The Florida Keys are a chain of coral and limestone islands trailing southwest from the end of the Florida mainland to Key West. They feel less like ordinary Florida than a long, salt-stained road trip: mangroves, shallow flats, weathered marinas, dive flags, old railroad bridges, and water on both sides of the highway.
Most travellers enter through Key Largo, the diving and snorkelling gateway to the Florida Reef. Islamorada is the fishing capital and a good stop for reef parks and the 1935 hurricane memorial. Marathon and the Middle Keys are practical and family-friendly, with The Turtle Hospital, Pigeon Key, and the Seven Mile Bridge. Big Pine Key slows everything down with Key deer, pine rockland, and access to Looe Key reef.
The Keys reward patience. Distances look small on a map, but traffic on the Overseas Highway can be slow, and stopping is the whole point. Pull off for state parks, old bridges, fish shacks, kayak launches, and small museums. If you rush straight to Key West, you miss the best part of the chain.
Winter and spring are the comfortable months. Summer brings cheaper rooms and warmer water, but also heat, mosquitoes, afternoon storms, and hurricane risk. Book early for winter weekends, lobster mini-season, and Fantasy Fest in Key West.