Snorkel with turtles, kayak along mangroves and discover the stark natural beauty of The Florida Keys and Key West
Key Largo
Nature plays the starring role on Key Largo – the alluring starting point of journeys along this trickle of islands and the self-titled diving capital of the world. Just offshore lies the improbably fascinating John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park – a 70 square-mile swathe of Atlantic Ocean stalked by snorkellers and divers, who pose beside a submerged statue of Jesus Christ. The serene idyll of the Everglades is easily accessible too from Key Largo – the pristine wilderness where alligators poke through the glassy water and herons paddle in the shadows searching for prey, all of which can be gazed at from kayak trips along serene mangrove canals.
Islamorada
A small chain of six tiny islands, perched between the Everglades and the barrier reefs, Islamorada is all azure waters and golden sands that’s made a name for its excellent sport fishing. But ocean adventures are par the course too and it’s immeasurably easy to stake out crowd-free stretches of sea for snorkelling trips, particularly during the hazy quiet months of October and November. A highlight? The hideaway of Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park – a speck of land where rangers guide travellers through its dense interior and its tangle of mangroves by foot and by kayak, gliding along channels lined with wavering grass flats with the chance to spot sharks, rays, dolphins and manatee.
Marathon
This island-community is a 10-mile stretch of tiny keys, filled with creaky dining spots dishing up fresh lobster and crab claws to pink-nosed diners refuelling after hours spent on the water. This is boating territory – a stop for hulking cruise liners but also for small dinghies, taking travellers to snorkel, swim and explore submerged wrecks. There’s the Dolphin Research Centre and the Turtle Hospital – both of which are wildly fascinating stops. But for seclusion, Curry Hammock State Park is fringed with mangroves and seagrass beds hiding scuttling horseshoe crabs, starfish and upside-down jellyfish. There’s kite boarding, kayaking and nature trails, and you might just spot an iguana sloping across the sands as you sip your morning coffee.
Lower Keys
As the string of isles curls to the west, the Seven Mile Bridge signals the start of the Lower Keys – a tranquil series of beaches and backcountry, where salty-haired swimmers drift alongside turtles in seas brushed with sapphire and later, spot deer whilst cycling through the pinelands of National Key Deer Refuge. If you really want to be alone, the Saddlebunch Keys are a striking place to explore by kayak, pushing off towards its chain of lagoons and mangrove islands. As is Bahia Honda State Park with its classic tropical cliches: palm-lined beaches, clear waters and electric night skies.
Key West
This southern speck has garnered a reputation for its hard-drinking, wild spirit – a spot where poets, artists and lost souls escape to, drawn to its eccentric nature and alluring tropical aesthetics. Hemingway lived here for much of his life and you can dip into his narrative at his former residence or muse about the island’s smart art galleries for a taste of its cultural chops. For true escapism, there are a handful of pinprick islands nearby, from Little Torch Key with its colonial-chic cabanas, to Big Pine Key, where you can camp close to the bleached shores and wash broken shells from in between your toes.