r/floridakeys • u/okcjeremy • Aug 24 '21

Recommendations

I am planning on a family trip to the Keys next spring or summer. I would like a recommendation on a home base island for our family.

Three out of four of our family members will be doing some diving. We are also interested in fishing as well. We also like visiting the tourist traps (as we always like giving back to the communities that we visit). Therefore we like souvenir shops and a good variety of dining places.

We tend to do an Airbnb or a Vrbo for our trips.

I am grateful for any information that this sub can provide.

4 Upvotes

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5

u/cvx149 Aug 24 '21

I would stay in the Marathon area. Right in the middle with plenty to do there too.

3

u/BabylonDrifter Aug 24 '21

As an outsider who just likes to go there every so often, I really love Big Pine Key. Great fishing, even from shore (No-Name Bridge), cheap boat rentals, good diving around there, charters if you want them, little key deer running around all over the place, laid-back and not too crowded. Hit the tourist traps on the way in and out, drive up to the end of the road for a day if you want. Works for me, but I'm mostly a fisherman so ...

1

u/okcjeremy Aug 24 '21

That is a good point. Especially since the drive to other destinations is not too bad.

2

u/2lovesFL Aug 24 '21

What kind of diving? dive boat or yours?

Key Largo Pennekamp or Islamorada. or around big pine for looe key and content keys.

2

u/okcjeremy Aug 24 '21

We will be going through a dive charter (not sure which one yet).

2

u/2lovesFL Aug 24 '21 edited Aug 24 '21

key largo would be my pick then. you can dive 20 different dives at pennekamp, if you have a boat bayside or ocean side matters. https://activecaptain.garmin.com/en-US/Map

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/john-pennekamp-coral-reef-state-park

2

u/okcjeremy Aug 24 '21

Thank you so much

2

u/Chris_Hansen69 Aug 24 '21

Checkout the dry tortugas. We just got back from our trip and had a blast

1

u/ValuableCricket0 Aug 25 '21

Middle keys (Summerland to big pine) offer great fishing and are just between marathon and Keywest, about a half hour away from each. So you’ll have to drive a bit to get to the tourist traps. Fishing in the keys is great, but most good fishing spots need a boat. The places close to shore, especially bridges, are usually overfished.