Discover The Keys
Connect with Keys Life
Immerse yourself in the nature of the Florida Keys. Let it change you.
Connect with one of the Keys’ “natural resources” — the friendly, easygoing people who live here.
With the Keys’ funky hotspots, close-to-nature lifestyle and lively arts community, locals choose to embrace a laid-back vibe and culture and make it their own.
When you open yourself to chatting with Florida Keys residents, seeking their insights and recommendations for off-the-beaten-path adventures, you can immerse yourself in the Keys and forge a lasting connection with the colorful, magical islands.
‘Local’s Choice’ Tips
Our Insider's Guide highlights interesting residents in a ‘Local’s Choice’ profile. Learn about the featured locals’ lives and get insights into their favorite Keys spots to dine, explore and relax.
Meet some of the quirky, creative, genuinely friendly residents who weave eco-consciousness into their everyday lives — protecting wildlife, eating local foods, supporting fishermen, reducing plastic waste and giving back to their island communities.
'Local’s Choice' Tips From Craig McBay
Craig McBay, who owns Islamorada’s Florida Keys Brewing Co. with his wife Cheryl, is a busy man — operating the Upper Keys’ first microbrewery, its...
'Local’s Choice' Tips From Isis and Tony Wright
When Isis and Tony Wright moved to the Florida Keys 10 years ago, a career in the restaurant industry was the farthest thing from their minds — but in...
‘Local's Choice’ Tips From Chef Paul Kapsalis
Chef Paul Kapsalis and wife Kris Kubik are owner-operators of South of the Seven restaurant, tucked inside the gulfside 1950s-era Sugarloaf Lodge at...
‘Local's Choice’ Tips From Dee Dee Vaughan Smause
Dee Dee Vaughan Smause, co-founder of Plant a Million Corals alongside her parents, Dr. Dave Vaughan and Donna Vaughan, is passionately committed to...
‘Local’s Choice’ Tips from Photographer Nick Doll
Nick Doll, who lives by Key West’s official philosophy that all are members of “One Human Family,” has become one of the island’s best-loved residents...
Vacation Like a Local: Make the Keys Connection
The Florida Keys & Key West aren't just another vacation destination where you arrive, soak up some sun on a pretty beach, maybe do a little shopping or take a sightseeing tour, sample the local cuisine and depart, essentially unchanged, after a few days. In fact, rather than being a typical "tourist," you can practically become a temporary local — enjoying a vacation experience that fills your senses and leaves you feeling vibrantly alive.
Florida Keys Stewards
Other important residents you should meet are our “Steward of the Keys.” Learn their stories and find out about their lives, work, passions and reasons for loving the island chain and proactively preserving the ecosystem, wildlife, and culture of The Florida Keys & Key West.
Read More in the Insider's Guide
Alli Candelmo: Steward of the Keys’ Marine Environment
Marine ecologist Alli Candelmo of Key Largo's Reef Environmental Education Foundation has forged a career that positively impacts the environment of the Florida Keys in big ways. Passionate about protecting the natural world since she was a child, she regards enjoying and protecting marine ecosystems as her primary personal and professional goal.
Harry Appel: Steward of the Keys’ Endangered Wildlife
Harry Appel co-owns Big Pine Key’s eco-friendly, boutique Deer Run on the Atlantic, the Florida Keys’ only “Four-Palm” Green Lodging Property — a designation earned for a steadfast commitment to protecting natural resources. An avid animal activist, he’s president of the nonprofit Save-A-Turtle of the Florida Keys and is a Key Deer Protection Alliance advisor.
Allyson Gantt: Steward of the Keys’ National Parks
Allyson Gantt inspires others to care for the Florida Keys’ two national parks and their unique environments. A National Park Service ranger for over 25 years, she directs communications and public affairs for Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks — and is overseeing a year of activities for Everglades National Park’s upcoming 75th anniversary.
Dan Davis: Steward of Environmental Artistry
Florida Keys artist Dan Davis, owner of the online Florida Keys Ocean Gallery, uses the ancient Japanese art of gyotaku to create prints from fish he catches in Keys waters. He also educates art lovers about the need to preserve local waters that are home to a vast array of prized game fish.
Those who love the Keys form personal connections to the unique environment. Watch videos below and “meet” some of these stewards of the Florida Keys’ natural world:
Billy Litmer, Honest Eco Tours
Roxane Boonstra, Coral Restoration Foundation
Capt. Will Benson, Fishing Guide
Bette Zirkelbach, Turtle Hospital
Bill Keogh, Kayak Tour Guide
CoralPalooza Divers
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