can anyone tell me what the beach is like in key largo. we are staying at the marriott.we like a sandy beach and warm water, lots of beach activities. we chose this over marco island after reading some of the postings about the sea lice in the water near marco island.

Please do not go to key largo for the beach. You will be sorely disappointed. The Keys are so much more than a beach.
But their beaches are small, corally, and not what you're looking for.

If it's lovely sandy beaches you're interested in, try Sanibel island, Anna Maria island, yes, even Marco island.
Sea lice are a fact of nature and you risk them anytime you go to a beach. If they bug you, stick to chlorinated cement pools.

Is "corally" a word?
The Marriott has a small man-made beach that you will hate if you are into beaches. Sea lice is also found in the keys. Rebook for Marco, they have a nice beach.

Ditto the other posts. The keys are coral, so unless a beach has been "improved" with imported sand, it's coral. If it's a true beach experience you want, you'll be disappointed with the keys.

Betty-Instead of staying at Marco I would opt for either Sanibel or Captiva. Marco is too developed IMO and there is not much to do there.

Are the "sea lice" a problem only during certain times of the year?

We have not encountered them during several trips to Fla. and Caribbean. All our trips have been between Dec. 20 and April 10.

The beach is hard. Bring a chair,since a blanket is uncomfortable. You will also need water shoes to get to the water. There is alot of broken coral at the shoreline . It was painful and unbearable to walk on barefoot. But, don't let that discourage you. The beauty of snorkeling far outways the walk into the water. Most of the Keys have a hard section of coral pieces on the beach. But farther behind it is a sandy beach.

The Marriott has a very, very small man made beach. The Westin has a slightly larger man made beach. Pennekamp Park has one a bit larger than that. The Keys are all mangrove so there isn't much for beaches other than the one on one side of Key West but the water at that one is often too polluted to swim in. We go to the Largo/Islamorada area often but for the snorkeling, not the beach. Sea lice are a problem in water anywhere that is a certain temperature, I think between 80 -84 degrees. The trick is to rinse off with fresh water IMMEDIATELY after getting out of the water, even inside you suit if you can, and this dislodges them. Some people are more susceptible than others. I've been covered with bites while my husband hasn't gotten even one! I do think that if you're beach people and want long beach walks, etc, the Keys are not the place for you.

o.k. i guess i'm not going to the keys or marco island. how are the beaches in clearwater? is it a nice touristy place to visit? we are the ultimate tourists, love sightseeing and souvenir shops.

Betty-Have you checked out Sanibel/Captiva Islands?? The beaches are one of the finest in Florida another suggestion is Longboat Key. Nothing against Clearwater, but the last time I was there the place was overrun by high school kids....

If its beach you want you will not be disapointed in Siesta Key. This is the finest white sand in Florida.
Book early

Our family has been to all of the above listed beaches: Belleair Beach, Clearwater Beach, Siesta Key, Casey Key (private), Longboat Key, Sanibel Island, etc. All are beautiful beaches. All are crowded at spring break time. Sanibel is the best for shelling and small children - you can walk out in shallow water 3ft or less for at least 50 yards.