I know this is an incredibly vague question. We're looking to pack up the kids (18 and 15) and dog in mid June, and drive down (with the boat?) to either destination. Want to stay for 10 days and rent a house. I can't seem to make up my mind where to go. We all need chill time, so we are not looking for non stop action.

Flip a coin. Both are beautiful. Both are relaxed. Both have great fishing. Just at a guess, Gasparilla might be a bit more expensive to rent.

One small item: it may be difficult to rent for ten days as opposed to a week

Have found a house rental in Tavernier. Can't really find much info about Tavernier, will we need to go to Islamorada for dinner, shopping, activities, etc?

I think there's a movie theater, book store and grocery store in Tavernier and it's not very far from Islamorada. You can choose between restaurants in Key Largo or Islamorada, or even drive down to Marathon to eat (Sparky's Landing has great fish tacos).

As Kathyva said, Tavernier is between Key Largo and Islamorada. There is plenty to do nearby in terms of restaurants, stores, etc. Perfect place to chill out. But you'll be adding lots to your drive time to get to the Keys, yes? That might make the difference for me.

What do you mean with 'But you'll be adding lots to your drive time to get to the Keys, yes? '. Isn't Tavernier already in the Keys, or did you mean Key West?

Ilka, I think she meant more time getting to the Keys than to just go to Gasparilla (on Charlotte Harbor, between Sarasota and Ft. Myers). And yes, you're easily talking about saving a good 6 hours of driving each way to go to Gasparilla (instead of all the way to Key West, that is).

Personally I think if you plan to do a fair amount of boating, then Gasparilla is great -- better than the Keys, in fact. Day trips by boat to Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key, and Useppa are all possible and fun. I know folks here in Naples who sometimes go up to Gasparilla for a long weekend or just a week renting condos, so I don't think the rental is a problem. But I have no idea about prices there.

I don't know what your boating interests are, but in the Keys you'll have diving, snorkeling, and fishing opportunities that Gasparilla can't compete with.