Key Largo: Reefs, Mangroves and Maritime History

Key Largo is the first island drivers reach on their journey south. Travel planning in Key Largo can focus on different things: mangroves and Largo Sound, offshore coral reefs, nature on land, and maritime history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Key Largo, it helps to first distinguish between the activities: paddling routes run through mangroves, diving at the barrier reef requires a dive boat, and snorkeling instruction at MarineLab requires advance reservations. This raises different planning questions: Which natural environment interests you, what type of excursion are you looking for, and does it require a reservation?

Distinguish Between Waterways and Reefs

At John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, several miles of paddling routes run through the mangroves and Largo Sound. This is a different focus from diving at the offshore reefs. The barrier reef lies four to six miles offshore, so a dive boat is required for diving in Key Largo. The distinction is practical for planning: paddling routes pass through the mangroves and Largo Sound, while diving at the barrier reef requires a trip on a dive boat.

The waters off Key Largo are known for stands of elkhorn coral and large aggregations of star and brain corals. Large schools of grunts and gray snapper are characteristic of Molasses. The 510-foot-long military ship Spiegel Grove was sunk as a dive attraction seven miles off Key Largo on June 17, 2002. At the reef formation known as Key Largo Dry Rocks, a nine-foot-tall bronze statue stands in 25 feet of water. The measurements describe different things: for the Spiegel Grove, 510 feet is the ship’s length and seven miles is its location off Key Largo; for the statue, 25 feet refers to the water depth.

A Natural Area on Land

Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park represents a natural area on land. It contains one of the largest areas of West Indian tropical hardwood hammock in the United States and provides habitat for 84 protected plant and animal species. The difference in focus from the barrier reef is clear: here, the focus is on forest habitat and protected species, while there it is on coral and diving offshore.

Science, Art and Snorkeling Instruction

The REEF Ocean Exploration Center in Key Largo brings together stories from science, history and art. Admission is free, and the center is open to everyone. Check current visitor information before your visit, as operating details may change.

MarineLab offers snorkeling instruction led by a marine scientist. Advance reservations are required, so be sure to account for this when planning.

Maritime History and a Canal Cruise

The history of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park also has its own significance: At the dedication ceremony on December 10, 1960, Florida Governor LeRoy Collins designated the park as the first underwater park in the United States.

The African Queen is a 1912 steamship immortalized by the 1951 film The African Queen. The ship offers daily 1½-hour canal cruises through the Port Largo Canals. The duration gives you a specific time frame for this excursion; check cruise availability before your trip.

Explore more destinations: Key Colony Beach, Summerland Key, Stock Island, Duck Key, Cudjoe Key, Key West, Little Torch Key, Big Pine Key.

For the broader travel overview: Monroe.