Get back to nature in the Florida Keys and Key West

Explore incredible wildlife, literary history and the continental USA’s only barrier reef by tracing the Overseas Highway through the five regions of the Florida Keys.

Key Largo’s star attraction is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater preserve in the USA, now incorporated within the National Marine Sanctuary. Located at mile marker 102.5 on the Overseas Highway, you can explore its protected waters on scuba diving, snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips to the reef. Key Largo is also home to the Coral Restoration Foundation, a non-profit that pioneered large-scale reef restoration and manages some of the world’s biggest coral nurseries. It runs dive and snorkel programmes. Afterwards, drop in at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, where dedicated experts rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wild birds.

Islamorada is the centrepiece of a group of islands known as the ‘Purple Isles’. Heralded for its sportfishing, Islamorada is also home to Dolphin Life Hospital, which treats injured dolphins and small whales and is currently building a new intensive care unit. Visitors can explore its museum and Exploratorium to learn more about marine life. Measuring 32km long and barely 45m wide in places, there is plenty of history to be discovered here on foot. Walking the trails of Indian Key Historic State Park lets you explore the ruins of a shipwreck salvaging community. Or head to Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park, where 2km of trails wind through a fossilised reef home to remnants of the quarry used to build the now long-gone Overseas Railroad in the early 20th century. 

A boater’s haven Marathon is a renowned boating destination at the heart of the Florida Keys. Home to Crane Point Museum and Nature Centre, this 25-hectare area is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the islands and was once the site of an entire Native American village. Within its grounds, you can drop by the museum, explore the historic Adderley House and visit the Marathon Wild Bird Center, a rescue and rehabilitation site for sick or injured birds.  

Marathon’s Dolphin Research Center, an acclaimed non-profit marine mammal research and education facility, provides visitors with a chance to interact with its resident dolphins. You can also visit the Turtle Hospital, a veterinary centre dedicated to the treatment and rehabilitation of sea turtles, which is open to the public for tours. Finish with an unforgettable drive across the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the world’s longest (and most scenic) segmental bridges, to the Lower Keys. 

Key West is the final stop on the Overseas Highway, offering a fusion of 19th-century and modern charm. This city has nurtured its share of literary talent, including Ernest Hemingway, whose former home is now a museum, and Tennessee Williams, who is said to have written the final draft of A Streetcar Named Desire here. There are wildlife and history, too. Spend time at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory or the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, where you can discover artefacts and treasures from two sunken Spanish galleons. At the day’s end, gather alongside locals at Mallory Square to experience the nightly ‘sunset celebration’, when musicians, jugglers and acrobats provide the entertainment as the sun sinks slowly below the horizon. 

How to plan your visit

Fly direct to Miami International Airport (MIA) from London Heathrow or Gatwick or connect via London from regional UK airports. Alternatively, direct flights to Key West are serviced from several US hubs like New York, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta to name a few. From Miami, it’s an hour’s drive to the entrance of the Florida Keys and a few more hours of a scenic drive to arrive in Key West. An ideal destination for a fly-and-drive trip. It’s recommended that you book your rental car well in advance of travel. Info: visitfloridakeys.com