Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are an archipelago of about 1700 islands, a one hundred mile long (160 km), extending south and southwest of the Florida mainland into the Gulf of Mexico. A 90 mile (150 km) long series of bridges and causeways connects these islands down to the town of Key West on its southern most tip. The only North American tropical reef lies just a few miles off shore. The Keys are a paradise for scuba divers and fisherman.

The accessible, commercial islands are connected by US Highway 1. The warm Gulf Stream current runs just off the coast of the Florida Keys and creates a path for migrating species of fish.

The Keys’ Reef is the only living coral barrier reef in North America and is the 3rd largest coral barrier reef in the world. Water temps peak in the low 80Fs in summer, and can drop to the low 70Fs in winter.

Not surprisingly, there is a lot of seafood restaurants in the Keys. There is also plenty of other types of restaurants to choose from American fast-food, mom-and-pop diners, to many kinds of ethnic dishes. The famous Key Lime Pie originates from here and once made using limes exclusively grown here.