DESTINATIONS FLORIDA KEYS THE US
LEFT: A Key deer RIGHT: The
Africa Queen
BELOW: Serenity Eco Therapy
By night, Mallory Square’s daily sunset celebration is a must, or suggest Danger Charters’ Wind and Wine sunset sail. The food scene is thriving, from waterfront seafood restaurants to fine- dining, while partygoers love the ‘Duval Crawl’ along Duval Street. Key West is also festival mad, from Hemingway Days and the Key Lime Festival to flamboyant street parade Fantasy Fest. Eastwards lies Big Pine and
the Lower Keys, which are big on eco-tourism. Home to the National Key Deer Refuge, it’s a haven for indigenous miniature Key deer, while Big Pine Kayak Adventures offers trips through protected mangroves. In Bahia
Honda State Park, Sarah Sullivan’s Serenity Eco Therapy experiences include stand-up paddleboarding, paddleboard yoga and meditation on kayaks. There’s also excellent diving on Looe Key Reef, which hosts July’s Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival. Seven Mile Bridge (6.79 miles
to be exact) is Marathon’s main sight, running parallel to Old Seven Mile Bridge, a throwback to the railroad era. Nearby attractions include tours of the Turtle Hospital, a refuge for sick and injured sea turtles; the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key, resting place for one of TV’s first ‘Flippers’; and Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters. For
Grassy Key’s Dolphin Research Center is the resting place for one of TV’s first ‘Flippers’
something different, suggest archaeological site Crane Point. A Native American village once stood here and nature trails pass Marathon Wild Bird Center. Sports-fishing is a big draw on chilled-out Islamorada, while divers and snorkellers head to San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve and
hikers and canoers to Long Key State Park. Indian Key Historic State Park is an interesting spot, with the remains of the wrecking (shipwreck salvage) community from the 1830s. A more modern spot is the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, with galleries, restaurants and the Upper Keys’ first microbrewery. A monthly ArtWalk offers an evening of alfresco art, music and food. There’s fantastic diving
and snorkelling in Key Largo, particularly in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The longest island and bordering Everglades National Park, Key Largo is famous for the eponymous film starring
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travelweekly.co.uk 3 September 2015
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