About Florida Keys
Florida Keys are a favourite destination for Americans and international tourists, who are drawn by the world-renowned seafood restaurants, funky towns, shopping, nightlife and laid-back ambience of the local communities. Others come to enjoy watery activities like scuba diving and deep-sea fishing, or explore the relics of this historically rich area.
Places to holiday
Florida Keys, a hundred-mile string of islands known for sports fishing, coral-reef diving, and the sultry town of Key West, legendary for its sunsets and liberal attitude. Back on the mainland, west from Miami stretch the easily accessible Everglades, a swampy sawgrass plain filled with camera-friendly (but otherwise unfriendly) alligators. Everglades National Park covers nearly the entire tip of the peninsula southward from Miami and Naples. It contains a vast ocean of wet grasslands punctuated by islands of tropical forest and stretches of open waters. This vast wetland is infested with hordes of insects, wild birds, alligators, snakes and other wildlife.
Things to do
Florida Keys are an outdoor-lover's paradise, where fishing, snorkeling, and diving dominate. Terrific untainted natural areas include the Florida Reef, a great band of living coral just a few miles off the coast. But for many, the various keys are only stops on the way to Key West. Wherever you are on the Keys, you'll experience distinctive cuisine, served for the most part in funky little shacks where the food is fresh and the atmosphere laid-back. A holiday in the Florida Keys is perfect for families looking for a getaway that combines the opportunity for dozens of water-based activities with some natural, educational sight-seeing
Weather in Florida Keys
Although the Florida Keys have a tropical climate, temperatures never become unbearably high or unpleasantly cool, because of the cooling influence of the ocean. Summers are sunny and humid, with rain occurring mainly from late May in the form of thunderstorms, which last through to the Atlantic hurricane season. The Keys are at risk in the hurricane belt, the highest potential period for storms hitting being between mid-August and mid-October. Winters in the Keys are mild, sunny, frost free and clear.
Getting there
The two main airports in the Keys are the seaplane base on Marathon Key and Key West International Airport. These are only used by private or commuter aircraft, mainly coming in from Miami which is the closest international airport.