Recreational Options
You can’t really get bored here, unless you just don’t like the water.
- Dive: If you snorkel or dive, Key Largo is a terrific place to live. Long considered the sport diving capital of the world, Key Largo is home to John Pennekamp State Park, the world’s first underwater park. I used to camp and snorkel there on weekends with my kids. And I’ve also had some great times diving wrecks and exploring the surrounding waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. There are lots of dive shops for folks at all skill and preference levels.
- Fish: If you like to fish, Key Largo is (if that’s possible) an even better place to live. Stretching down to Islamorada, the bonefishing capital of the world, there is a fabulous “backcountry” – Florida Bay – and offshore you’ve got the Gulf Stream and every kind of pelagic sports fish you can imagine. If you’ve got your own boat, great; if you don’t, you’ll find one of the largest fishing fleets per square mile in the world, between Key Largo and Islamorada.
- Boats and Toys: See above. There is every possible sea thing to rent and enjoy. In fact, Key Largo and the rest of the Upper Keys, including Islamorada, are much better this way than the Middle Keys or Lower Keys with the exception of Key West.
- Kayaking, Canoeing, Photography and Birding: These don’t all necessarily go together. My friend and I did a lot of fishing from our kayaks before it became the latest craze. But if you want to explore shallow-water backcountry to enjoy birds and wildlife, and want to consider paddleboating as opposed to motorboating as the way to do it, then this part of the Keys will likely please you more than areas farther south and west.
- If you’re a private pilot, there’s a basic airstrip for small planes on Tavernier, and you can even live next to the runway.
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