Planning vacation to Keys. Staying at Key Largo 3 nights and down to Middle of Keys 3 nights. Love to snorkel, any recommendations on dive shops to use? Wanting to stay middle of the road on accomodations(100/night) any suggestions? Planning a dolphin encounter, which place to use? Are there any beaches you can snorkel right off of or does one have to go in on a snorkel charter for best results? Any other must do's would be appreciated!Thanks

As far as I know, you will have to take a boat to go snorkeling anywhere in the Keys. Where are you staying in the middle of the keys? We stayed at the Islander in Islamorada. It was very reasonable, a good location, with all the comforts of home. They even have cats on the property that will come in your condo, let you pet them and then go on their way. This meant alot to us since we missed our own two. They have a great pier where you can stroll/fish off of. We liked snorkeling Looe Key the most. It is a 18th Century ship wreck that is has turned into a reef. The tarpon were huge and the visibility was greater in the Southern Keys than up in Key Largo (too close to Miami) I don't remember the names of the dive outfits we used, but they were located in Big Pine Key (Another one of our favorite keys-try to see the key deer while there-they are as big as german shepards.)
I wouldn't recommend swimming with dolphins. They are not as sweet and gentle as you think. 1) They are wild animals that are highly intelligent being held in captivity for profit.
2) Two of them both wanted to "play" with my son who was 10 at the time and started pulling at his legs and arms in two different directions. He had to be pulled out and would not go back in after that. Just something for you to think about.

My experience was that Key West is the best and only key worth visiting. Driving through the other keys nearly put me to sleep.

There's tons of stuff to do in Key West, and it's a fun place.

I swam with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in the middle keys. It was kind of expensive for the actual time you get with the dolphins (about 20 min.), but at least it wasn't some touristy place. The money they get goes directly towards dolphin care and research. Key West is fun (Duval St. and Mallory Square). Snorkeing is great anywhere in the keys because it's all very shallow waters (the bay side vs. the gulf side), but you do need to get out on a boat, not just swimming off a beach. For a fun atmosphere (drinking rum runners, beachside music, waverunners, kayaks, ..), hit The Tiki Bar in Islamorada on the bay side. It gets pretty crowded at times (ie: spring break), but it's pretty lively. Have fun!

Where to start, where to start? First of all, I completely disagree about skipping all the other Keys and going to Key West the whole time. Leslie "drove through" the other keys and thus knows they are boring? Anyway, your plan of breaking up your stay is a good one, although you might want to consider staying the second part of your trip in Key West rather than the middle Keys. As far as snorkeling, Key Largo operations all go prety much to the same places depending on weather and vis conditions. And there is no general visability difference between the upper and lower Keys; I'm guessing the the experience of hobojo was the result of weather/time conditions. Certainly, the idea that vis is worse in Key Largo because it is "closer to Miami" is pretty fuuny. You can snorkel from shore but you won't see a bunch of pretty fishes, just sand, grass flats, mangrove roots, and maybe a barracuda here and there.
Check into the different dolphin swims in Key Largo before you sign up (most of them will let you watch what is going on, although from a distance), then you can decide if you will enjoy it.
Also, RP has got the geography confused. The Dolphin Research Center is on Key Largo (upper Keys, not middle) and unless you are in Key West, the two "sides" of the Keys are oceanside and bayside. The Tiki Bar in Islamorada is on the oceanside, not bayside.
As far as accomodations, you might help us out by telling us WHEN you want to go: prices fluctuate over the season.

I too think you need to spend at least a day in Key West. A trip to the Keys without going to Key West is just not the same thing. Yes, there are some cons to Key West - late night partying; tons of tourists when the cruise ships come in (affectionately - or not - called "the boat people"), and poor parking. But I'm telling you, Key West is beautiful. Get out first thing in the morning, when it's a bit cooler, and the crowds are gone, and just walk around. Good snorkeling can be had anywhere in the Keys. It tends to be a bit more crowded in Key Largo, because of Pennekamp State Park. The Middle Keys aren't that much different from the Upper Keys. my favorite Upper Key is Islamorado (which is actually not a single Key, but a series of them). There is a good amount of controversy over the dolphin swims, but that's your call. I will tell you that is you go snorkeling AWAY from the crowds, you'll have a great chance of seeing all kinds of sea life, and maybe some dolphins in the wild. Much better way to do it. Have fun.

poor little leslie looks at the keys from the vantage point of riding in the passenger seat of her Lexus, staring out at tacky ass highway 1, and declares the rest of the keys not worth visitng. Please, leslie, do not stop anywhere else---you are right, it all sucks. Just drive on, south to key west, with all the other tacky tourists, and leave the quieter keys untouched.
and don't forget your fanny pack and your prozac...

Just have to put in my $0.02 worth as an advocate for the Dolphin Research Center. It is the ONLY dolphin facility that I would recommend in the keys. They just recently announced the birth of 2 new calves and there is much activity and excitement going on right now.

I swam with the dolphins this past January (Pandora & Pax) and had an awesome time. We spent a good deal of time in the water and I felt my TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution of $125/pp for the 3 hour session (2 hours teaching, tour & instruction, 45 mins water time) was well worthy the money. DRC is a non-profit organization and is not out to make a fast buck on wild dolphins (which are illegal to swim with) They do not introduce wild dolphins into their facility. If the dolphins don't want to swim or want company that day...they still are fed and cared for.

Please check out their webpage:

http://www.dolphins.org/

for more info on the new babies, dolphin encounter, a less expensive dolphin splash program and all the info on their facility.

I know that there are advocates for the banning of dolphin captivity...and well, if you are going to swim or take a tour, this would be your best option.

Have a great time!

Sheli

Larry...Dolphin research center is located in middle keys. Actually on grassy key which is jsut a few miles north of Marathon.

Ouch, Flipper you are right. I was thinking of Dolphins Plus and Dolphin Cove, both of which are on Key Largo.

Acutally, the best way to see dolphins is in the WILD. With no fences; no controls. In addition, dolphins can, often unintentionally, harm humans, especially children.
If you want to donate money for the rehabilation of dolphins, great. But let's not run them into circus animals.

try to spend at least one night in Key West,Old Town....don`t go the whole way to the keys and miss that adventure...."do stay" i Old Town within walking distance of all activities....Mallory Sq.,etc...boat to Dry Tortugas is great too...sunset is awesome and crazy antics at M.Sq. can`t be missed...do LooK out for Key deer...poor things are on the decline and dart out in front of you...

try "Hog Heaven"...wild place(Key Largo)....Kathy Lee and her sis,Mishy...sang there one time on the way to her KL home....

Sheli-your $125 is not entirely tax-decutible. If you donate money to a nonprofit and receive a benefit in return (such as instruction and swimming with the dolphins), you have to deduct the reasonable value of that benefit. You can then deduct the amount, if any, left over. It's like if you buy a ticket to a ball for a nonprofit group. You can only deduct the amount of money you paid ABOVE the reasonable value of your dinner and whatever else you receive for the price of your ticket.

As income tax laws are changing all of the time, I welcome any other comments on this, particularly if I'm wrong.

There are places along the roadside in the keys where you can pull over, get in the water and snorkel.

Just wanted to mention a website to you, probably not for this trip , of a small company that takes groups out swimmimg with dolphins in the wild in places like Bimini and Hawaii. It is supposed to be amazing. Have heard wonderful things about his trips. www.planetarypartners.com

Snorkeling anywhere in the keys is best done from a boat, and the best snorkeling and scuba is at Looe Key Preserve, which must also be reached by boat. (There are many available) If you want to stay in a countrylike setting on the water, about 25 minutes to Key West, I highly recommend Parmer's Place on Little Torch Key just south of Big Pine Key.

Marathon is halfway down the Keys but I still recommend you make your "Halfway" trip to Little Torch Key. Feel free to write me if you need more information; I live in Florida and visit my sister in Key West frequently.