their skills, the divers can check out another part of the reef or the advanced divers can
check out the wreck Thunderbolt.
Welcome to Keys Cable and oTHErside Adventure Park! This is the place to learn how to
wakeboard, wakeskate and paddleboard. Located on Grassy Key just north of Marathon, this 5
acre salt water tidal lagoon was converted into a cable park in 2012.
Dating back to the early 1900′s these quarries were dredged by The East Coast Railway for the
construction of Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad. After its life as a quarry the property
transformed through the next 30 years spending most of its time as an aquaculture and research
facility. Now beginners can learn to wakeboard in a safe, enclosed and supervised environment.
The pros will learn new tricks and perfect them so they can perform them in open water later
on. www.Keyscable.com
If you want to try something else altogether, learn to spearfish. With the diverse marine life that
thrives on the reef and in deeper waters, come excellent spearfishing opportunities.
Spearfishing enthusiasts can find many of the best spots in the Middle Keys, as other regional
zones are protected from fishing within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Unlike
mainland Florida, where drop-offs are close to shore, Florida Keys “spearos” need a boat to find
spearfishing grounds - unless they’re targeting the quick and elusive yellowtail snapper among
shallow patch reefs. The reef in many areas is three to six miles offshore. As water temperatures
go up with the summer heat, big fish typically head to deeper, cooler waters. Popular game fish
include a variety of grouper and snapper: gray (or mangrove), mutton, yellowtail and the local
favorite, hogfish. Spearfishing aficionado groups are attracting significant interest in the Middle
Keys. Local dive shops like Hall’s and Captain Hook’s will customize and accompany visitors on
local spearfishing trips, as well as offer classes to teach tips on safety, regulations, legal fish and
size requirements, spear gun use and repair, and the art of free diving.
Keys Shark Diving has perfected the game of getting you up close and personal with sharks in
their natural surroundings. The Florida Keys are home to some of the largest numbers of sharks
in the world. Whether you are an experienced shark diver or a novice looking to see a shark for
the first time, they have the experience and equipment you need to have a successful day of
adventure on the water. Two different types of trips are offered: the first one trip is the Shark
Viewing Trip; these are half day (4 hour) trips that take place just a few miles from the dock in
the calm waters inshore of the Florida Keys. Shark Viewing Trips are non-diving trips and are
prefect for families or those just looking to see sharks up close without getting in the water. The
second trip offered is a Shark Diving Trip which takes place in a shark cage a few miles offshore
in the Gulf Stream offshore from the Florida Keys. These are generally full day trips but half day
trips can be arranged. No scuba certification is needed for these trips as the cage floats right on
the surface next to the boat. www.Keyssharkdiving.com
To close out an active day, walk, bike or drive over to the Seven Mile Bridge to watch the sunset.
There are places on either the bayside or oceanside of the bridge to enjoy the explosion of color
that occurs every night in the Florida Keys. This is the place to be. You can find a hotel, motel or
resort in every price range as well.
Day 5:
Today, we’ll be going farther south; the Lower Keys are even more relaxed, and we’ll keep it like
that by going paddle boarding. When the winds are either too much or simply nonexistent,
paddling is a perfect stand-in sport both for fun and a core physical workout. Standing on the
board, typically 12 to 14 feet in length, not only allows for a better view of the surroundings, but
also enables practitioners to paddle longer and more easily while standing, versus sitting as in a
kayak. Standup paddling appeals to many people because it is a relatively simple,
straightforward yet diverse activity. Use the board for surfing, traversing on a “downwinder”
(riding the board with trade winds at your back to cover long distances), as a fishing or diving
platform, or just enjoying touring through the mangrove trees, along the beaches or in the
backcountry flats (in a noninvasive way).
On Sugarloaf Key, you can charter a flats boat captain and try catching a “Grand Slam” which
consists of catching and releasing a tarpon, a bonefish and a permit all in one day. It’s not easy
and if achieved, you will be in the company of a very few, well respected anglers. The beauty
and wide open expanse of the lower keys backcountry is something everyone should experience
and will make for a memorable day.
If you are interested in seeing the Keys from the air, you can jump out of a plane, tandem style
with SkyDive Key West, located at MM 17 on Sugarloaf Key. While climbing to altitude you will
see the spectacular views of Key West, the Atlantic Ocean, the Florida reefs, the Gulf and the
Florida Keys.
After jumping from the plane, you will experience the thrill of falling at speeds of 130 mph or
more. Once your parachute opens, you will enjoy five to seven minute ride floating quietly back
to earth for a soft, pinpoint landing.
Day 6:
A ‘must see’ while in Key West is experiencing America’s most remote National Park, the Dry
Tortugas. These islands are located 60 miles west of Key West and can be reached by ferry or
seaplane. If you have the time and plan in advance, you can enjoy camping in this remote area
and enjoy the pristine marine and bird watching environment and clear night skies. If you only
have a day, your options are taking a passenger ferry or booking a seat on the seaplane while
enjoying the vistas of the reef system from the air.
Scuba diving is well regaled in the Florida Keys and experiencing the USS Vandenberg will close
out your adventure vacation in the Florida Keys and Key West. Scuttled in May 2009, this 524
foot wreck is the second largest artificial reef in the world. This retired missile-tracking ship
once tracked spacecraft blastoffs from Cape Canaveral as well as Russian missile launches during
the cold war.