A Postcard from Key Largo, Florida
Key Largo is a divers paradise!  Yesterday we explored the area around The Christ of the Abyss Statue at The Dry Rocks.  Today we'll relax at our home near the beach and enjoy a gourmet dinner. 

  

About Key Largo
Key Largo, Florida is the first of the Florida Keys and the Dive Capital of the World.   Key Largo is home to the world's largest artificial reef, the 510-foot USS Spiegel Grove, Underwater State Park, the African Queen and the famous Christ of the Abyss underwater statue.  The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park has two beaches and a reproduction of a shipwreck in the water that is good for snorkeling. You can take a glass-bottom boat ride over part of the reef, go on a snorkeling tour via motorboat or sailing catamaran, as well as rent a canoe or see-through raft. The beach has two celebrated nature trails for hiking, and some of the subtropical fish can even be seen from shore. The waters surrounding Key Largo are heavy with game fish. You can fish for some of the larger ones with a Key Largo charter boat captain, or fish with a backcountry guide in the waters of Florida Bay or the Everglades. Key Largo Hammocks State Botanical site, with its extraordinary plants and wildlife, is one of the best places on the island to take a bike ride. The island's beauty has attracted a large number of artists whose work is displayed at many of the local galleries.  

Key Largo offers a variety of styles and affordability. Located approximately one hour from the Miami International Airport, Key Largo is a secluded paradise. Miami Beach is approximately a 1-1/2 hour drive away with Ft. Lauderdale approximately a 2-hour drive away. There is another airport in Ft. Lauderdale. Part of the Florida Keys, Key Largo is connected by a series of bridges and one Highway, US-1.  The local small town community creates a comfortable and secure setting.

The climate for Key Largo is Tropical.  It has never been hotter than 97 degrees F. and that was over 100 years ago. Summer highs usually average about 89 degrees F. The temperature has never been lower than 41 degrees F.

An Average Lifestyle in Key Largo
Key Largo, is the Diving Capital of the World but the island is nearly as famous as a sport fishing destination. Some of the best charter captains and fishing guides in the world work out of Key Largo. You can go after sailfish offshore, bonefish along the Atlantic shallows, or redfish and tarpon in Florida Bay. When the day is done, you can trade stories at any of a full-range of restaurants and bars, each as unique as Key Largo itself.

Housing
Median house value: $174,200 (year 2000)

Housing styles vary from mobile homes, single-family houses and condominiums, which are then categorized as waterfront or non-waterfront, Bayfront or Oceanfront. The price ranges begin at $50,000 and increase to $1,000,000; there is a lot to choose from in Key Largo.

Things to Do in Key Largo
Go snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Visit the Maritime Museum of the Florida Keys
Visit the Museum and Nature Center of Crane Point Hammock
Relax on Key West beaches
Take a trolley tour of Old Town
Visit a Key Largo Casino
Go to the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center
Go to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Near-by Excursions
Kendall, FL (39.1 miles, pop. 75,226).
Miami, FL (49.2 miles, pop. 362,470).

Cultural Activities
Upper Keys Concert Series
Art Under the Oaks

Location
The Florida Keys stretch south of Miami into the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.  Among the areas are Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine and the Lower Keys

Getting to Key Largo
Miami International Airport

Weather
Situated between the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys' unique geographical location benefits from ocean breezes that keep temperatures moderate year-round.

Population
Population (year 2000): 11,886
Median resident age: 43.1 years

Economics
Median household income: $42,577 (year 2000)
 
Higher Education
University Of Miami (about 32 miles)
Florida International University (about 32 miles)
Miami-Dade Community College  (about 50 miles)