Best things to do in Key Largo

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a Florida State Park located on Key Largo in Florida. It includes approximately 70 nautical square miles (240 km²) of adjacent Atlantic Ocean waters. The park is approximately 25 miles in length and extends 3 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first underwater park in the United States. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1972. The primary attractions of the park are the coral reefs (such as Molasses Reef) and their associated marine life.

In Fiscal Year 2004 the park had more than a million visitors, making it the most popular park in the Florida State Parks system. The Florida Keys and the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast are the only living coral reef formations in the continental United States.

Theater of the Sea, established in 1946, is a marine mammal park located in the Village of Islamorada, Florida, United States. It is a tourist attraction located on Windley Key in the Florida Keys. Visitors can swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, and sting rays and nurse sharks. Dolphins swim in and jump through a hoop and ring a bell. The 17-acre (6.9 ha) site also has exotic birds, lizards, crocodilians, sea turtles, tropical, game fish, sharks, and other forms of marine life. Short cruises and bottomless boat rides are also conducted.

The park also engages in ecological conservation programs, including the first artificial flipper transplant on a sea turtle.

Nestled within the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda State Park offers 212 hectares (524 acres) of white sand beaches, lagoons, and hardwood forest. You can take advantage of the park’s pristine environment via roads, nature trails, campsites, and its marina. Grab some snorkel gear from the on-site rental shop and explore the surrounding waters, renowned for having some of the most snorkel-friendly reefs in Florida. Join a snorkeling tour, or simply stop by the park's visitor center for details on the local ecosystem and ocean wildlife.

Meet feathered friends who have been injured and are now in the process of rehabilitation at Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center. The center aims to release birds back into the wild, but also provides shelter for the birds that cannot be released. To educate the public on peaceful coexistence with wild birds, the center provides information on its work. The self-guided tour leads you along the boardwalk--where each aviary is marked--and gives general information on the particular species, as well as more specific details about the rescued bird. You are welcome to get close to the birds but remember that they are wild; some may not want to interact with people.

Nestled in the core of the Florida Keys, The Turtle Hospital rescues, rehabilitates, and protects injured and sick sea turtles. Since 1986 the center has worked to raise awareness of the dangers sea turtles face. The staff conducts research on turtle health and returns wounded turtles that are healed to their natural habitat. Some turtles cannot live in the wild due to surgeries or permanent disabilities, so the hospital cares for its permanent residents. To take a tour and see the turtles, be sure to call well in advance; slots are limited and fill up quickly.

Cross swimming with highly intelligent and universally loved marine mammals off your bucket list while vacationing in Key Largo. You'll get the introductory lecture on dolphin anatomy and behavior before interacting with the playful creatures. The structured swim--monitored by pro trainers--allows you to kiss the dolphins and stroke their bellies, hold on to their fins, and ride alongside them. The highlight of this thrilling experience is being rapidly towed by a pair of dolphins across the pool--it's a really treat for anyone into water sports with a special touch. Take advantage of the onsite professional photographers allowing you to capture a few unforgettable memories during the 3-hour experience.

To schedule a tour, please call (305)451-5884

~Island Dolphin Care Organization:

Island Dolphin Care, a 501c3 not for profit organization, was developed to help children with special needs and their families who are dealing with developmental and/or physical disabilities, emotional challenges, and critical, chronic or terminal illness. Island Dolphin Care believes that children with special challenges can and should enjoy the full range of activities that life’s experiences can offer, and that every child deserves the opportunity to play, giggle, and have fun!

~Island Dolphin Care Mission Statement:

IDC provides unique, therapeutic, motivational, and educational dolphin-assisted therapy programs, for children with special needs, adults and families, through the use of innovative therapy techniques, which enable participants to discover and achieve desired goals, strengths, and their fullest potential for individual fulfillment.

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