J.D.

My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon in Florida. We're flying into MIA, spending 2 nights in South Beach (I've got reservations for The Park Central - anyone have any 1st-hand comments?), then we plan on heading south through the keys.

Given that there's so much to see on the Keys, should we:

1) pick a base of operations (which would probably be Key West) and head out on day trips to the rest?

or

2) spend a night here and a night there and sort of work our way down?

any thoughts would be helpful, particularly in terms of hotels/inns. thanks in advance.

-- J.D.

susan

With the exception of Key West, most of the "sights" seen in one key may be seen in another. The towns are very small, and there's one two-lane highway that runs the entire length of the keys. Although snorkeling opportunities may be superior in the upper keys, other water sports and tourist activities are abundant (and in my biased opinion, better) in Key West. I'd suggest just heading on down and stopping anyplace along the way that interests you. As for a hotel in Key West, the two places considered the best are the Marquesa Hotel and the Heron House. You won't go wrong with either.

don

I think you will be able to get a pretty good view of the keys if you plan a full day travel to and from Key West, which I find, by far, the most special of the keys(also the most romantic). We stayed at the Heron House last spring, and really loved the place. It is right across the street from the Marquesa, so I'm sure either one would be a great choice. I enjoyed the drive through the Keys, but I would definitely spend my time in Key West. also make sure you do one of the sunset cruises.

Patrick

A agree with Susan. Who said there is "so much to see in the Keys"? Other than scuba or snorkeling near Largo, or fishing out of Marathon, the Keys are simply a way of getting to Key West as far as I'm concerned. Save your time for Key West. If you see something that excites you on the way (which is doubtful to me) save some time to stop on the way back. Not sure of your budget. But the "guest house" idea is the best -- the Marquesa being spectacular. Also have no first hand information on The Park Central.

Laurie

If you want to stop somewhere, I would suggest John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo for great snorkeling (or diving).

lena

If you want to relax, enjoy a tropical atmosphere, walk around, good restaurants, nightlife, lots of fun then head straight down to Key West. It's a long drive but fun once you arrive. If you want to do water sports, snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, etc...make plans ahead of time and spend a day in the upper Keys. You can do one day in the upper Keys (Key Largo, Tavernier) and do water stuff, spend the night there and drive down to Key West in the a.m. or drive down that night.

Overseas highway is nice for a while, then pretty boring. I agree with the previous posts that most of the keys are very similar unless you know the real local inside information. The only real problem driving on Overseas Highway is that everytime there's an accident the road closes down for a long time. I would always recommend you have a cooler with snacks and drinks in the car. It's easy to get stuck for 2 hours in traffic. MAKE SURE you start each drive with a FULL TANK of gas and really, really, really, don't drive if you've been drinking. This is one road that is very easy to get killed on. Key West is really worth going to....tell us what specific things you hope to do or see and maybe we can recommend which Key or diving post you can check into. The hotels along the way are also very tricky.

Celeste

After making more than 100 trips to Key West in the past 17 years to see my family there, I have come to love staying on Little Torch or Big Pine Key, about 30 miles north of Key West. These islands are woodsy, rustic, scenic, and of course more inexpensive than Key West, yet only a short drive away from the "action." Consider a night or two on one of these islands.

J.D.

ha ha! loved Patrick's comment ("who said there's so much to see in the keys?!") - I guess I was mistakenly informed.

Thanks to all for your responses: the Key Wests have it. So there's the Marquesa and the Heron: what about the Paradise Inn? anyone?

-- J.D.

susan

J.D. - I'm not personally familiar with the Paradise Inn, but someone who lives in Key West called it "sterile." In my opinion the location isn't as convenient, either.

Bill

Agree with Patrick. The Upper Keys are starting to look like suburban American with KMart, Home Depot, McDonald's and the rest of the chain gang! The only difference is the tacky t-shirt and souvenior shops...

lili

i'd suggest driving down and maybe spending a night along the way ... it is nice to take the keys in at a leisurely pace - you should also check out the alligator farm/everglades ... try to see some manatees on a canoe trip in the northern keys area. if you search on "Florida Keys Trip Report" you'll find mine from April of 2000, i give specifics on best snorkel outfit and key lime pie we found in our 5 days through miami and keys. have a blast.

J T Kirk

Despite what nearly everyone has said, the other Keys are interesting in their own right. But a lot of it depends on what you want. If partying is a must, then Key West is the spot. If relaxation is a must, then head to Islamorada. This is a group of keys, which are lush and home to some spectacular deep sea fishing charters. It's also, next to Key West, the most expensive real estate in the keys. It's easy to see why, it's lush and green and not quite as heavily "touristed" as is Key West. There's also some good restaurants there -- not elegant, but cheap (relatively speaking) and good. Also, as someone said, Pennekamp is THE place to dive/snorkel. Key West's reef is showing the wear and tear of too many visitors, but the reef at Pennekamp (actually it's all the same reef) is still vibrant. Bahia Honda is a pretty little key with a nice beach. As someone also said, Big Pine Key is different in that it has real trees, and cute little key deer.
If you to stay in Key West, keep in mund that the drive to and from the other keys can get tiresome (and dangerous late at night). And if you stay in Key West, check out the Gradens Hotel. For my money, it's the best Key West has to offer. Have fun.

BigAl

JT-You been energized too much lately or what?? Cute little Key Deer??

wendy

I did a Key trip a couple of years ago. We spent the night on Key Largo, and went snorkeling at Pennekamp park, then drove and stopped at various keys when they seemed interesting. I still did not see those key deer, I think it's a myth. We spent two nights on Key West, not the nicest of the keys, but the most lively. I think Marathon and Pine Key are the prettiest. I suppose it depends if you want action or scenery.

J T Kirk

If you drive through Big Pine at dusk, you will almost certainly see some key deer. In fact, many deer get get hit (and killed) by cars at this time of night. The police are real good about cracking down on speeders at night (the speed limit drops by 10 MPH at night only on this Key). In the daytime, if you get out and walk around Big Pine, you likely to spot the key deer in people's bakcyards. By the way, there's more to most keys than what you see driving down Highway 1. Get out and explore.