The Florida Keys: Places to Explore
- Overview
- Places to Explore
- Sights
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Entertainment
- Shopping
- Travel Tips
- Features
- Fodor's Choice
- Deals
- Guidebooks
Big Pine Key
Welcome to the Keys' most natural holdout, where wildlife refuges protect rare and endangered animals. Here you have left behind the commercialism of the Upper Keys for an authentic backcountry atmosphere.
How could things get more casual than Key Largo? you might wonder. Find out by exiting Overseas Highway to explore the habitat of the charmingly diminutive Key deer or cast a line from No Name Bridge. Tours explore the expansive waters of National Key Deer Refuge and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, one of the first such refuges in the country. Along with Key West National Wildlife Refuge, it encompasses more than 200,000 acres of water and more than 8,000 acres of land on 49 small islands. Besides its namesake bird, the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for uncounted species of birds and three species of sea turtles. It is the only U.S. breeding site for the endangered hawksbill turtle.
Big Pine Key at a Glance
Elsewhere in The Florida Keys
See Also
Free Fodor's Newsletter
Subscribe today for weekly travel inspiration, tips, and special offers.
Fodor's Trip Planning Ideas
- Summer Fun in NOLA: Discover the true spirit of New Orleans
- Weekend Getaways: Fodor's Recommends the Best Weekend Escapes in the US
- Great American Vacation: Find Your Next U.S. Trip with Fodor's
- 80 Degrees: Fodor's Helps You Find Your Best Beach Vacation Spots
- Go List: Fodor's Top 25 Places to Go in 2013
- Best of Europe: Fodor's Picks the Best Places to Visit in Europe
Travel Deals in The Florida Keys
- $148* & up -- Nationwide Flights thru Fall on American, R/T American Airlines
- $99 & up -- Florida Keys Resorts in Summer: Save up to 50% Featured Destination: The Florida Keys & Key West
- $699 -- Balcony on 7-Night Caribbean Cruises w/$100 Credit CruCon Cruise Outlet
- $449 -- Top Cruise Line Visiting Cayman Islands w/$75 Credit — $449 CruCon Cruise Outlet



