My husband and I are thinking of taking a trip to the keys at the end of May/beginning of June.

I've never been there. I have no idea where we should stay (island wise or hotel wise). We'd like someplace where there are things to do (swimming, snorkeling, hiking, biking, fishing) but not too busy.

Are there really no beaches? Have seen some posts like that. Would love some beach time.

Would it be a good idea to just travel around the islands and stay at a few different places?

Any advice at all would be appreciated.

First, search this forum for tons of info about Key West.

Second, check out www.pierhouse.com ... great location at 1 Duval Street, and it has a small private beach that is a lot of fun.

I would start with http://fla-keys.com/
and figure out which Key(s) interest you. The Keys are over 100 miles long and can really vary. Have a wonderful time.

Apologies .. I mis-read the original post and thought it asked about Key West, not the "Florida Keys."

There are really 4 locations in the Keys that have ample places to stay, and things to do. Moving north to south, they are: Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, and Key West. Everyone will have different opinions of each location. Here are mine:

Key Largo is diverse. It has some nice places, and some not so nice. There is some of the best diving and snorkling in all of the Keys there. Lot's of restaurants and hotels/resorts.

Islamorada is very nice. Plenty of places to stay and eat. Good snorkling, and kyaking. Theatre of the Seas (think Sea World) is there. They call it the Sproty Fishing capital of the world. The best fishing is here

Marathon is further down in the middle Keys. IMHO, there is not much that interests me there. Not really a pretty place, but there are places to stay and eat. If a beach is an absolute must for you, this is the closest access to the Keys best beach, Bahia Honda State Park.

Key West is all the way at the end of the road. There is plenty to do here. A quick search on this site will give you more info than you can absorb. It is a blast to stay there.

just got back from key largo. enjoyed it... we did a day trip to key west and decided we were glad we didn't stay there (and this was a group of friends getting together after many years and we were hoping to get great margaritas...) It was a little too much like bourbon st. in New Orleans... now if you like that ignore me and go for it, i think there are nicer places to stay within shot of key west as a side trip... there are threads on this site that you should search.....

keeping with the "4 main key's" idea:

key largo: the largest key. if you were to stay at a motel that wasn't on the water you might not know you were in the keys. it does have great diving and my favorite keys resturants (hobo's; fish house). i say continue heading south for the real key's experience.

islamorada: never stayed on this key but this is the area where things begin to open up. you can see the ocean/gulf from the roadway and just about everythings near the water. developed but not too much.

marathon: i believe the 2nd largest key. i've stayed here many times (banana bay resort). one of the more developed keys (they even have a home depot) and kind of ugly but close to bahia honda state park, a decent collection of motels, the old 7 mile bridge and about 1 hour from key west. theres also a fairly good beach nearby (sombrero) and a nice reef (also named sombrero)

key west: a giant strip mall surrounded by water. duval street is a nice stop for a few hours but....i'll leave key west to the spring breakers and other heavy drinkers.

The keys other than Key West are all about getting out on the water. If you are experienced ocean boaters, rent a boat for a week.

Nothing better than getting out on the water by 7AM.

Personally, I think Islamorada is the best place. Not as touristy as Key West or as built up as Key Largo and Marathon. Very campy.

If you have time, see if you can find the "Hidden Florida Keys and Everglades." Very well done book which describes all of the Keys (and Everglades). Of course, not much in the world, not even in the Keys, is actually "hidden" anymore, but, still, it's a good book.