Six state parks in the Upper Florida Keys offer some of the Keys’ most scenic wide-open spaces for social distancing, solitude and outdoor recreational activities like hiking, swimming, snorkeling and paddling. Acclaimed among the region's prime natural attractions, these parks are rich with Florida Keys history, upland and coastal landscapes and underwater life.
As curator and historian at Islamorada’s Keys History & Discovery Center, Brad Bertelli is a storyteller who spins colorful tales with rich factual details about life in the Florida Keys. He has also authored several books — including two about snorkeling in Florida and the Keys, and one each about Key Largo and Islamorada.
In the 1800s, the wrecking industry made Key West the richest city per capita in the United States. The Florida Keys wreckers were famed for their courage in salvaging crews and cargoes from sinking ships. Yet few people know they once salvaged a sea monster off Key Largo’s Carysford (today called Carysfort) Reef.
As well as human visitors who come to the Florida Keys for rest and renewal, marine creatures in need also come calling. Some have health problems, while others are injured, orphaned or lost. Throughout the island chain, ailing sea turtles, manatees, dolphins and whales encounter dedicated professionals and volunteers ready to provide care.
Attention, crustacean fans: Aug. 6 marks the start of the Florida Keys lobster season. Given their location surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the Keys are a paradise for lovers of fish and seafood. And topping the list of seafood standouts is the native lobster — often called spiny lobster.
The road unrolls like a long gray ribbon, with vast vistas of turquoise water and paler blue sky stretching endlessly on either side. Driving down the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, it’s clear why this roadway is sometimes called the Highway That Goes to Sea — and a “bucket list” drive that everyone should experience.
The wait is over. The Florida Keys & Key West reopened June 1, and are welcoming visitors again after being closed for more than two months because of the global COVID-19 crisis. While Keys businesses are committed to safeguarding visitors’ health, travelers are encouraged to share the responsibility by adopting local health protocols.
Throughout the Florida Keys, businesses ranging from resorts and restaurants to attractions and watersports charters are making final preparations to welcome visitors back beginning Monday, June 1 — embracing enhanced measures to protect all travelers’ health and safety. The Keys have been closed to nonresidents since March 22 because of the global COVID-19 outbreak.
If you’re craving the Florida Keys during this time of widespread COVID-19 travel restrictions, there’s a remedy for that: recreate your favorite Keys memory while staying safe at home, capture it in a mini-video, and submit the video to the island chain’s new Instagram contest. Hashtagged #FLKeysAtHomeChallenge, the competition continues through May 25.
Many books about the Florida Keys are so well crafted that they seemingly transport readers to the island chain — portraying it so vividly that it’s almost possible to feel the humidity and smell the salt air. During this time of COVID-19 travel restrictions, what books provide the best “virtual visit” to the Keys?