5 days 4 nights in the Florida Keys (First week of August)?

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5 days 4 nights in the Florida Keys (First week of August)?

by Andres Alvarez
(Silver Spring, MD, USA)

My girlfriend and I have grown increasingly indecisive when it comes to where to stay and where to go on our short trip. I read all your information and it was very insightful, but being that you spent more than two weeks there. I'd really like to get some opinions on how you would handle a 4 night trip. Here are the main questions.

1. What are the must see places and snorkel sites for a 4 day trip? I am not opposed to renting a car when needed to venture out further.

2. Would you recommend flying into miami and taking the trip down in a rental car or coming in to key west?

3. Where would you stay considering the "must see places and snorkel sites for 4 days" ? We want it to be at a convenient location. We are not very picky, but also want to get our moneys worth. We know we can't expect resorts like the ones in Cancun, but also dont want a run down motel with bed bugs, no air conditioning, and musty smells. Any recommendations of places you stayed and found acceptable are much appreciated.

By the way - Snorkeling in the mayan riviera was not all that great around Tulum and conzumel. Snorkeling off the beach at the Barcelo Mayan Palace was very good.

Amazing snorkeling tip - GO to San Andres Island, Colombia. It is not on the mainland. It is an island that belongs to Colombia close to the carribean.

Disclaimer - The island has recently been discovered by the major airlines and suddenly prices are outrageous. A few years ago, they are at a fraction of the cost they are now.

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5 days 4 nights in the Florida Keys (First week of August)?

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Jul 11, 2011
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Snorkeling Florida Keys
by: Tom Turner

I do not have alot of experience snorkeling in the keys, but what we have done, we have enjoyed immensely.

First, I would definitely fly into Miami and drive down through the keys. That is quite a trip in itself. After you leave the mainland, on the first island, there is a marine park called Pennecamp. It probably isn't more than an hour and a half south of the airport, maybe not that far. Fly into Miami in the morning, stop at Pennecamp for an afternoon snorkel on a snorkel boat, and then continue on your way. They have concessions in the park that will take you on a two or two and a half hour snorkel trip.

As you continue down the keys, I am sure there are many places that you can stop to snorkel, but the next one that I am familiar with is Looe Key. You go to Bahia Honda State Park and get a boat trip out to the Key, which has tremendous deep water snorkeling. Big fish, big coral, the works. They have morning and afternoon trips.

Then go to Key West and get the all day trip out to the Dry Tortugas. This is the trip that, if you go to the keys, you really need to make. We have been there when the water was a bit rough, but on a nice day, you can't beat the snorkeling and the seclusion that can be found out there.

Hope you have a good trip. Post a report when you get back.

Jul 12, 2011
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Our two cents
by: Galen & Nicole

Tom has some good points.

The first thing I want to mention is that you will be in the Keys during peak Hurricane season. So I would purchase trip insurance. Even if you don't get a storm, there is a much higher chance of rain and winds.

I would also recommend flying into Miami and renting a car. And then with only five days, I would probably focus on the upper and middle keys and would not bother heading down to Key West (so long as snorkeling is your main focus.)

Your first night I would stay in Key Largo. We stayed at the Ramada Key Largo, and it is a nice hotel. Try to get out to Molasses Reef when in Key Largo, and maybe Dry Rocks & Christ of the Abyss if it sounds interesting to you.

Then I would try to spend the most time down in the Middle Keys area. Maybe look into staying at Key Colony Beach or somewhere close by.

In the Middle Keys make sure and get out to Sombrero Reef, Alligator Reef Lighthouse, Looe Key (we prefer to do this from Big Pine Key, vs. from Bahia Honda, because the boat ride is shorter), and any other spots that look good to you on our Middle Keys pages.

Keep in mind on your 5 day trip that the speed limits are slow out on the Keys and so it actually takes a good bit of time to drive around.

Have a great time!

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5 days 4 nights in the Florida Keys (First week of August)?

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5 days 4 nights in the Florida Keys (First week of August)?